Consolidation beneath Circular Skirted Foundations

Susan Gourvenec1 and Mark. F. Randolph2

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Abstract: The effect of foundation embedment on consolidation has not been considered previously in a systematic manner, although this
is of particular interest for offshore foundations, where embedment is provided by skirts that enclose a compressible soil plug. For skirted
foundations, critical uncertainties include what to assume in terms of the degree of drainage at skirt tip level, and the relative time scales
of consolidation within the soil plug and beneath the foundation. In this paper, results from small strain finite-element analyses are used
to quantify the immediate and time-dependent response of circular skirted foundations to uniaxial vertical loading. Foundations with
frictionless and fully rough skirt-soil interfaces with varying ratio of embedment depth to foundation diameter are considered and the
responses compared with those for surface foundations. The findings show that both skirt-soil interface roughness and embedment ratio
have a significant effect on the consolidation response.
DOI: 10.1061/共ASCE兲1532-3641共2010兲10:1共22兲
CE Database subject headings: Soil consolidation; Foundations; Offshore structures.

Introduction dissipate compared with a conventionally embedded foundation.

A theory for three-dimensional consolidation was first formulated
by Biot 共1935, 1956兲. A number of analytical solutions of the
time-settlement behavior of shallow foundations have since been
proposed for a range of permeable to impermeable and flexible to
rigid rafts, typically assuming a smooth interface and an underly-
ing elastic half space 关e.g., McNamee and Gibson 共1960兲, Gibson
et al. 共1970兲, Booker 共1974兲, Chiarella and Booker 共1975兲, and
Booker and Small 1986兲兴. Little attention has been directed to-
ward quantifying the effect of foundation embedment on consoli-
dation response. An analytical solution to the problem of an
embedded foundation would involve considerable computational
difficulty and to the writers’ knowledge the problem has not been
previously addressed numerically in a systematic manner.
Embedment would be expected to reduce the magnitude and
rate of consolidation settlements of shallow foundations due to
the resistance of the soil above foundation level and longer drain-
age paths. Additionally, for rough sided foundations consolidation
settlements will be reduced due to a portion of the applied load
being carried by side friction. For offshore applications, embed-
ment generally takes the form of skirted foundations, where a
plug of soil is confined beneath the foundation by circumferential
skirts, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. The additional in-
crease in drainage path length compared to a conventionally em-
bedded foundation 共from under the base plate to skirt tip level and
then to the free surface兲 and additional compression of the con-
fined soil plug will lead to larger consolidation settlements and
longer times for the excess pore pressures beneath the cap to
1
Associate Professor, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The
Univ. of Western Australian, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009
共corresponding author兲. E-mail: susan@civil.uwa.edu.au
2
Winthrop Professor, Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The
Univ. of Western Australian, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009.
Note. This manuscript was submitted on February 6, 2008; approved
on September 1, 2009; published online on January 15, 2010. Discussion
period open until July 1, 2010; separate discussions must be submitted for
individual papers. This paper is part of the International Journal of
Geomechanics, Vol. 10, No. 1, February 1, 2010. ©ASCE, ISSN 1532-
3641/2010/1-22–29/$25.00.
Skirted foundations are used widely offshore, either as a single
foundation system for gravity based structures, as discrete foun-
dation units at the corners of jacket structures and tension leg
platforms, or as foundations for subsea infrastructure such as
manifolds. Some applications of skirted foundations offshore are
illustrated in Fig. 2. Foundation footprints for large gravity based
structures can have an equivalent diameter of up to 100 m and
skirt depth to foundation diameter ratios 共d / D兲 typically in the
range 0.1ⱕ d / D ⬍ 0.4 关e.g., Tjelta et al. 共1990兲, Hansen et al.
共1992兲, Humpheson 共1998兲, and Watson and Humpheson 共2007兲兴,
individual skirted foundations for jackets or tension leg platforms
have diameters between 10 and 20 m with embedment ratios in
the range 0.3ⱕ d / D ⬍ 1.0 关e.g., Støve et al. 共1992兲 and Bye et al.
共1995兲兴, while small foundations for subsea installations might be
only a few meters in plan dimension with embedment ratios typi-
cally less than 0.1. In general, skirted foundations with embed-
ment ratios less than unity are employed in the field, particularly
for foundations with a large footprint for which higher embed-
ment ratios represent considerable embedded depth. Higher as-
pect ratio “suction caissons” are used as anchors for mooring
lines, but there the loading is generally applied at a significant
angle away from the vertical. Suction caissons are outside the
scope of what is considered here, although the effect of sustained
uplift loading on capacity has been considered by Clukey et al.
共2004兲.
Understanding the consolidation response of skirted founda-
tions is necessary to predict the rate and magnitude of settlement
for foundations subjected to compression. Another interest in the
consolidation response of skirted foundations exists for applica-
tions that impose tensile loads, as transient suctions developed
within the soil plug enhance the uplift resistance. While passive
suctions can be maintained, a skirted foundation may mobilize
uplift resistance from “reverse” end bearing. With time water
flows into the soil plug, the suctions dissipate and the uplift ca-
pacity is eventually reduced to that provided by the weight of the
foundation and the friction mobilized along the skirts. The time
scale over which suctions can be relied upon thus becomes criti-
cal in design. This study concentrated on the consolidation
response of skirted foundations nominally subjected to compres-

