M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .1 : I n t r odu ct ion ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

int roduct ion

Basic definit ions

Presum pt ive bearing capacit y

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .1 : I n t r odu ct ion ]

1 7 . Be a r in g ca pa cit y : I t is t he load carrying capacit y of t he soil.

Ba sic de fin it ion s

Ult im a t e be a r in g ca pa cit y or Gr oss be a r in g ca pa cit y ( ) : I t is t he least gross pressure which will

cause shear failure of t he support ing soil im m ediat ely below t he foot ing.

N e t u lt im a t e be a r in g ca pa cit y ( ) : I t is t he net pressure t hat can be applied t o t he foot ing by ext ernal
loads t hat will j ust init iat e failure in t he underlying soil. I t is equal t o ult im at e bearing capacit y m inus t he
st ress due t o t he weight of t he foot ing and any soil or surcharge direct ly above it . Assum ing t he densit y of
t he foot ing ( concret e) and soil ( ) are close enough t o be considered equal, t hen

where,

is t he dept h of t he foot ing, Ref. fig. 4.7

Sa fe be a r in g ca pa cit y: I t is t he bearing capacit y aft er applying t he fact or of safet y ( FS) . These are of t wo
t ypes,

Safe net bearing capacit y ( ) : I t is t he net soil pressure which can be safet y applied t o t he soil
considering only shear failure. I t is given by,
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .1 : I n t r odu ct ion ]

Safe gross bearing capacit y ( ) : I t is t he m axim um gross pressure which t he soil can carry safely wit hout
shear failure. I t is given by,

Allowable Bearing Pressure: I t is t he m axim um soil pressure wit hout any shear failure or set t lem ent failure.

Fig. 4 .7 Be a r in g ca pa cit y of foot in g

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .1 : I n t r odu ct ion ]

Pr e su m pt ive be a r in g ca pa cit y : Building codes of various organizat ions in different count ries gives t he
allowable bearing capacit y t hat can be used for proport ioning foot ings. These are “ Presum pt ive bearing
capacit y values based on experience wit h ot her st ruct ures already built . As presum pt ive values are based only
on visual classificat ion of surface soils, t hey are not reliable. These values don't consider im port ant fact ors
affect ing t he bearing capacit y such as t he shape, widt h, dept h of foot ing, locat ion of wat er t able, st rengt h
and com pressibilit y of t he soil. Generally t hese values are conservat ive and can be used for prelim inary
design or even for final design of sm all unim port ant st ruct ure. I S1904- 1978 recom m ends t hat t he safe
bearing capacit y should be calculat ed on t he basis of t he soil t est dat a. But , in absence of such dat a, t he
values of safe bearing capacit y can be t aken equal t o t he presum pt ive bearing capacit y values given in t able
4.1, for different t ypes of soils and rocks. I t is furt her recom m ended t hat for non - cohesive soils, t he values
should be reduced by 50% if t he wat er t able is above or near base of foot ing.
Ta ble 4 .1 Pr e su m pt ive be a r in g ca pa cit y va lu e s a s pe r I S1 9 0 4 - 1 9 7 8 .

Type of soil/ r ock Sa fe / a llow a ble be a r in g

ca pa cit y ( KN / m 2 )
Rock 3240
Soft rock 440
Coarse sand 440
Medium sand 245
Fine sand 440
Soft shell / st iff clay 100
Soft clay 100
Very soft caly 50
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .1 : I n t r odu ct ion ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

I nt roduct ion

Basic definit ions

Presum pt ive bearing capacit y

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .2 : M e t h ods of de t e r m in in g be a r in g ca pa cit y ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Various m et hods of det erm ining bearing capacit y

Presum pt ive Analysis

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .2 : M e t h ods of de t e r m in in g be a r in g ca pa cit y ]

M e t h ods of de t e r m in in g be a r in g ca pa cit y

The various m et hods of com put ing t he bearing capacit y can be list ed as follows:

Presum pt ive Analysis

Analyt ical Met hods

Plat e Bearing Test

Penet rat ion Test

Modern Test ing Met hods

Cent rifuge Test

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .2 : M e t h ods of de t e r m in in g be a r in g ca pa cit y ]

1. Pr e su m pt ive a n a lysis
This is based on experim ent s and experiences.

For different t ypes of soils, I S1904 ( 1978) has recom m ends t he following bearing capacit y values.

Ta ble 4 .2 Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Ba se d on Pr e su m pt ive An a lysis

Sa fe / a llow a ble be a r in g
Type s
ca pa cit y( k N / m 2 )
Rocks 3240
Soft rocks 440
Coarse sand 440
Medium sand 245
Fine sand 100
Soft shale/ st iff clay 440
Soft clay 100
Very soft clay 50
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .2 : M e t h ods of de t e r m in in g be a r in g ca pa cit y ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Various m et hods of det erm ining bearing capacit y

Presum pt ive Analysis

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Prandt l's Analysis

Terzaghi's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Skem pt on's Analysis for Cohesive soils

Meyerhof's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Hansen's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Vesic's Bearing Capacit y Theory

I S code m et hod
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

An a lyt ica l m e t h ods

The different analyt ical approaches developed by various invest igat ors are briefly discussed in t his sect ion.
Pr a n dt l's An a lysis
Prandt l ( 1920) has shown t hat if t he cont inuous sm oot h foot ing rest s on t he surface of a weight less soil
possessing cohesion and frict ion, t he loaded soil fails as shown in figure by plast ic flow along t he com posit e
surface. The analysis is based on t he assum pt ion t hat a st rip foot ing placed on t he ground surface sinks
vert ically downwards int o t he soil at failure like a punch.

