ABSTRACT
The static bearing capacity of surface and embedded foundations at the vicinity of slopes was predominantly studied analytically in the past and various well-known upper bound solutions have been proposed. However, only a few relevant 1-g or n-g physical model tests can be found in the literature, focusing on small variations of key variables, such as the slope angle α, the static safety factor F s , the distance Δx between the crest of the slope and the foundation, the roughness μ of the footing, and the embedment ratio D/B. This paper summarizes existing analytical solutions, and provides verification through centrifuge model tests conducted at the ETH Zurich geotechnical drum centrifuge. A series of centrifuge model tests are conducted on dry sand, investigating a wide range of the aforementioned key problem variables. The results obtained through the centrifuge model tests are compared to the analytical solutions, setting the basis for further testing to address the combined M-H-V capacity of foundations in slope.
