Bearing capacity of skirted footing subjected to inclined loading

Skirted foundations are nowadays popular due to relatively higher bearing capacity and greater stability compared to strip footing. Foundations are generally subjected to inclined loading in the field. This study aimed to determine the effect of load inclination on bearing capacity, failure mechanism, and efficiency of skirted footing resting on cohesive soil using the finite element method. The footing has been assumed to be rigid, while the skirt has been assumed to be rigid as well flexible in nature. The bearing capacity of footing increases with the increase in skirt length, undrained strength, and footing depth. The provision of the skirt increases the bearing capacity by 1.4–5 times the capacity of strip footing. The bearing capacity decreases with an increase in load inclination, but the effectiveness of the skirt is found to increase. However, efficiency decreases significantly with an increase in the footing depth. The failure mechanism, as well as skirt effectiveness, is independent of soil strength. The failure zone always remains in the bulb shape, irrespective of any other factors. The skirt efficiency enhances by the provision of the rigid skirt in place of a flexible skirt.