Bearing capacity of rectangular footings on two-layer clay

While bearing capacity of footings has been a widely researched area, only recently have rigorous solutions to square and rectangular footings been attempted. A finite element analysis of square and rectangular footings over two-layer clay foundation soil is presented. Bearing capacity results are shown for a limited range of parameters. While the bearing capacity is distinctly affected by both the ratio of the strengths of the two layers and the depth of the weak layer, the shape factors are only dependent on the depth ratio.