Numerical Modeling of the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Strip Footings on Reinforced Sand Layer Overlying Clay with Voids

The presence of underground voids within a failure zone usually results in a reduction in the bearing capacity of footings. This paper presents results for the ultimate bearing capacity ratio, qu/γB, of a strip footing on top of a sand layer overlying a clay layer with voids, with and without the placing of geotextile reinforcement at the interface between the sand and clay layers. Using the finite difference software FLAC 2D, the bearing capacity ratio of the strip footing was calculated for voids with different depths and horizontal distance for two configurations: parallel and symmetrical. The effect of parameters on the ultimate bearing capacity ratio was also investigated, including the undrained shear stress ratio of the soil, the thickness of the top layer and the size, location, height, width and spacing of the voids, with and without placing of geotextile layers at the interface between the sand and clay layers. It was found that the influence of a void on the ultimate bearing capacity ratio of the strip footing vanished when the void was located outside the failure zone beneath the footing and increased further with reinforcement until it reached a constant limit value.