Numerical Parametric Study on Structural Response of Drilled Shaft Footings Subjected to Concentric Axial Force

This paper presents a numerical parametric study to examine the structural response of drilled shaft footings (pile caps) presenting different design characteristics, which have not been studied in depth in previous experimental studies. The numerical analyses were conducted with nonlinear finite element models representing typical designs and details of actual footings. The modeling scheme was validated using experimental data from large-scale drilled shaft footings. Key parameters of the numerical study included footing geometric properties, concrete strength, and reinforcement ratios. The results of the parametric studies were examined to identify key behavioral and design aspects to be considered when using 3D strut-and-tie models for the design of drilled shaft footings. The analysis results show that influences associated with footing and column aspect ratios were essentially negligible. However, it was estimated that an increase of the angle of inclination between the compression strut and the vertical axis led to significant reductions in footing stiffness and load capacity. The effect of shaft diameter was also examined in light of lateral concrete confining effects, and it was found that larger shaft diameters provide increased footing capacities. Analyses performed to estimate the influence of concrete compressive strength showed that splitting of the strut controlled the concrete-governed failure mechanism of footings. Finally, the models developed with different amounts of reinforcement revealed that increasing bottom mat reinforcement leads to increased ultimate loads; however, the rate of strength increase decreases with increasing reinforcement ratio. Providing a minimal amount of top mat and side face reinforcement was estimated to impact the structural responses of the footings positively; however, increasing the ratios of the top mat and side face reinforcing bars beyond this minimum did not significantly impact footing strength.