Modernising OHL Foundation Design: 3D Bearing Capacity Evaluation and Cost-Effective Liquefaction Protection

This paper presents two experimental and analytical studies related to overhead line (OHL) foundations. First, the three‑dimensional (3D) bearing capacity of shallow foundations was evaluated through centrifuge model tests and 3D finite‑element (FE) simulations. For the investigated cases, the full-scale FE analyses gave ultimate loads of 287 kN in soft ground and 422 kN in stiff ground, while the Terzaghi-based design formula gave 281 kN and 409 kN, respectively. The difference was therefore 2.1–3.2% for the two analysed ground conditions.