22 / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29

 A D
B B d
A
t ness t / D = 0.002 共based on typical field conditions兲 were
Section A - A
D homogeneous elastic half-space with Biot-type consolidation gov-
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Foundation diameter D
Embedment depth d
Skirt thickness t
t
Section B - B
Fig. 1. Schematic representation of a skirted foundation
Gravity base Jacket Tension leg Subsea
structure platform structure
(GBS) (TLP)
Fig. 2. Applications of skirted foundations offshore
sion although the effect of embedment ratio and skirt-soil inter-
face roughness on the underlying mechanisms governing excess
pore pressure dissipation would be similar for foundations acting
in tension within the limits of the elastic soil response assumed
here.
This study has considered the consolidation response beneath
impermeable, rigid, skirted foundations with skirt depth to foun-
dation diameter ratios d / D of 0.15, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 共to represent
the range of “shallow” foundations兲, for both smooth and rough
skirt-soil interfaces, embedded in an elastic soil. Results are pre-
sented in terms of the initial contact pressure and stress distribu-
tion in the soil, excess pore pressure dissipation and the time-
settlement response. Results from the analyses of skirted
foundations are compared with numerical and analytical solutions
for a surface foundation 共d / D = 0兲. This study considered ideal-
ized elastic conditions to identify the principal mechanisms gov-
erning the consolidation response of skirted foundations as a
function of embedment ratio and interface roughness and to en-
able comparison with established analytical solutions for a sur-
face foundation. The effect of soil yielding on the consolidation
response of skirted foundations would provide a useful extension
to the set of benchmark solutions identified in this study.
Finite-Element Model
Small strain finite-element analyses were carried out with the
commercially available software ABAQUS 共Dassault Systèmes
2008兲.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 / 23
Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29
Geometry and Material Parameters
Circular foundations with skirt depth to diameter embedment ra-
tios d / D = 0 共surface plate兲, 0.15, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 and skirt thick-
represented in axial symmetry. The soil was represented by a
erning the stress-pore fluid coupling. Constant and isotropic elas-
tic parameters Young’s modulus E⬘ and Poisson’s ratio ␯⬘ were
assumed in all analyses, but isotropic and anisotropic permeabil-
ity were considered with ratios of horizontal to vertical perme-
ability kh / kv = 1, 3, and 10. Results are presented in terms of
dimensionless quantities 共d / D, cvt / D2, and wE⬘ / D⌬q兲, and are
therefore independent of the actual values of foundation diameter,
embedment depth, soil stiffness, or permeability adopted in the
finite-element model. As such, the results are equally applicable
to any foundation diameter, embedment depth, soil stiffness and
permeability 共provided consistent units are observed兲.
The magnitude of Poisson’s ratio affects the three-dimensional
consolidation response with higher Poisson’s ratio leading to
faster consolidation and a reduction in the ratio of consolidation
settlement to total settlement. However, over a practical range of
drained Poisson’s ratio 0.1ⱕ ␯⬘ ⱕ 0.3, the effect is limited 共Schiff-
mann et al. 1969; Booker and Small 1986兲. A typical value of
drained Poisson’s ratio ␯⬘ = 0.2 was selected for the analyses in
this study.
Interaction between the foundation and soil was represented
by either a fully rough or frictionless interface to encompass the
possible range of interface friction of different foundation mate-
rials and finishes.
Finite-Element Mesh
Each foundation was represented as a rigid body and the soil as a
deformable solid with first order fully integrated axisymmetric
stress-pore fluid continuum elements. The foundation was in
place at the start of the analyses 共i.e., installation was not mod-
eled兲. Zero-displacement boundary conditions were prescribed in
the radial direction around the circumference and vertically across
the base of the mesh, located sufficiently remote so as not to
affect the foundation or consolidation response. During consoli-
dation, a zero pore pressure boundary condition was prescribed
along the surface of the mesh representing the soil while the
foundation was considered impermeable. Drainage was not per-
mitted across the circumferential boundary of the mesh.
Each of the meshes was constructed to a similar template,
Fig. 3 shows the mesh for an embedment ratio of d / D = 0.5 as an
example. Each mesh maintained a uniform element size along the
skirts l / D = 0.025, where l defines the element length along the
skirt-soil interface.
Fig. 4 illustrates the mesh dependency for the smooth skirted
foundation with embedment ratio d / D = 0.5, in terms of the dis-
tribution of contact pressure beneath the base plate, taken as the
initial excess pore pressure ⌬ui normalized by the applied foun-
dation pressure ⌬q. Three mesh configurations were considered,
each with uniform elements along the foundation skirts, a “coarse
mesh” l / D = 0.05, a “fine mesh” l / D = 0.025 共as adopted in the
study兲, and a “very fine mesh” l / D = 0.015. 共Other configurations
were investigated, for example with finer mesh discretization con-
centrated at skirt tip level, but these were found to be more mesh
sensitive.兲 Increasing mesh density attracts a greater proportion of
the applied load to the skirt tips, with less being carried by the
base plate. The initial contact pressure at the mid point of the
 tions prevailed in the analyses. In the second step, a drainage
x
boundary was specified along the soil surface 共either side of the
D/2 foundation兲 and consolidation was permitted until excess pore
pressures had dissipated.
Axis of symmetry

