An experimental investigation of a shallow skirted foundation under compression and tension

Shallowly embedded skirted foundations are an attractive alternative to piles for jacket structures and buoyant facilities as they can resist uplift but are cheaper to install than deep foundations. Bearing capacity of shallow skirted foundations in compression is moderately well understood while there is still considerable uncertainty over uplift capacity, particularly for loading sustained over a period of time. This paper reports results from beam centrifuge tests on a shallow skirted foundation in clay, subjected to uplift and compression. Rapid and sustained loading is considered and the effects of consolidation stress level and stress history on undrained capacity and sustained load response are reported.