An Experimental Study to Assess the Void Impact on the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of a Strip Footing Sitting on a Reinforced Slope

This research presents the findings of experimental laboratory models carried out on strip footing situated on a slope with an underlying cavity, considering both unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced soil. Tests were performed on a small-scale footing model subjected to vertical-centric loads. The research encompasses several parametric investigations, varying the cavity depth (H/B), the horizontal distance between the center of the footing and the cavity's center (X/B), and the number of geogrid layers (N). The detailed experimental results indicate that the presence of the cavity diminishes the soil-bearing capacity and undermines slope stability. Furthermore, an increase in cavity depth (H/B), horizontal distance ratios (X/B), and the number of geogrid layers (N) has been shown to result in an enhancement in bearing capacity. Additionally, a variety of failure mechanisms have been observed, with the size of the failure surface and void deformation shape depending on the location of the void and reinforcement layers. In general, the failure area is primarily formed in the direction of the closest void from the foundation and spreads towards the slope.