An important issue in consolidation problems is the choice of

d the initial time step. As the governing equations are parabolic the
initial solution immediately after a change in boundary condition
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is a local solution. Time steps smaller than a certain duration give

meaningless results and distort the subsequent consolidation re-
sponse. The time step over which the excess pore pressure regime
was set up and the minimum time step permitted during consoli-
dation was defined by 共Vermeer and Verruijt 1981兲
z

Fig. 3. Finite-element mesh for d / D = 0.5. 关Note: the foundation is in ␥w

tmin = h2 共1兲
place at the start of the analyses. The foundation skirts are visible as 6Ek
a heavier line at 共x , z兲 = 共D / 2 , 0兲 to 共D / 2 , d兲. A single column of
elements is provided beneath tip level, of equal width of the skirt tips where h = characteristic element size 共i.e., the distance between
t / D = 0.002, but are too thin to be seen at figure scale.兴 the Gauss points兲 near the draining surface; ␥w = unit weight of the
pore fluid; E = elastic modulus of the soil skeleton; and k = soil
permeability.
1.2

t/D = 0.002 Benchmarking

1.0

The finite-element model of a smooth surface foundation was

0.8
benchmarked against available analytical solutions for initial con-
tact pressure 共Muki 1961兲 and time-settlement response 共Booker
∆ui/∆q

and Small 1986兲. Fig. 5 共and later Fig. 10兲 shows good agreement
0.6
t/D = 0.02 x

0.4
D/2 was achieved between the numerical and analytical solutions.
Coarse mesh, l/D = 0.05 The established analytical studies cited here and the numerical
d Fine mesh, l/D = 0.025
0.2 study presented in this paper represent the soil mass as an elastic
Very fine mesh, l/D = 0.015
t half-space. Therefore, the ensuing results should be considered in
0.0 the context of loading situations appropriate to assumptions of
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
x/D
elasticity, particularly that loads are of magnitudes less than
would cause significant local yield within the soil mass.
Fig. 4. Illustration of mesh dependency in terms of initial excess
pore pressure distribution beneath foundation base plate for smooth
sided foundation with d / D = 0.5 Results

foundation with a skirt thickness ratio t / D = 0.002 共as adopted in Initial Excess Pore Pressure Distribution
this study兲 ranges between 0.92⬍ ⌬ui / ⌬q ⬍ 0.98 depending on Fig. 5 shows the initial excess pore pressure ratio ⌬ui / ⌬q along
mesh density. Comparison with a skirt thickness ratio t / D = 0.02, the interface with the foundation base plate immediately follow-
shows increasing mesh dependency with increasing skirt thick-
ness. As would be expected, thicker skirts attract more load to
skirt tip level, leaving less load carried by the base plate. The
higher stress concentration at skirt tip level leads to a greater Smooth d/D Rough x