Fig 4 .8 Pr a n dt l's An a lysis

Prandt l analysed t he problem of t he penet rat ion of a punch int o a weight less m at erial. The punch was
assum ed rigid wit h a frict ionless base. Three failure zones were considered.
Zone I is an act ive failure zone

Zone I I is a radial shear zone

Zone I I I is a passive failure zone ident ical for
Zone1 consist of a t riangular zone and it s boundaries rise at an angle wit h t he horizont al t wo zones
on eit her side represent passive Rankine zones. The boundaries of t he passive Rankine zone rise at angle of
wit h t he horizont al. Zones 2 locat ed bet ween 1 and 3 are t he radial shear zones. The bearing
capacit y is given by ( Prandt l 1921) as

where c is t he cohesion and is t he bearing capacit y fact or given by t he expression

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Reissner ( 1924) ext ended Prandt l's analysis for uniform load q per unit area act ing on t he ground surface. He
assum ed t hat t he shear pat t ern is unalt ered and gave t he bearing capacit y expression as follows.

if , t he logspiral becom es a circle and Nc is equal t o ,also Nq becom es 1. Hence t he bearing

capacit y of such foot ings becom es

= 5.14c+ q

if q= 0,

we get = 2.57q u

where q u is t he unconfined com pressive st rengt h.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Te r za gh i's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Th e or y

Assum pt ions in Terzaghi's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Dept h of foundat ion is less t han or equal t o it s widt h.

Base of t he foot ing is rough.

Soil above bot t om of foundat ion has no shear st rengt h; is only a surcharge load against t he overt urning load

Surcharge upt o t he base of foot ing is considered.

Load applied is vert ical and non - eccent ric.

The soil is hom ogenous and isot ropic.

L/ B rat io is infinit e.

Fig. 4 .9 Te r za gh i's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Th e or y

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Consider a foot ing of widt h B and dept h loaded wit h Q and rest ing on a soil of unit weight . The failure
of t he zones is divided int o t hree zones as shown below. The zone1 represent s an act ive Rankine zone, and
t he zones 3 are passive zones.t he boundaries of t he act ive Rankine zone rise at an angle of , and
t hose of t he passive zones at wit h t he horizont al. The zones 2 are known as zones of radial shear,
because t he lines t hat const it ut e one set in t he shear pat t ern in t hese zones radiat e from t he out er edge of
t he base of t he foot ing. Since t he base of t he foot ings is rough, t he soil locat ed bet ween it and t he t wo
surfaces of sliding rem ains in a st at e of equilibrium and act s as if it form ed part of t he foot ing. The surfaces
ad and bd rise at t o t he horizont al. At t he inst ant of failure, t he pressure on each of t he surfaces ad and bd
is equal t o t he result ant of t he passive eart h pressure PP and t he cohesion force Ca . since slip occurs along
t hese faces, t he result ant eart h pressure act s at angle t o t he norm al on each face and as a consequence in
a vert ical direct ion. I f t he weight of t he soil adb is disregarded, t he equilibrium of t he foot ing requires t hat
- - - - - - - ( 1)

The passive pressure required t o produce a slip on def can be divided int o t wo part s, and . The force

represent s t he resist ance due t o weight of t he m ass adef. The point of applicat ion of is locat ed at t he

lower t hird point of ad. The force act s at t he m idpoint of cont act surface ad.

The value of t he bearing capacit y m ay be calculat ed as :

------- (2 )

by int roducing int o eqn( 2) t he following values:

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Fig.4 .1 0 Va r ia t ion of be a r in g ca pa cit y fa ct or s w it h

t he quant it ies , , are called bearing capacit y fact ors.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

where K p = passive eart h pressure coefficient , dependent on .

The use of chart figure ( 4.11) facilit at es t he com put at ion of t he bearing capacit y. The result s obt ained by t his
chart are approxim at e.

Fig 4 .1 1 Ch a r t Sh ow in g Re la t ion be t w e e n An gle of I n t e r n a l Fr ict ion a n d Te r za gh i's Be a r in g

Ca pa cit y Fa ct or s
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Ta ble 4 .3 : Te r za gh i's be a r in g ca pa cit y fa ct or s

