Effect of inclination of skirt footing on bearing capacity

This research used finite element analysis to examine how the angle of skirt footing affects the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The modelled was square, rectangular, and circular footings with and without skirts at different inclination degrees (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°) sitting on loose sandy soil with a relative density of 33% using the finite element software Plaxis 3D. Researchers observed that skirts greatly increase the carrying capability of shallow foundations. Enhancing the angle of the skirt boosts the redistribution of weight and interaction, with the soil resulting in a better bearing capacity. The outcomes showcased an enhancement in efficiency across footing types The bearing capacity improvements for the square footing varied between 17.1% at a 0° angle and 55.5% at a 60° angle. For the circular footing these improvements ranged from 21.4% at a 0° angle to 105.6% at a 60° angle. The rectangular footing saw increases between 32.0% at a 0° angle and 65.8% at a 60° angle. These results demonstrate a consistent enhancement in bearing capacity as the skirt angle increases for each footing shape.