D/2
mesh dependency with the initial contact pressure at the mid point 0
1.4
of foundation ranging between 0.60⬍ ⌬ui / ⌬q ⬍ 0.88 for the mesh
0.15
Muki (1961)
0.3 d
densities considered. Only the smooth foundations exhibited 1.2 0.5

mesh dependency. The response of the rough foundations was 1

1
mesh independent due to portion of load carried by skirt friction
leading to lower stress concentrations at tip level. 0.8
∆ui/∆q

0.6
Scope and Loading Method
0.4
Each analysis was carried out in two stages. In the first stage,
excess pore pressures were set up within the soil by applying a 0.2

compressive load to the foundation plate over a short time period

0
with no drainage permitted. The foundation was assumed to be 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
subjected to a vertical load, and hence average pressure ⌬q 共total x/D

load divided by the cross sectional bearing area of the founda-

tion兲. A nominal foundation load corresponding to an average Fig. 5. Initial excess pore pressure distribution beneath foundation
pressure ⌬q / E⬘ = 0.04 was applied to ensure small strain condi- base plate

24 / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29

 ing application of a uniform foundation pressure ⌬q for the
smooth and rough foundations for each of the embedment ratios
considered.
The distribution of contact pressure beneath the surface foun-
dation is largely independent of the interface roughness and the
finite-element prediction of the distribution of contact pressure
beneath the surface foundations agrees well with the theoretical
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stress distribution under a rigid die, given by 共Muki 1961兲
⌬ui 1
冋 册
= 共2兲
⌬q x2
2 1−
共D/2兲2
Skirted foundations carry foundation load by bearing beneath the
base plate and skirt tips and friction along the skirts if the inter-
face is rough. For a smooth skirt-soil interface, the entire applied
foundation pressure is transmitted to the level of the skirt tips
under one-dimensional conditions resulting in increasing contact
pressure with increasing embedment ratio. A limiting contact
pressure across the base plate of around 98% of the applied foun-
dation pressure is observed with the remaining load carried by the
skirt tips. As skirt thickness tends to zero the relative contact
pressure across the base will tend to unity. In this study, the skirt
thickness of t / D = 0.002 represents less than 1% of the cross-
sectional area of the foundation such that a relatively small com-
ponent of the applied foundation load is carried by the skirt tips.
For a rough skirt-soil interface, a portion of the applied founda-
tion load is carried by friction along the skirts. The proportion of
the applied load carried by skirt friction increases with increasing
embedment ratio leading to a reduction in contact pressure with
increasing embedment ratio. The variation in contact pressure
across the base plate diminishes with increasing embedment ratio,
irrespective of interface roughness, as the confinement provided
by the skirts prevents lateral spreading of the applied load.
Fig. 6 shows contours of initial excess pore pressure ratio at
equal intervals of 0.1⌬ui / ⌬q, for each embedment ratio for
smooth and rough interface conditions. For the surface founda-
tions, a change in initial pore pressure ⌬ui of 10% of the applied
foundation pressure ⌬q is observed at a depth z ⬃ D, consistent
with analytical solutions 共Poulos and Davis 1974兲. The extent of
significant excess pore pressures beneath ground level increases
with increasing embedment ratio for both the smooth and rough
foundations, as would be expected. The distribution of excess
pore pressure below skirt tip level of the smooth foundations is