28 17.81 31.61 15.7 0 1.00 5.70 0.0

30 22.46 37.16 19.7 2 1.22 6.30 0.2
32 28.52 44.04 27.9 4 1.49 6.97 0.4
34 36.50 52.64 36.0 6 1.81 7.73 0.6
35 41.44 57.75 42.4 8 2.21 8.60 0.9
36 47.16 63.53 52.0 10 2.69 9.60 1.2
38 61.55 77.50 80.0 12 3.29 10.76 1.7
40 81.27 95.66 100.4 14 4.02 12.11 2.3
42 108.75 119.67 180.0 16 4.92 13.68 3.0
44 147.74 151.95 257.0 18 6.04 15.52 3.9
45 173.29 172.29 297.5 20 7.44 17.69 4.9
46 204.19 196.22 420.0 22 9.19 20.27 5.8
48 207.85 258.29 780.1 24 11.40 23.36 7.8
50 415.15 347.51 1153.2 26 14.21 27.06 11.7

Be a r in g ca pa cit y of squ a r e a n d cir cu la r foot in gs

I f t he soil support of a cont inuous foot ing yields due t o t he im posed loads on t he foot ings, all t he soil part icles
m ove parallel t o t he plane which is perpendicular t o t he cent re line of t he foot ing. Therefore t he problem of
com put ing t he bearing capacit y of such foot ing is a plane st rain deform at ion problem . On t he ot her hand if
t he soil support of t he square and circular foot ing yields, t he soil part icles m ove in radial and not in parallel
planes. Terzaghi has proposed cert ain shape fact ors t o t ake care of t he effect of t he shape on t he bearing

capacit y. The equat ion can be writ t en as,

where,

, , are t he shape fact ors whose values for t he square and circular foot ings are as follows,
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

For long foot ings: = 1, = 1, = 1,

For square foot ings: = 1.3, = 1, = 0.8,

For circular foot ings: = 1.3, = 1, = 0.6,

For rect angular foot ing of lengt h L and widt h B : = , = 1, = .

Sk e m pt on 's An a lysis for Coh e sive soils

Skem pt on ( 1951) has showed t hat t he bearing capacit y fact ors in Terzaghi's equat ion t ends t o increase
wit h dept h for a cohesive soil.

For ( / B) < 2.5, ( where is t he dept h of foot ing and B is t he base widt h) .

( ) for rect angular foot ing =

( ) for circular and rect angular foot ing =

For ( / B) > = 2.5, ( ) for rect angular foot ing =

Ult im at e bearing capacit y

For ,

, where c u is t he undrained cohesion of t he soil.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

M e ye r h of's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Th e or y
The form of equat ion used by Meyerhof ( 1951) for det erm ining ult im at e bearing capacit y of sym m et rically
loaded st rip foot ings is t he sam e as t hat of Terzaghi but his approach t o solve t he problem is different . He
assum ed t hat t he logarit hm ic failure surface ends at t he ground surface, and as such t ook int o account t he
resist ance offered by t he soil and surface of t he foot ing above t he base level of t he foundat ion. The different
zones considered are shown in fig. 4.12

Fig. 4 .1 2 Fa ilu r e zon e s con side r e d by M e ye r h of

I n t his, EF failure surface is considered t o be inclined at an angle of ( ) wit h t he horizont al followed
by FG which is logspiral curve and t hen t he failure surface ext ends t o t he ground surface ( GH) .
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

EF is considered as a im aginary ret aining wall face wit h failure surface as FGH. This problem is sam e as t he
ret aining wall wit h t he inclined backfill at an angle of a. For t his case t he passive eart h pressure act ing on t he
ret aining wall Pp is given by Caqnot and Kerisel ( 1856) . Considering t he equilibrium of t he failure zone,

where,

is t he load on t he foot ing,

W is t he weight of t he act ive zone and,

is t he vert ical com ponent of t he passive pressure act ing on walls JF and EF.

Then t he ult im at e bearing capacit y ( qu) is given as,

Where, B is t he widt h of t he foot ing.

Com paring t he above equat ion wit h,

We get ,
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

The form of equat ion proposed by Meyerhof ( 1963) is,

where, , , = Bearing capacit y fact ors for st rip

foundat ion, c = unit cohesion,

, , = Shape fact ors,

, , = inclinat ion fact ors for t he load inclined at an angle a 0 t o t he vert ical,

, , = Dept h fact ors,

Table 4.4 shows t he shape fact ors given by Meyerhof.

= effect ive unit weight of soil above base level of foundat ion,

= effect ive unit weight of soil below foundat ion base,

D = dept h of t he foundat ion.

I n t able 4.4,

= angle of result ant m easured from vert ical wit hout sign,

B = widt h of foot ing,

L = lengt h of foot ing,

D = dept h of foot ing.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

H a n se n 's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Th e or y
For cohesive soils, Hansen ( 1961) gives t he values of ult im at e bearing capacit y which are in bet t er wit h
experim ent al values.
According t o Hansen, t he ult im at e bearing capacit y is given by

where , are Hansen's bearing capacit y fact ors and q is t he effect ive surcharge at t he base level,

, , = Shape fact ors, , , = inclinat ion fact ors for t he load inclined at an angle a 0 t o t he vert ical,

, , Dept h fact ors,

are t he shape fact ors, , , are t he dept h fact ors and , , are inclinat ion fact ors.

The bearing fact ors are given by t he following equat ions.

