Numerical Investigations on Strip Footing Near Vertical Cut Rockmass Cliff

The experimental study on the stability of rockmass cliffs due to a nearby foundation system is an unexplored area and needs further investigation. In this study, the effect of different heights of vertical cut (H/B) and setback distance (S/B) on the stability of a strip footing placed over weightless rockmass is evaluated using a finite-element limit analysis (FELA)-based program, where the H is the height of the cliff, B is the width of the strip footing and S is the distance between the cliff and strip footing. The rockmass is modeled using nonlinear Hoek and Brown failure model. The stability of footing is quantified in terms of variation in Nσ0 for different horizontal setback distances (S/B = 0 to 15) and heights of rockmass cliff (H/B = 0, 1, 5, 10). The stability is evaluated for different rockmass parameters such as geological strength index (GSI), Hoek and Brown material constant (mi), uniaxial compressive strength (σci), Poisson’s ratio (ν) and modulus of elasticity (E). The present study results indicate a significant reduction in Nσ0 values with increase in the height of rockmass cliff and decrease in the setback distance.