essentially independent of skirt length. With rough skirts, the ex-
tent of significant stress changes beneath the skirt tips consistently
reduces with increasing embedment ratio due to the increasing
proportion of the applied load carried by the skirts.
Excess Pore Pressure Dissipation
Figs. 7共a and b兲 show the progress of dissipation of excess pore
pressures measured along the interface with the base plate at the
centerline of the foundation. Fig. 7共a兲 shows excess pore pressure
normalized by the applied foundation pressure ⌬u / ⌬q, and Fig.
7共b兲 shows excess pore pressure as a proportion of the initial
change in pore pressure following application of the applied foun-
dation pressure ⌬u / ⌬ui. Time is expressed in terms of the dimen-
sionless time factor T = cvt / D2, where t is the time following
application of the applied foundation pressure, ⌬q, D is the diam-
eter of the foundation, and cv is the coefficient of consolidation
共Davis and Poulos 1968兲
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 / 25
Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29
Smooth interface
D/2
1.1
z
0.4
z/D ~ 1
0.3
0.2
0.1
Rough interface
Surface d/D = 0 d/D = 0.15 d/D = 0.3 d/D = 0.5 d/D = 1
Fig. 6. Contours of initial excess pore pressure ratio at intervals of
0.1⌬ui / ⌬q
kE⬘ 共1 − ␯⬘兲
cv = 共3兲
␥w 共1 − 2␯⬘兲共1 + ␯⬘兲
where k = soil permeability; E⬘ = Young’ s modulus of the soil;
␥w = unit weight of water; and ␯⬘ = Poisson’ s ratio.
The first data point of each series in Fig. 7 corresponds to the
end of the initial time increment t = h2␥w / 6Ek 关Eq. 共1兲兴 and the
magnitude of the initial excess pore pressures in Fig. 7共a兲, corre-
sponds to those indicated in Fig. 5 at x / D = 0. The increasing
contact pressure with increasing embedment ratio of the smooth
foundations and the decreasing contact pressure with increasing
embedment ratio of the rough foundations is again evident.
The excess pore pressure time histories of the surface founda-
tions and the rough skirted foundations with embedment ratio up
to d / D = 0.3 exhibit the characteristic Mandel-Cryer effect 共Man-
del 1950; Cryer 1963兲, with the excess pore pressure increasing
above the initial value during the early stage of consolidation. The
Mandel-Cryer effect is a stress transfer effect significant in three-
dimensional consolidation. As soil near to the free surface drains
more quickly than deeper soil, the strain associated with drainage
of the nearer surface material “squeezes” the deeper undrained
material leading to an increase in total stress over the initial in-
crease in total stress due to the externally applied load. Therefore
in the early stages of consolidation all the soil experiences an
increase in excess pore pressure over the initial value. As the
drainage front advances the deeper soil drains and total stress
reduces. The early rate of development of effective stress is small,
gradually increasing with time. At the point when the rate of
development of effective stress becomes greater than the rate of
increase of total stress the excess pore pressure, having achieved
a maximum, will start to dissipate.
The magnitude of the effect and the duration over which the
effect prevails decreases with increasing embedment ratio. Excess
pore pressure behavior during three-dimensional consolidation is
affected by the magnitude of Poisson’s ratio. The magnitude of
the Mandel-Cryer effect reduces with increasing Poisson’s ratio
共Schiffmann et al. 1969兲 and as such the embedment ratio at
which the effect would cease to manifest itself is also likely to
depend on Poisson’s ratio. However, over a practical range of
drained Poisson’s ratio the effect is likely to be minimal.
 (a) (a)
1 1
D/2 Smooth d/D D/2
0
z=0
z increasing 0.5
z
0.8 d 0.8 d