.
Ve sic's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Th e or y
Vesic( 1973) confirm ed t hat t he basic nat ure of failure surfaces in soil as suggest ed by Terzaghi as incorrect .
However, t he angle which t he inclined surfaces AC and BC m ake wit h t he horizont al was found t o be closer t o
inst ead of . The values of t he bearing capacit y fact ors , , for a given angle of shearing

resist ance change if above m odificat ion is incorporat ed in t he analysis as under

- - - - - - ( 1)

- - - - - - ( 2)

- - - - - - ( 3)
eqns( 1) was proposed by Prandt l( 1921) ,and eqn( 2) was given by Reissner ( 1924) . Caquot and Keisner ( 1953)
and Vesic ( 1973) gave eqn ( 3) . The values of bearing capacit y fact ors are given in t able ( 4.5) .
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Ta ble 4 .4 M a ye r h of be a r in g ca pa cit y fa ct or s
Fa ct or s Va lu e For
Shape Any

> 10

=0

Dept h Any

> 10

=0

I nclinat ion Any

> 10

=0

Fa ct or s Va lu e For
Shape Any

> 10

=0

Dept h Any

> 10

=0

I nclinat ion Any

> 10

=0
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Ta ble 4 .5 Ve sic's Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Fa ct or s

14.83 6.40 5.39 25.80 14.72 16.72

16.88 7.82 7.13 30.14 18.40 22.40
19.32 9.60 9.44 35.49 23.18 30.22
22.25 11.85 12.54 42.16 29.44 41.06

Ta ble 4 .6 Sh a pe Fa ct or s Give n By Ve sic

Sh a pe of foot in g

St rip 1 1 1
Rect angle

Circle and square 0.6

Bearing capacit y is sim ilar t o t hat given by Hansen.

But t he dept h fact ors are t aken as:

, ,

I nclinat ion fact ors

where is t he inclinat ion of t he load wit h t he vert ical.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Fa ct or s

0 5.14 1.00 0.00 15 11.0 3.94 1.42 30 30.1 18.4 18.1

1 5.38 1.09 0.00 16 11.6 4.34 1.72 31 32.7 20.6 21.2
2 5.63 1.20 0.01 17 12.3 4.77 2.08 32 35.5 23.2 24.9
3 5.90 1.31 0.03 18 13.1 5.26 2.49 33 38.6 26.1 29.3
4 6.19 1.43 0.05 19 13.9 5.80 2.97 34 42.2 29.4 34.5
5 6.49 1.57 0.09 20 14.8 6.40 3.54 35 46.1 33.3 40.7
6 6.81 1.72 0.14 21 15.8 7.07 4.19 36 50.6 37.8 48.1
7 7.16 1.88 0.19 22 16.9 7.82 4.96 37 55.6 42.9 56.9
8 7.53 2.06 0.27 23 18.0 8.66 5.85 38 61.4 48.9 67.4
9 7.92 2.25 0.36 24 19.3 9.60 6.89 39 67.9 56.0 80.1
10 8.34 2.47 0.47 25 20.7 10.7 8.11 40 75.3 64.2 95.4
11 8.80 2.71 0.60 26 22.3 11.9 9.53 41 83.9 73.9 114
12 9.28 2.97 0.76 27 23.9 13.2 11.2 42 93.7 85.4 137
13 9.81 3.26 0.94 28 25.8 14.7 13.1 43 105 99.0 165
14 10.4 3.59 1.16 29 27.9 16.4 15.4 44 118 115 199
45 134 135 241
Va lu e s of a ft e r Pr a n dt l ( 1 9 2 1 ) 46 152 159 294
47 174 187 359
a ft e r Re issn e r ( 1 9 2 4 ) 48 199 222 442
49 230 265 548
a ft e r H a n se n ( 1 9 6 1 ) 50 267 319 682

Figu r e 4 .1 3 Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Fa ct or s Give n by Pr a n dt l, H a n se n a n d Re issn e r

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

I S code m e t h od
I S: 6403 - 1981 gives t he equat ion for t he net ult im at e bearing capacit y as

The fact or W' t akes int o account , t he effect of t he wat er t able. I f t he wat er t able is at or below a dept h of
+ B, m easured from t he ground surface, = 1. I f t he wat er t able rises t o t he base of t he foot ing or above,
= 0.5. I f t he wat er t able lies in bet ween t hen t he value is obt ained bylinear int erpolat ion. The shape
fact ors given by Hansen and inclinat ion fact ors as given by Vesic are used. The dept h fact ors are given below.

For cohesive soils:

where = 5.14 and , and are respect ively t he shape, dept h and inclinat ion fact ors.
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .3 : An a lyt ica l M e t h od ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Prandt l's Analysis

Terzaghi's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Skem pt on's Analysis for Cohesive soils

Meyerhof's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Hansen's Bearing Capacit y Theory

Vesic's Bearing Capacit y Theory

I S code m et hod
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Test Procedure

Report

Calculat ion
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

Pla t e Be a r in g Te st
Plat e bearing t est is an im port ant field t est for det erm ining t he bearing capacit y of t he foundat ion. I n t his a
com pressive st ress is applied t o t he soil pavem ent layer t hrough rigid plat es of relat ively large size and t he
deflect ions are m easured for various st ress values. The coefficient of sub - grade react ion is a very useful
param et er in t he design of rigid highway and airfield pavem ent s. The m odulus of sub - grade react ion K is
used in rigid pavem ent analysis for det erm ining t he radius of relat ive st iffness ‘ l ' using t he relat ion:

The exact load deflect ion behavior of t he soil or t he pavem ent layer in- sit u for st at ic loads is obt ained by t he
plat e bearing t est . The support ing power of t he soil sub - grade or a pavem ent layer m ay be found in
pavem ent evaluat ion work. Repeat ed plat e bearing t est is carried out t o find t he sub - grade support in flexible
pavem ent design by Mc Leod m et hod.
Obj e ct ive
To det erm ine t he m odulus of sub - grade react ion ( K) of t he sub - grade soil by conduct ing t he in- sit u plat e
bearing t est .

Apparat us
Bearing Plat es: Consist of m ild st eel 75 cm in diam et er and 0.5 t o 2.5 cm t hickness and few ot her plat es of
sm aller diam et ers ( usually 60, 45, 30 and 22.5 cm ) used as st iffeners.

Loading equipm ent : Consist s of a react ion fram e and a hydraulic j ack. The react ion fram e m ay suit ably be
loaded t o give t he needed react ion load on t he plat e.

Set t lem ent Measurem ent : Three or four dial gauges fixed on t he periphery of t he bearing plat e. The dat um
fram e should be supplied for from t he loading area.
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

Te st Pr oce du r e
The plat e load t est shall be carried out in accordance t o BS5930 or ASTM D1194 wit h t he following addit ional
requirem ent :
Test pit should be at least 4 t im es as wide as t he plat e and t o t he foundat ion dept h t o be placed.

The t est shall be carried out at t he sam e level of t he proposed foundat ion level or as direct ed by t he Engineer
while t he sam e condit ions t o which t he proposed foundat ion will be subj ect ed should be prepared if possible.
At least t hree ( 3) t est locat ions are required for calibrat ion on size effect of t est plat es, and t he dist ance
bet ween t est locat ions shall not be less t han five ( 5) t im es t he diam et er of t he largest plat e used in t he t est s
The t est surface should be undist urbed, planar and free from any crum bs and loose debris. When t he t est
surface is excavat ed by m achinery, t he excavat ion should be t erm inat ed at 200m m t o 300m m above t he t est
surface and t he t est surface should be t rim m ed m anually.
To ensure even t ransference of t he t est load on t o t he t est surface, t he st eel plat e should be leveled and have
full cont act wit h t he ground. Sand filling or cem ent m ort ar or plast er of Paris could level sm all uneven ground
surface.
I f t he t est is carried out below t he groundwat er level, it is essent ial t o lower t he groundwat er level by a
syst em of wells or ot her m easures out side and below t he t est posit ion.
The preparat ion of t he t est surface m ay cause an unavoidable change in t he ground st ress which m ay result in
irreversible changes t o t he subsoil propert ies. I t is essent ial t hat t he exposure t im e of t he t est surface and t he
delay bet ween set t ing up and t est ing should be m inim ized. The t im e lag shall be report ed wit h t he t est result .
Support t he loading plat form s or bins by cribbing or ot her suit able m eans, at point s as far rem oved from t he
t est area, preferably not less t han 2.4m . The t ot al load required for t he t est shall be available at t he sit e
before t he t est is st art ed.
The support for t he beam wit h dial gauges or ot her set t lem ent - recording devices shall not less t han 2.4m
from t he cent er of t he loaded area.
Mackint osh Probe Test t o be carried out at load t est locat ion ( cent er of plat e) at t est ing level before t he t est
for calibrat ion purpose.
Loading shall be applied in 3 cycles. The t im e int erval of each st age of loading should not less t han 15
m inut e. Longer t im e int erval is required at cert ain specified loading st ages.
The set t lem ent at each st age of loading should be t aken at t he int erval of every 15 m inut es before and aft er
each load increm ent . I f t he required t im e int erval is m ore t han 60 m inut es, t he reading shall be t aken at
every 15 m inut es int erval.
I n t he load m easurem ent , t he t est record sheet should include t he t arget ed load schedule, load cell readings
( prim ary m easurem ent ) & pressure gauges readings ( secondary m easurem ent ) .
The t est ing cont ract or shall cont rol t he loading using load cell readings t o achieve t he t arget ed load in each
st age of loading & record t he act ual readings in t he load cell & t he pressure gauge sim ult aneously.
Cont inue each t est unt il a peak load is reached or unt il t he rat io of load increm ent t o set t lem ent increm ent
reaches a m inim um , st eady m agnit ude. I f sufficient load is available, cont inue t he t est unt il t he t ot al
set t lem ent reaches at least 10 percent of t he plat e diam et er, unless a well- defined failure load is observed.
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

The t est shall be discont inued if any of t he following occurs:

1. Fault y j ack or gauges,

2. I nst abilit y of t he Kent ledge,

3. I m proper set t ing of dat um ,

4. Unst able reference bench m ark or reference beam ,

5. Measuring inst rum ent s used are found t o have been t em pered.

Re por t
I n addit ion t o t he cont inuous list ing of all t im e, load, and set t lem ent dat a for each t est , t he report shall
include at least t he followings:
General inform at ion such as dat e, weat her condit ions, t em perat ure, locat ion of t est , t est surface soil
descript ion and ot hers.

