Load-Settlement Behavior of Adjacent Strip Footings Resting on Slopes

In many places of Kerala state the topography is sloping especially in the districts of Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kasaragod etc. A sloping ground is in unstable equilibrium, when compared with a level ground. When we construct structures on sloping ground, foundations will be placed on the slope at various levels. Applying loads on a slope of various levels may further degrade its stability and in addition, there will be interference between adjacent footings. Since the foundations are at different levels the stressed zones will overlap which may lead to differential settlement. This paper investigates the load - settlement behavior of footing resting on slopes, by carrying out a series of laboratory scale load tests on model footings resting at various levels along the slope surface. The parameters varied are eccentricity and slope angles. Finite element analyses are carried out with the FE software PLAXIS 2D and the results are compared with those obtained from laboratory scale load tests for validation. It is observed that the eccentricity and slope angle influence the load settlement behavior of footings considerably.