z = 0.5D

Smooth d/D Rough 0.6

0.6

∆u/∆q
∆u/∆q

0 z=D

0.15
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0.4 0.3 0.4

0.5
1
0.2 0.2
z = 2D

0 0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
T = cvt/D2 T=cvt/D2
(b)
(b)
1.2 1.2

1 1

0.8 0.8
Slower dissipation of excess
∆u/∆ui

∆u/∆ui
pore pressure under base
0.6 0.6 plate than at skirt tip level

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
2
T = cvt/D T = cvt/D2

Fig. 7. Time histories of dissipation of excess pore pressure mea- Fig. 8. Time histories of dissipation of excess pore pressure mea-
sured at the center line of the foundation along the interface with the sured along the center line of the foundation at various depths for
base plate in terms of 共a兲 excess pore pressure ratio ⌬u / ⌬q; 共b兲 smooth foundations d / D = 0 and 0.5 in terms of 共a兲 excess pore pres-
normalized excess pore pressure ⌬u / ⌬ui sure ratio ⌬u / ⌬q; 共b兲 normalized excess pore pressure ⌬u / ⌬ui

For the rough foundations, the time at which dissipation of
excess pore pressure starts and the rate of dissipation is dependent
on embedment ratio. Due to the Mandel-Cryer effect, the degree
of dissipation of excess pore pressure during the early stage of
consolidation is greater for larger embedment ratios. With time
the trend reverses and dissipation of excess pore pressures in-
creasingly slows with increasing embedment ratio. The smooth
skirted foundations, unaffected by the Mandel-Cryer effect, ex-
hibit a consistent increase in the time for dissipation of excess
pore pressures with increasing embedment ratio. The time for
dissipation of excess pore pressures is increasingly prolonged for
embedment ratios d / D ⬎ 0.5 as drainage in the soil plug domi-
nates over drainage in the far field. This may be seen from the
response for d / D = 1 共for the smooth case兲, where the time for
50% pore pressure dissipation ⌬u / ⌬ui = 0.5 is T ⬃ 0.43, compared
with the one-dimensional consolidation solution within the soil
plug, where ⌬u / ⌬ui = 0.5 occurs at T ⬃ 0.38. The apparently faster
decay of pore pressure for the skirted foundation case 共particu-
larly at low values of T兲 is due to additional transfer of load to the
caisson tip as consolidation progresses.
Fig. 8 shows the variation of dissipation of excess pore pres-
sure as a function of depth below ground level for a selected
example of a smooth skirted foundation with an embedment ratio
d / D = 0.5 compared with the smooth surface case d / D = 0. Fig.
8共a兲 shows excess pore pressure normalized by the applied foun-
dation pressure, and Fig. 8共b兲 shows excess pore pressure as a
proportion of the initial change in pore pressure following appli-
cation of the applied foundation pressure. The reduction in initial
excess pore pressure with depth is evident from Fig. 8共a兲 共as also
seen in Fig. 6兲. The time for dissipation of excess pore pressures
increases with increasing depth beneath the surface foundation
while, for the skirted foundation, slower dissipation of excess
pore pressures is observed under the baseplate than at skirt tip
level. The Mandel-Cryer effect is evident at all depths beneath the
smooth surface footing, and as would be expected, the relative
magnitude of this effect increases with increasing depth, and the
peak advances in time with increasing depth 关most clearly seen in
Fig. 8共b兲兴.
Time-Settlement Response
Fig. 9 shows the immediate settlement wi, final consolidation
settlement wcf , and total settlement wt, where total settlement is
taken as the sum of the immediate and primary consolidation
settlement wt = wi + wcf as a function of embedment ratio d / D. Fig.
9共a兲 shows settlement normalized by the foundation diameter, soil
Young’s modulus, and applied foundation pressure wi, cE / D⌬q,
and Fig. 9共b兲 shows settlement normalized by final total settle-
ment 共wi, cf / wt兲.
Fig. 9共a兲 shows that the immediate displacement of the smooth
foundations are virtually independent of embedment ratio, while
the displacement of the rough foundations reduces with increas-
ing embedment ratio due to the portion of applied foundation load
being carried by friction along the skirts. Consolidation settlement
of the smooth foundations increases with increasing embedment
ratio consistent with the increasing one-dimensional compression
within the skirts. Consolidation settlement of the rough founda-
tions reduces with increasing embedment ratio consistent with an

26 / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29

 (a) (a)
T = cvt/D2
d/D 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0
0
0.1
wcf D/2
0.2
0.2
d

0.4 0.3

wcE/D∆q
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wi
wE/D∆q

Smooth d/D Rough

0.6 0.4
0
0.15
D/2 0.5
0.8 wt 0.3

0.5
0.6
1
1 d
0.7

1.2 (b)
T = cvt/D
2

0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100

(b) 0
d/D
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
0 0.2

Booker & Small (1986)

