A series of centrifuge model tests and numerical analyses were carried out to investigate vertical bearing capacity of embedded shallow foundation in a clay ground whose undrained shear strength increases with depth. The embedded depth and the width of the foundation are changed in the model tests to study their effects on the bearing capacity. It is found that the bearing capacity increases almost linearly with increasing the ratio of embedded depth and width of the foundation.A series of stress characteristic analyses was also carried out to investigate the effects of ground strength profile with depth, and ratio of the embedded depth and width of the foundation on the bearing capacity. It was found that the measured vertical bearing capacities were well coincided with those of calculation.