Abstract
The footings laid in close proximity imposes a definite change in the behaviour of the adjacent footing, subsequently changing the behaviour of the nearby footings. The present study emphasises the behaviour of the nearby strip footings embedded at a different level by adopting the commercially available finite element analysis program, ABAQUS. The load-settlement behaviour, ultimate bearing capacity (UBC), and the failure patterns of adjacent strip footings are assessed by considering the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The UBC is of the nearby footings (left and right) are estimated and represented in terms of interference factors (ξL/ξR) defined as the UBC of a footing in the presence of adjacent footing to that of same considered for equivalent isolated footing. The results reveal that a significant influence of the adjacent footing is experienced when the spacing between the footings (S/B) is lesser, and they behave as the single footing of greater width at S/B = 0.25 irrespective of the level of embedment depth. Furthermore, the influence of interference increases with the increase in the embedment depth of adjacent footing. It is found that the ξL is significantly more for a lower level of embedment depth, and the same increases with an increase in the embedment depth of the right footing but on the contrary ξR decreases. The increase in the peak interference factor, ξL-max for DL/B = 0.5 is 2.1% and 4.2% when DR/B = 0.75 and DR/B = 1.0, respectively.