0.4
0.2

wc/wcf
wcf 0.6
w/wt

0.4
0.8

0.6
1
wi
Fig. 10. Time histories of consolidation settlement, measured at the
0.8 center line of the foundation along the interface with the base plate in
Smooth Rough
terms of 共a兲 dimensionless settlement ratio wcE / D⌬q; 共b兲 normalized
Fig. 9. Variation of immediate, consolidation, and total settlement settlement wc / wcf
with embedment ratio and interface roughness in terms of 共a兲 dimen-
sionless settlement ratio wE / D⌬q; 共b兲 normalized settlement w / wt
as would be expected. With time, the rate of consolidation quick-
ens for the longer smooth skirted foundations as the consolidation
increasing proportion of the applied load being carried by skirt process is increasingly dominated by pore pressure dissipation in
friction. In line with these trends, total settlement wt共=wi + wcf 兲 of the soil plug and the time histories become more closely banded.
the smooth foundations increases with increasing embedment Comparison of the finite-element results for the surface founda-
ratio while total settlement of the rough foundations reduces with tions with the established analytical solution for a smooth, rigid,
increasing embedment ratio. It is worth noting that in reality soil impermeable surface foundation 共Booker and Small 1986兲 shows
stiffness would usually increase with depth leading to reduced good agreement 关Fig. 10共b兲兴.
settlements, even for smooth sided foundations, as load is trans- Fig. 11 shows the compression in the soil plug measured along
ferred to deeper, stiffer soil. the centerline of the foundation, given by the difference between
Fig. 9共b兲 shows that a greater proportion of total settlement of the final consolidation settlement wcf measured on the interface
the rough skirted foundations is contributed by the immediate with the base plate and at skirt tip level. Compression in the soil
component of settlement rather than the consolidation settlement.
For smooth foundations with low embedment ratios, immediate
settlement is also the major component of the total settlement, but d/D
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
with increasing embedment ratio 共and increasing one-dimensional 0
compression in the soil plug兲 the consolidation settlements make
up an increasing proportion of the total settlement. 0.1
Fig. 10 shows time histories of consolidation settlement wc D/2
0.2
= wt − wi. Fig. 10共a兲 shows settlement normalized by the founda- Compression
wcfE/D∆q

tion diameter, soil Young’s modulus and applied foundation pres- 0.3 in soil plug
d
sure wcE / D⌬q, and Fig. 10共b兲 shows settlement normalized by
0.4
final consolidation settlement wc / wcf . In both cases settlement
was measured on the centerline of the foundation along the inter- 0.5 wcf at
face with the base plate. Fig. 10共a兲 shows the increase in consoli- skirt tip level
0.6
dation settlement with increasing embedment ratio for the smooth wcf under base plate
foundations and reduction in consolidation settlement with in- 0.7
creasing embedment ratio for the rough foundations throughout Smooth Rough
the consolidation process. Fig. 10共b兲 shows a general trend of
increasing consolidation times with increasing embedment ratio, Fig. 11. Compression in soil plug

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 / 27

Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29

 (a) (a)
1 T = cvt/D2
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
D/2
0.9 0

0.8
d
0.1 D/2
0.7

0.6 Smooth d/D kh/kv 0.2 d

∆u/∆q

0 1
0.5
0.3

wcE/D∆q
1
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3 Smooth d/D
0.4
10 0
0.3 0.4 1

0.2 kh/kv
0.5
1
0.1
0.6 3
0
10
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
T = cvt/D2 0.7
(b)
1.2 (b)
T = cvt/D2
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
1 0

0.8 0.2
kh/kv increasing
∆u/∆ui

kh/kv increasing
0.6
0.4

wc/wcf
0.4
0.6
0.2

0.8
0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
T = cvt/D2
1

Fig. 12. Time histories of dissipation of excess pore pressure mea-
sured along the center line of the foundation along the interface with
the base plate for smooth foundations d / D = 0 and 1 and permeability
ratios kv / kh = 1, 3, and 10 in terms of 共a兲 excess pore pressure ratio
⌬u / ⌬q; 共b兲 normalized excess pore pressure ⌬u / ⌬ui
Fig. 13. Time histories of consolidation settlement, measured at the
center line of the foundation along the interface with the base plate
for smooth foundations d / D = 0 and 1 and permeability ratios kv / kh
= 1, 3, and 10 in terms of 共a兲 dimensionless settlement ratio
wcE / D⌬q; 共b兲 normalized settlement wc / wcf