Measured dat a. All dat a shall be checked for m isreport ing or m iscalculat ion.

Not es or abnorm al phenom enon during t he t est shall be described.

Load set t lem ent relat ionship shall be plot t ed and present ed in t he report .

Evaluat ion of t he yielding load, elast ic m odulus, sub grade react ion and allowable bearing pressure.
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

Ca lcu la t ion

A graph is plot t ed wit h t he m ean set t lem ent in m m on x axis and load kN/ m m 2 y - axis. The pressure P
corresponding t o a set t lem ent of A = 1.25 m m is obt ained from t he graph. The m odulus of sub - grade
react ion K is calculat ed from t he relat ion

or kN/ m m 3

Fig. 4 .1 4 Loa d se t t le m e n t gr a ph
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .4 : Pla t e Be a r in g Te st ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Test Procedure

Report

Calculat ion
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

I nt roduct ion

Procedure

Lim it at ions
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st

Met hod 1 .The ult im at e bearing capacit y of cohesion less soil is det erm ined from t he st andard penet rat ion
num ber N. The st andard penet rat ion t est is conduct ed at a num ber of select ed point s in t he vert ical direct ion
below t he foundat ion level at int ervals of 75 cm or at point where t here is a change of st rat a. An average
value of N is obt ained bet ween t he level of t he base of foot ing and t he dept h equal t o 1.5 t o 2 t im es t he
widt h of t he foundat ion. The value is obt ained from t he N value and t he bearing capacit y fact ors are found.
I t can also be direct ly found from figure 4.15.

Met hod 2 . As t he bearing capacit y depends upon and hence on N, it can be relat ed direct ly t o N. Teng
( 1962) gave t he following equat ion for t he net ult im at e capacit y of a st rip foot ing.

where net ult im at e bearing capacit y( kN/ m 2 ) ,

B= widt h of foot ing, N= average SPT num ber, D f = dept h of foot ing. I f D f > B, use D f = B.

and are wat er t able correct ion fact or.

For square or circular foot ings,

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

or

t he net allowable bearing capacit y can be obt ained by applying a fact or of safet y of 3.0

for st rip foot ings,

for circular foot ings and square foot ings,

• The allowable bearing pressure, for a foot ing on sand can be est im at ed from t he

result s of an SPT t est by m eans of t he relat ionship bet ween t he SPT index, N, and

t he foot ing widt h, as given in Fig.4.15

Figu r e 4 .1 5 D e sign ch a r t for pr opor t ion in g foot in gs on sa n d ( a ft e r Pe ck e t a l., 1 9 7 4 )

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

Values det erm ined in t his m anner correspond t o t he case where t he groundwat er t able is locat ed deep below
t he foot ing foundat ion elevat ion.
I f t he wat er t able rises t o t he foundat ion level, no m ore t han half t he pressure values indicat ed in Fig 4.16
should be used.

Fig.4 .1 6 Ch a r t for cor r e ct in g SPT in de x , N va lu e s for de pt h ( a ft e r Pe ck e t a l., 1 9 7 4 )

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

The chart s are based on SPT indices obt ained from a dept h where t he effect ive overburden pressure is about
100 KPa ( about 5m ) . I ndices obt ained from ot her dept hs m ust be adj ust ed before using t he chart s. Fig. 4.16
indicat es a correct ion fact or, CN , based on t he effect ive overburden st ress at t he dept h where t he act ual SPT
was perform ed. The allowable bearing pressure det erm ined from Fig. 4.15 is expect ed t o produce set t lem ent s
sm aller t han about 25 m m .

SPT Lim it a t ion s:

The SPT is subj ect t o m any errors which affect t he reliabilit y of t he SPT index, N. Correlat ion bet ween t he SPT
index and t he int ernal frict ion angle of sand is very poor. Consequent ly, t he calculat ion of allowable bearing
pressure from N values should be considered wit h caut ion. The SPT index is not appropriat e for det erm ining
t he bearing pressure in fine - grained cohesive soils.
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .5 : St a n da r d Pe n e t r a t ion Te st ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

I nt roduct ion

Procedure

Lim it at ions
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .6 : M ode r n M e t h ods ; Ce n t r ifu ge t e st ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Cent rifuge t est

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .6 : M ode r n M e t h ods ; Ce n t r ifu ge t e st ]

Ce n t r ifu ge t e st

Model t est ing represent s a m aj or t ool available t o t he geot echnical engineer since it enables t he st udy and
analysis of design problem s by using geot echnical m at erials. A cent rifuge is essent ially a sophist icat ed t ool
fram e on which soil sam ples can be t est ed. Analogous t o t his exist s in ot her branches of civil engineering: t he
hydraulic press in st ruct ural engineering, t he wind t unnel in aeronaut ical engineering and t he t riaxial cell in
geot echnical engineering. I n all cases, a m odel is t est ed and t he result s are t hen ext rapolat ed t o a prot ot ype
sit uat ion.

