The punching shear design provisions according to various codes have been derived from the results of tests conducted on centrically loaded flat slabs. The application of these provisions for footings and ground slabs might lead to inconsistent results since more compact dimensions and soil-structure interaction lead to higher punching shear capacities. In this context, Eurocode 2 introduced a new design equation for column bases, which was derived from the evaluation of test results from centrically loaded footings.
Since centrically loaded footings represent an exception in practice, Eurocode 2 and ACI 318-14 consider load eccentricities by increasing the applied load, while the fib Model Code 2010 proposes a reduced length of the control perimeter to determine the punching shear resistance. The different approaches were derived from the evaluation of tests on eccentrically loaded flat slabs and have not been verified for footings yet.
Theoretical and experimental investigations on the punching shear behaviour of eccentrically loaded footings indicate a reduction of the multi-axial stress state along the column face with increasing load eccentricity. Based on punching tests on eccentrically loaded footings described in literature, non-linear finite-element simulations were performed and subsequently the influence of load eccentricities on the punching shear behaviour was examined in parametric studies. In this article, the results of the numerical simulations are presented and compared to experimental results and various code provisions.