plug increases with increasing embedment ratio as expected, and

is significantly greater for the smooth foundations; this is consis-
tent with a greater proportion of the load being carried by the soil
plug, in contrast to rough foundations where an increasing pro-
portion of the foundation load is carried by skirt friction.
Effect of Anisotropic Permeability
The rate of consolidation and variation of excess pore pressures
with time depend on the flow properties of the soil, which will
generally be anisotropic. Booker and Randolph 共1984兲 presented
an analytical solution for uniform circular and rectangular loading
of an infinitely deep layer with cross-anisotropic permeability and
indicated a significant effect on the rate of consolidation of the
ratio of horizontal to vertical permeability of the soil. Selected
cases of the smooth surface foundation and the smooth skirted
foundation with embedment ratio d / D = 1 have been considered
with permeability ratios kh / kv of 3 and 10. Results from the an-
isotropic analyses are compared with the results from the isotro-
pic case kh / kv = 1 in Figs. 12 and 13.
Fig. 12 shows time histories of excess pore pressure dissipa-
tion, normalized by the applied foundation pressure ⌬u / ⌬q and
as a proportion of the initial value ⌬u / ⌬ui. Fig. 13 shows time
histories of settlement, normalized by foundation diameter,
Young’s modulus, and applied foundation pressure 共wcE / D⌬q兲,
and as a proportion of the final consolidation settlement 共wc / wcf 兲.
The magnitude of initial excess pore pressure and final settle-
ment is independent of the permeability characteristics, while the
rate of excess pore pressure dissipation and settlement increases
with increasing permeability ratio kh / kv as would be expected. It
is also interesting to note the lessening of the Mandel-Cryer effect
for the surface foundation with increasing permeability aniso-
tropy. Up to a fivefold increase in consolidation time is observed
for the case with permeability ratio kh / kv = 10 compared with the
isotropic case kh / kv = 1 and the effect of embedment ratio seems
secondary to the variation in permeability.
Concluding Remarks
This study considered the idealized elastic consolidation response
beneath circular skirted foundations as a function of embedment
共or skirt length兲 ratio and skirt-soil interface roughness. The study
has shown that the stress distribution around a skirted foundation
and within the soil plug following application of a surface load is
highly dependent on skirt-soil interface roughness. Smooth skirts
result in the surface load being transmitted to the level of the skirt
tips under one-dimensional conditions resulting in increasing con-
tact pressure with increasing embedment ratio. Conversely, with
rough skirts the proportion of the applied load carried by skirt
friction increases with increasing embedment ratio leading to a
reduction in contact pressure with increasing embedment ratio.
Consolidation times are increasingly prolonged with increasing
embedment ratios and for both smooth and rough skirt-soil inter-
face conditions, additional load is transferred to the skirt tip, and
in the case of the rough skirts to the shaft, as consolidation
progresses.

28 / INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMECHANICS © ASCE / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

Int. J. Geomech., 2010, 10(1): 22-29

 The study presented in this paper was intended to assess the
effect of embedment ratio and skirt-soil interface roughness on
the mechanisms of consolidation beneath skirted foundations sub-
jected to uniaxial compressive load. A set of benchmark solutions
for idealized conditions have been presented, offering an insight
into the principal mechanisms governing the consolidation re-
sponse and providing a starting point for further investigation
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representing more realistic soil conditions.
Acknowledgments
The work described here forms part of the activities of the Centre
for Offshore Foundation Systems, established under the Austra-
lian Research Council’s Research Centres Program, and now sup-
ported through Grant Nos. FF0561473 and DP0988904 and
Centre of Excellence funding from the State of Western Australia.
This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
A ⫽ cross-sectional 共bearing兲 area of foundation
共=␲D2 / 4兲;
cv ⫽ coefficient of consolidation 关see Eq. 共3兲兴;
D ⫽ foundation diameter;
d ⫽ skirt embedment depth;
d / D ⫽ embedment ratio;
E⬘ ⫽ drained Young’s modulus;
kh and kv ⫽ coefficient of horizontal and vertical
permeability;
T ⫽ dimensionless time factor 共=cvt / D2兲;
t ⫽ skirt thickness;
t / D ⫽ skirt thickness ratio;
V ⫽ applied foundation load;
wc ⫽ consolidation settlement;
wc / wcf ⫽ normalized consolidation settlement;
wcf ⫽ final consolidation settlement;
wE / D⌬q ⫽ dimensionless settlement ratio;
w f ⫽ total final settlement 共=wi + wc兲;
wi ⫽ immediate settlement;
wi / w f ⫽ normalized immediate settlement;
⌬q ⫽ applied foundation pressure 共=V / A兲;
⌬u ⫽ excess pore-water pressure;
⌬ui ⫽ initial excess pore-water pressure;
⌬u / ⌬q ⫽ dimensionless excess pore pressure ratio;
⌬u / ⌬ui ⫽ normalized excess pore pressure;
⌬␴⬘v / ⌬ui ⫽ dimensionless effective stress ratio;
⌬␴⬘v / ⌬q ⫽ dimensionless effective stress ratio;
␥w ⫽ unit weight of water; and
␯⬘ ⫽ drained Poisson’s ratio.
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