Prediction of Settlements of Footings on Sands: Accuracy and Reliability

Serviceability limit states are controlled by the deformations that a specific structure can undergo. This aspect involves a correct design of foundations to ensure that the supported structure fulfills its functions. This paper deals with the prediction of settlements of footings on sands, an open problem subjected to a number of uncertainties. An analysis of some currently used methods to estimate settlements is presented, in order to show accuracy and reliability of each of them.