This technical note expounds the behavior of annular foundation systems, which have been analyzed for static axial tensile or compressive working loads. The foundations have been presumed to be resting on or embedded in a linearly elastic soil medium of isotropic nature. Half domain analysis has been performed assuming the principal plane, taking into consideration the fact that the axi-symmetric body has been loaded symmetrically both in compression and in tension. Further, the response of ring foundations has been compared to that of circular in terms of load carrying capacity and displacement lineaments. The axi-symmetric domain has been modeled in polar coordinate system using the partial differential equations derived from generalized Hooke's law and stress-strain relationships. The partial derivatives are expressed in the finite difference form in order to obtain the numerical solution. The results are presented in the form of efficiency factors which are calculated pertaining to the ultimate working load and the allowable displacement with respect to the varying inner diameter of the ring foundation system. Additionally, in order to give further insight to the present study, several other plots with relevant influencing factors have been presented to understand the physics behind it.

Keywords: Annular, Axi-symmetric, Ring foundations, Finite difference scheme, Linearly elastic.