Shear Strength and Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Silt-Based Foamed Concrete Under Local Vertical Loading

With the rapid development of lightweight and environmentally friendly building materials, foamed concrete has been widely adopted as a novel material for lightweight filling and foundation applications. However, its bearing capacity under localized loading conditions requires further investigation....

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Main Authors: Chuanyi Ma, Jun Wang, Ning Zhang, Chuyi Wang, Shengtao Zhang, Yuchen Tao, Shurong Lou, Qingshuo Sun, Xianfu Ren, Hongbo Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/11/1914
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Summary:With the rapid development of lightweight and environmentally friendly building materials, foamed concrete has been widely adopted as a novel material for lightweight filling and foundation applications. However, its bearing capacity under localized loading conditions requires further investigation. This study focuses on silt-based foamed concrete with a 30% silt content. A series of unconfined compression tests and triaxial shear tests were conducted to determine its key mechanical properties. Large-scale indoor model tests were then carried out to evaluate the effects of the wet density (600 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, 700 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, and 800 kg/m<sup>3</sup>) and the loading position on vertical bearing performance. The results show that silt-based foamed concrete exhibits a basin-shaped deformation pattern under vertical loading, similar to traditional foundations. Based on experimental data and shear strength parameters, a formula for the ultimate bearing capacity of silt-based foamed concrete was developed by extending Terzaghi’s bearing capacity theory. This provides a theoretical basis for its application in geotechnical engineering.
ISSN:2075-5309