Modeling has a m aj or role t o play in geot echnical engineering. Physical m odeling is concerned wit h replicat ing
an event com parable t o what m ight exist in prot ot ype. The m odel is oft en a reduced scale version of t he
prot ot ype and t his is part icularly t rue for cent rifuge m odeling. The t wo event s should obviously be sim ilar and
t hat sim ilarit y needs t o be relat ed by appropriat e scaling laws. These are very st andard in areas such as wind
t unnel t est ing where dim ensionless groups are used t o relat e event s at different scales.

Modeling of foundat ion behavior is t he m ain focus of m any cent rifuge st udies. A wide range of foundat ions
have been used in pract ical sit uat ions including spread foundat ions, pile foundat ions and caissons. The m ain
obj ect ives of cent rifuge m odeling for foundat ion behavior are t o invest igat e:

Load- set t lem ent curves from which yield and ult im at e bearing capacit y as well as st iffness of t he foundat ion
m ay be det erm ined.

St ress dist ribut ion around and in foundat ions, by which t he apport ionm ent of t he resist ance of t he foundat ion
t o bearing load and t he int egrit y of t he foundat ion m ay be exam ined.
The perform ance of foundat ion syst em s under working loads as well as ext rem e loading condit ions such as
eart hquakes and st orm s.
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .6 : M ode r n M e t h ods ; Ce n t r ifu ge t e st ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Cent rifuge t est

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

Obj e ct ive s

I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Presnece of wat er t able

Modes of Failure

General shear failure.

Local shear failure.

Punching shear failure.

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble

I n granular soils, t he presence of wat er in t he soil can subst ant ially reduce t he bearing capacit y.

Fig 4 .1 7 foot in g w it h va r iou s le ve ls of w a t e r t a ble

Ca se 1 : use for t he and t erm s

Ca se 2 : for t he = t erm calculat e t he effect ive st ress at t he dept h of t he foot ing

, and

for t he use .

Ca se 3 : use for t he t erm , and

use for t he t erm .

Ca se 4 : use for t he and t erm s.

I n cohesive soils for short - t erm , end - of - const ruct ion condit ions use:
= 5.14, = 1, and = 0

Thus
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

M ode s of Fa ilu r e

There are t hree principal m odes of shear failure:

General shear failure.

Local shear failure.

Punching shear failure.

Ge n e r a l sh e a r fa ilu r e result s in a clearly defined plast ic yield slip surface beneat h t he foot ing and spreads
out one or bot h sides, event ually t o t he ground surface. Failure is sudden and will oft en be accom panied by
severe t ilt ing. Generally associat ed wit h heaving. This t ype of failure occurs in dense sand or st iff clay.

Fig. 4 .1 8 Ge n e r a l sh e a r fa ilu r e
Loca l sh e a r fa ilu r e result s in considerable vert ical displacem ent prior t o t he developm ent of not iceable
shear planes. These shear planes do not generally ext end t o t he soil surface, but som e adj acent bulging m ay
be observed, but lit t le t ilt ing of t he st ruct ure result s. This shear failure occurs for loose sand and soft clay.

Fig. 4 .1 9 Loca l sh e a r fa ilu r e .

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble ]

Pu n ch in g sh e a r fa ilu r e occurs in very loose sands and soft clays and t here is lit t le or no developm ent of
planes of shear failure in t he underlying soil. Slip surfaces are generally rest rict ed t o vert ical planes adj acent
t o t he foot ing, and t he soil m ay be dragged down at t he surface in t his region.

Fig. 4 .2 0 Pu n ch in g sh e a r fa ilu r e .

Fig. 4 .2 1 Loa d se t t le m e n t cu r ve s for diffe r e n t sh e a r

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

From t he curves t he different t ypes of shear failures can be predict ed :

For general shear failure t here is a pronounced peak aft er which load decreases wit h increase in set t lem ent .
The load at t he peak gives t he ult im at e st ress or load.
For local shear failure t here is no pronounced peak like general shear failure and hence t he ult im at e load is
calculat ed for a part icular set t lem ent .
For punching shear failure t he load goes on increasing wit h increasing set t lem ent and hence t here is no peak
resist ance.

Fig. 4 .2 2 Va r ia t ion of t h e n a t u r e of be a r in g ca pa cit y fa ilu r e in sa n d w it h

Re la t ive de n sit y a n d r e la t ive de pt h D / B ( Ve sic 1 9 6 3 )
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

As per Terzaghi t he bearing capacit y equat ion is as follows:

The above equat ion is valid for general shear failure but wit h cert ain m odificat ions also applicable for local
shear failure.

I f, < 29 o = > local shear failure.

> 36 o = > general shear failure.

29 o < < 36 o = > com bined shear failure.

