Published Paper Details:

In conventional footing/foundations when the load is applied, the soil beneath the footing will spread laterally. If the lateral movement of the soil is restricted by providing vertical sections beneath the footing, the bearing capacity of the soil increases due to its confinement. The vertical sections attached along the outer perimeter of the footing is known as skirt and the footing is known as bucket/skirted/bounded/confined footing. These types of footings are commonly employed in offshore structures. Skirted foundations are alternative solutions for deep foundations. They are also economical when compared deep foundations. However, skirted foundations are yet to find its place in onshore structures. Recently skirted foundations have caught the attention of engineers. Although research works are ongoing, significant contribution is yet to come. Pressure-settlement curve is drawn for different parameters to determine the bearing capacity of the skirted footing. To compare these test results with conventional footings, similar tests were repeated for footings without skirts and suitable recommendations are made for optimal design of skirted footings. A detailed numerical analysis is also done to validate the experimental test results.