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An experimental study using centrifuge physical modeling was performed with the purpose of examining the lateral load behavior of stiff-columnsupported footings. The lateral load behavior of stiff column-supported footings is currently poorly understood. Uncertainty exists regarding the performance of these systems under lateral loading. The results of the centrifuge tests suggest that one of the main components of a typical stiff column-supported footing system, the load transfer platform, plays an important role in determining the capacity and response of such systems under lateral loading.

Rigid inclusions are used to improve the load-bearing capabilities of poor soils. The construction procedure for grouted rigid inclusions in the field involves displacement of the soft soil producing changes in pore-water pressures and as a result, changes in effective stresses in the immediate vicinity of these elements. A numerical study was performed to examine the post-construction changes in the installation-induced stresses and pore-water pressures around the rigid inclusions. The finite element software PLAXIS was used in the numerical analysis. The soft soil is modeled as a linear elastic perfectly plastic Tresca material. Cylindrical cavity expansion is implemented in the finite element models to represent the rigid inclusion construction process. The results indicate that the installation-induced stresses in the vicinity of the rigid inclusions expressed in the form of earth pressure coefficient K, increase with the dissipation of excess pore-water pressures.

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