Effects of consolidation under a penetrating footing in carbonate silty clay

© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers. The effects of consolidation under a footing are generally viewed as beneficial due to the resulting increased capacity. Consolidation may also be actively sought because it minimizes footing embedment, which can be critical for the installation of mobile offshore jack-ups because available leg length is limited. However, it can also set the platform footing up to subsequently punch through the strengthened zone, with potentially serious consequences. The problem is complex due to the three-dimensional nature of consolidation. Further, footing penetration leaves the soil above heavily remolded and generates large excess pore pressures below, such that the soil state even prior to consolidation is significantly altered from its in situ conditions. This study has taken an experimental approach to investigate the effects of consolidation around a footing penetrating into carbonate silty clay and, following detailed discussion of the response, offers a framework to predict the changes to the load-penetration curve.