CHAPTER 2
SHALLOW FOUNDATION
INTRODUCTION
Shallow foundation must have 2
characteristic
❖ Safe against overall shear failure
❖ Cannot undergo excessive displacement or
settlement
Ultimate Bearing Capacity, qu (load per unit
area of foundation which shear failure soil
occurs)
Allowable bearing capacity, qall =
Factor of safety (FOS) for soil 2 to 5.
Type of
Shear
Failure in
Shallow
Foundation
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Bearing capacity failure
Nature of bearing capacity failure are :
❖ general shear failure (for stiff clay or
dense sand)
❖ localshear failure (for medium dense
sand or clayey soil)
❖ punching shear failure(loose sand or
soft clay)
IMPORTANT NOTE
L IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN B
For square; B = L
for circular; B = L = Diameter of
foundation
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity
General shear failure
qu = cN c + qN q +0.5BN .......(strip. foundation)
qu = 1.3cN c + qN q + 0.4BN ........(square. foundation)
qu = 1.3cN c + qN q + 0.3BN .........(circular. foundation)
Example of Calculation
Exercises
Determine the allowable gross vertical
load, Q bearing capacity of the
foundation. Use Terzaghi’s eqn and
assume general shear failure in soils.
Use FOS = 4
B = 3m, Df = 2m, ’ = 30o, c = 0 & =
16.5 kN/m3
General Bearing Capacity Equation
Modification of B.C Eqn for
Water Table
Exercises
Eccentrically Loaded Foundations
Ultimate B.C under Eccentric Loading
(Meyerhof’s Theory)
Ultimate B.C under Eccentric
Loading (Prakash & Saran Theory)
Continuous foundation Rectangular foundation
Prakash & Saran
2 – Way Eccentricity
Determine L1 & L2
Determine B1 & B2
Determine B2 & L2
EXERCISES
Shallowfoundation size 1.2 m x
1.8 m subjected to centric load
& moment. If eb = 0.12 m and el
= 0.36 m.
Which case?
Solution
Elastic Settlement
(Theory of Elasticity)
List of formula
Refer to text book page 303 - 308
Elastic settlement of
foundations on saturated clay
Strain Influence Factor
Primary Consolidation
Settlement Relationship
3-Dimensional Effect on Primary
Consolidation Settlement
Normally consolidated clay
Overconsolidated clay
Secondary consolidation
settlement
Tolerable Settlement of Buildings
