Evaluating the penetration resistance of spudcan foundations in clay overlying sand

Abstract

The response of spudcan foundations during penetration through a soft clay layer toward a sand layer is investigated through large deformation finite element analyses. Relationships for the penetration resistance taking account of the evolv-ing soil failure mechanisms are explored. The findings show that the substantial increase in the penetration resistance is associated with the squeezing mechanism, as the softer soil that is trapped beneath the spudcan base and the stronger sand layer is squeezed horizontally. A simplified expression is proposed to predict the spudcan penetration resistance between the depth at which the squeezing prevails and the clay-sand interface, with its performance..