Seismic Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation Supporting Single-Degree-of-Freedom Structures

Abstract

The seismic bearing capacity of a shallow foundation supporting a single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure is examined through dynamic centrifuge tests conducted with dry silica sand layers and through the results of three-dimensional numerical analyses in time domain with explicit time integration. The numerical analysis model were constructed in prototype scale corresponding that of centrifuge test. The numerical analysis results correspond with the dynamic centrifuge test measurements. Thus, time histories of the bearing pressure beneath the shallow foundation is estimated from the numerical analysis. To examine the seismic behavior of a shallow foundation supporting a SDOF structure, two different seismic bearing capacity criteria were compared.