TUTORIAL 05 ON SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS 11/12/2024
1. A square footing is to take a central vertical load of 2340kN. The base of the footing will
be at a depth of 2.0m in a clay stratum. The footing will be of solid concrete, γconcrete =
22.5kN/m3, up to ground level. Clay has an estimated bulk undrained strength Su = 50kN/m2
and a bulk unit weight γbulk = 19kN/m3.
1.1. Ignoring side shear on the footing, calculate size of the footing required for a
Factor of safety against undrained bearing capacity of 3.
1.2. If the line of action of the vertical load is now moved 1m towards one of the sides
of the footing calculate the factor of safety against undrained bearing capacity failure.
2. An oil storage tank with a flexible base, 10m diameter and 8m high, has been constructed
on the surface of a deep soft clay strata, with reliable undrained strength estimated to be
20kN/m2. The saturated unit weight of the clay γsat = 19kN/m3. The drained strength of the
clay is c’ = 0, Ø’ = 250. There is a static ground water table at ground level. The tank is to
be filled with water as a test load. Ignoring the weight of the tank structure:
2.1. Calculate the depth to which it may be filled for a factor of safety against
undrained bearing capacity failure of 2.0. Estimate the Factor of safety against undrained
failure of the edge of the tank when it is full of water to this depth, assuming it acts as a
strip load.
2.2. Repeat 2(a) by using partial factors for DA1C1 and DA1C2
2.3. Comment on the results
3. The bearing pressure on a strip footing 4m wide on sand will be 400kN/m2. The footing
base is 2.5m below ground level and there is a static ground water table 1m below ground
level. The sand has a unit weight of 19kN/m3 when saturated and 16kN/m3 when dry, and a
drained shear strength c’=0, Ø’=350. Calculate the factor of safety Fbd against drained
bearing capacity failure Ignore side shear to the footing.
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4. A bridge pier is to be founded on the bed of a river on a strip foundation 4m wide. The
founding level is 2m below the river bed and the depth of the water is 4m. The pore water
in the river bed is in hydrostatic equilibrium with the river. The total load including the
weight of the structure and foundation is 2000kN/m run. Calculate the Factor of Safety
against drained bearing capacity failure Fbd. The soil is a sand and has a saturated unit
weight γsat=19kN/m3 and the following strength characteristics: c’=0, Ø’=350.
Construction of the bridge pier takes place in a cofferdam with the water level being kept
at river bed level by pumping. In order to check the stability of the foundation during
construction, standpipe is installed with its tip at a depth of 3.5m. Water in the standpipe
rises to 2.0m above river bed. At this stage the total load is 1000kN/m run. Assuming
vertical pore pressure gradient is uniform; calculate the drained bearing capacity factor
5. What will be the gross and net allowable bearing pressures of a sand having 35° and
an effective unit weight of 18 kN/m3 under the following cases: (a) size of footing 1 x 1
m square, (b) circular footing of 1 m dia., and (c) 1 m wide strip footing. The footing is
placed at a depth of 1 m below the ground surface and the water table is at great depth.
Use = 3, Compute by Terzaghi's general shear failure theory. Also compute by using
Partial factors using DA1C2.
Figure 1.
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6. A strip footing is founded at a depth of 1.5 m below the ground surface (Fig. 2). The
water table is close to ground level and the soil is cohesionless. The footing is supposed
to carry a net safe load of 400 kN/m2 with Fs = 3. Given γsat = 20.85 kN/m3 and 35°,
find the required width of the footing, using both Terzaghi's general shear failure
criterion and partial factors by DA1C1
Figure 2.
7. At what depth should a footing of size 2 x 3 m be founded to provide a factor of safety of
3 if the soil is stiff clay having an unconfined compressive strength of 120 kN/m2? The
unit weight of the soil is 18 kN/m3. The ultimate bearing capacity of the footing is 425
kN/m2. Use Terzaghi's theory. The water table is close to the ground surface (Fig. 3).
Figure 3.
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8. A rectangular footing is founded at a depth of 2 m below the ground surface in a (c - )
soil having the following properties: porosity n = 40%, G2 = 2.67, c = 15 kN/m2, and =
30°.The water table is close to the ground surface. If the width of the footing is 3 m, what
is the length required to carry a gross allowable bearing pressure of 455 kN/m2 with a
factor of safety = 3? Use Terzaghi's theory of general shear failure (Fig. 4).
Figure 4.
9. The total column load of a footing near ground level is 5000 kN. The subsoil is
cohesionless soil with =38° and γ= 19.5 kN/m3. The footing is to be located at a depth
of 1.50m below ground level. For a footing of size 3 x 3 m, determine the factor of safety
by Terzaghi's general shear failure theory if the water table is at a depth of 0.5 m below
the base level of the foundation
10. The feasibility of installing a waste water tank, 4m deep, 30m long and 15m wide
(internal dimensions) with four internal walls perpendicular to the long axis of the tank
founded at a depth of 3.0m deep in an alluvial flood plain is being considered. The level
site is adjacent to a river subject to a tidal range of 2m and a mean water level of 2m
below the ground level. The site is known to frequently flood. The soil profile is given in
Table 10. Preliminary structural calculations suggest that the internal and external walls
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will be 0.2m thick reinforced concrete; and the floor will be 0.3m thick reinforced
concrete. The exterior walls will be cast in situ walls and propped by internal walls and
the floor slab.
10.1. Set out your valid assumptions and produce a set of calculations to show that the
proposed design is acceptable or unacceptable.
Table 10. Soil profile and properties
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