Technical Papers
Dec 6, 2023

Investigations into the Uplift of Skirted Foundations on Clay at Varying Rates

Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 2

Abstract

This paper presents finite-element simulations to reinterpret a series of full-model and particle image velocimetry (PIV) (half model) centrifuge tests to study the uplift of skirted foundations. The focus is on the influence of uplift rate on the uplift capacity and the mechanism of breakaway (i.e., the phenomenon of sudden loss of uplift resistance). A backbone curve, quantifying the uplift rate-capacity relationship, is established for uplift based on the numerical and experimental results. The dimensionless velocities V=6 and 130 are found to be the boundaries for drained, partially drained, and undrained conditions. The breakaway is found related to ambient water infiltration. In the numerical modeling, the remaining length of the skirt inside soil is used as an indicator for breakaway, i.e., breakaway happens when this length is smaller than a critical value. This hypothesis is demonstrated to be effective by comparing the numerical modeling with the experimental results.

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Data Availability Statement

Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

This research was undertaken with support from the Australia Research Council Discovery Projects DP190103315 and DP180103314 and the second author’s ARC Future Fellowship FT200100457. Dr. Xiaojun Li (former Ph.D. student at UWA) is acknowledged for his support and discussion of the centrifuge tests he carried out during his study.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 150Issue 2February 2024

History

Received: Nov 23, 2022
Accepted: Oct 4, 2023
Published online: Dec 6, 2023
Published in print: Feb 1, 2024
Discussion open until: May 6, 2024

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Authors

Affiliations

Maozhu Peng [email protected]
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ., 11 Yok Choi Rd., Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China; formerly, Ph.D. Student, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems and Oceans Graduate School, Univ. of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy., Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Yinghui Tian [email protected]
ARC Future Fellow, Dept. of Infrastructure Engineering, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia (corresponding author). Email: [email protected]
Professor, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems and Oceans Institute, Univ. of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy., Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6326-4551. Email: [email protected]

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