The Static and Seismic Bearing Capacity Factor Nγ for Footings Adjacent to Slopes

Foundations resting adjacent to the crest of a slope exhibit a smaller bearing capacity respect to the case of horizontal ground. In this paper the static and seismic values of the bearing capacity factor Nγg for shallow strip foundations adjacent to slopes were evaluated using the method of characteristics, extended to the seismic case by means of the pseudo-static approach. Nγg was evaluated for different values of the slope angle and, under seismic conditions, accounting only for the effect of horizontal and vertical inertia forces arising in the foundation soil. The results, for both smooth and rough foundations, are presented and checked against those obtained through finite element analyses.