For local shear failure = 2/ 3 c and = t an - 1 ( 2/ 3 t an ø)

Say, = 25 o t his im plies t hat t he failure is local shear failure. So for = 25 o refer t o t he chart of local
shear failure, or convert to ( = 17.26 o ) and for t hat angle refer t o general shear chart . Also use and
not c
Ta ble 4 .1 3 Te r za gh i's be a r in g ca pa cit y fa ct or s

Ta r za gh i D im e n sion le ss Be a r in g Ca pa cit y Fa ct or s ( a ft e r Bow le s 1 9 8 8 )

28 17.81 31.61 15.7 0 1.00 5.70 0.0

30 22.46 37.16 19.7 2 1.22 6.30 0.2
32 28.52 44.04 27.9 4 1.49 6.97 0.4
34 36.50 52.64 36.0 6 1.81 7.73 0.6
35 41.44 57.75 42.4 8 2.21 8.60 0.9
36 47.16 63.53 52.0 10 2.69 9.60 1.2
38 61.55 77.50 80.0 12 3.29 10.76 1.7
40 81.27 95.66 100.4 14 4.02 12.11 2.3
42 108.75 119.67 180.0 16 4.92 13.68 3.0
44 147.74 151.95 257.0 18 6.04 15.52 3.9
45 173.29 172.29 297.5 20 7.44 17.69 4.9
46 204.19 196.22 420.0 22 9.19 20.27 5.8
48 207.85 258.29 780.1 24 11.40 23.36 7.8
50 415.15 347.51 1153.2 26 14.21 27.06 11.7
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s
Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .7 : Pr e se n ce of t h e W a t e r Ta ble & diffe r e n t m ode s of
fa ilu r e ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Presnece of wat er t able

Modes of Failure

General shear failure.

Local shear failure.

Punching shear failure.

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

Obj e ct ive s
I n t h is se ct ion you w ill le a r n t h e follow in g

Bearing capacit y of layered soil.

Bult on Met hod ( 1953)

By Bowle's m et hod

Bearing Capacit y of t he Rock ( shallow Foundat ion)

Dept h of shallow foundat ions

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil.

Fig 4 .2 3 Be a r in g Ca pa cit y on La ye r e d Soil

I f d 1 > H No effect of layered soil.

I f d 1 < H Effect of layered soil considered.

Three general cases of foot ing on a layered soil m ay be t here :

Case 1 : Foot ing on layered clays ( = 0)

a) Top layer weaker t han lower layer ( < )

b) Top layered st ronger t han lower layer ( > )

Case 2 : Foot ing on layer c- soil a, b sam e as in case 1.

Case 3 : Foot ing on layered sand and clay soils

a) Sand overlying clay

b) Clay overlying sand

These cases m ight be analyt ically sholved by using a num ber of m et hods am ong which But t on's m et hods
( 1953) was t he first of it s kind.
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

Bu t t on M e t h od ( 1 9 5 3 )

Fig. 4 .2 4 Be a r in g Ca pa cit y on La ye r e d Soil

Applicable when lies bet ween 0.6< < 1.3, where = ( / ) < 1.

When t his condit ion is not sat isfied t hen use t he following m et hod t o obt ain as given by Brown &
Meyerhof ( 1969) based on m odel t est s.
For clays = ( / ) < 1, bot t om layer is weaker soil.

For st rip foot ing

For = 0 , = 5.14.

For circular foot ing

M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

When > 0.7 reduced t he above value of by 10% .

When > 1.00

a. For bot h t he layers ( For st rip foot ing)

b. For Circular foot ing

By Bow e ls' m e t h od
M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

Fig - 4 .2 5 Ca lcu la t ion of Avg va lu e of Coh e sion by Bow le s M e t h od

Be a r in g Ca pa cit y of t h e Rock ( sh a llow Fou n da t ion )

Fact or of safet y required 3 ( for sound rock) t o 6 ( Weak or Fissured rock) .

For sound rock

For fissured rock or any ot her t ype of rock

q ult is calculat ed by t he equat ion given by Terzaghi.

q ult = Q ult of sound rock ( RQD) 2 .

RQD m eans rock qualit y designat ions.

 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

For calculat ion of t he RQD value t ake t he pieces of

t he rock which is having lengt h great er t han 10 cm .

, , , are having lengt h great er t han 10 cm

and L is t he lengt h of core advance
D e pt h of sh a llow fou n da t ion s
1. for soft st rat a.
By Bells equat ion

q = Soil pressure at t he base of t he foot ing.

= act ive eart h pressure coefficient .

c = Cohesion of t he soil.

= Unit weight of soil.

= Dept h of t he foundat ion.

I f very hard st rat a is available even t hen we provide som e dept h of foundat ion according t o I S 1904 i.e. m in
2. dept h 80 cm .
 M odu le 4 : D e sign of Sh a llow Fou n da t ion s

Le ct u r e 1 7 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y [ Se ct ion 1 7 .8 : Be a r in g ca pa cit y of la ye r e d soil ]

Re ca p

I n t h is se ct ion you h a ve le a r n t t h e follow in g

Bearing capacit y of layered soil.

Bult on Met hod ( 1953)

By Bowle's m et hod

Bearing Capacit y of t he Rock ( shallow Foundat ion)

Dept h of shallow foundat ions

Con gr a t u la t ion s, you h a ve fin ish e d Le ct u r e 1 7 . To vie w t h e n e x t le ct u r e se le ct it fr om t h e le ft

h a n d side m e n u of t h e pa ge