ENCE4610

FoundationAnalysisandDesign
Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations:
Vesis Method
Eccentric Loading of Foundations
Effect of Water Table

CurrentMethodsofBearing
CapacityAnalysis
Terzaghis Method does
not take into
consideration factors
such as:
o
o
o
o
o

Base or ground inclination

Water table effects
Layered soil effects
Eccentricity of load
Rectangular foundations

Also, there are other

methods of estimating
the bearing capacity
factors, especially N

Methods in common
use
o Meyerhof
o Brinch-Hansen (esp. popular in
Europe, generally the most
conservative of the methods)
o Vesi

All methods use the

same Nc and Nq
In this course we will
emphasize Vesi
o Closest to AASHTO
o Factors used in FE exam

VesisMethod

Similar in basic format to Terzaghi's Method,

but takes into account a larger number of
factors
Some variations in the way it is implemented

VesiBearingCapacity
Factors

For equations: angles in radians

VesiShapeFactors

VesiDepthFactors

VesiLoadInclination
Factors

Vesi
BaseTilt
Factors

Vesi
Ground
Slope
Factors

AllowableBearing
Capacity
z

Factors when considering

selection of a factor of safety

Most foundations
designed by ASD
for geotechnical
strength

q ult
qa =
F

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Foundation is then
designed so that
the allowable
bearing pressure is
not exceeded

GeneralBearingCapacity
Example
Governing Equation

Given

z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z

Rectangular Foundation
Width of foundation = 1100
mm (B)
Length of Foundation =
2200 mm (L)
Depth of Foundation = 1500
mm (D)
Soil cohesion c = 15 kPa
Soil internal friction3 angle
= 30, = 19 kN/m
Water table even with
depth of foundation
Foundation and ground
level, load concentric

Find
z

Design loading, FS = 3 using

Vesis Method

EccentricorMoment
Loading
Eccentric Loading

o Load is away from the

centre of the foundation in
the B direction only

Moment Loading

M
l
e=
=
Q
Q
l

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VariablesforEccentricand
MomentLoading
z
z
z
z
z
z

e = eccentricity of bearing pressure

distribution
Q = applied vertical load
Q/l = applied vertical load per unit length of
foundation
M = applied moment load
M/l = applied moment load per unit length of
foundation
e = eccentricity of applied vertical load

OneWayLoading

z
z

One-way loading is loading along one of the

centre axes of the foundation
Three cases to consider

EquationsforTwoDimensionalPressures
withEccentric/MomentLoads

ExampleofOneWay
Eccentricity
Given
o Continuous Foundation as
shown
o Groundwater table at great
depth
o Weight of foundation
(concrete) not included in
load shown

Find
o Whether resultant force acts in
middle third
o Minimum and maximum
bearing pressures

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ExampleofOneWay
Eccentricity

Compute Weight of Foundation

z

Wf/b = (5)(1.5)(150) = 1125 lb/ft

Compute eccentricity
z

(M

/ l)
8000
=
= 0.61 ft.
e=
Q /l
12000 + 1125
B
5
= = 0.833 ft. > 0.61 ft.
6
6

Thus, eccentricity is within the middle third of the

foundation and foundation can be analysed further
without enlargement at this point

ExampleofOneWay
Eccentricity

Compute minimum and maximum bearing pressures

q min

q max

Q
l
6e
q min =
1

B
B

(6 )(0.61 ) = 703 psf

12000 + 1125
=
1

5
5

Q
l
6e
q max =

1+

B
B

(
6 )(0.61 )
12000 + 1125
=
1 +
= 4546 psf
5
5

TwoWayEccentricity
Eccentricity in both
L and B
directions produces a
planar distribution of
stress

Kern of Stability
z Foundation stable
against overturn only
if resultant falls in the
kern in the centre of
the foundation
z Resultant in the kern if

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6eB 6eL
+
1
B
L
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eB, eL = eccentricity in B, L directions

BearingPressureatCorners
TwoWayEccentricity
6eB 6eL
Q

q = 1

B
L
A
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TwoWayEccentricity
Example
y Given

12 m

Grain silo design as shown

Each silo has an empty
weight of 29 MN; can hold
up to 110 MN of grain

12
m

Weight of mat = 60 MN
Silos can be loaded
independently of each
other

y Find
Whether or not eccentricity
will be met with the various
loading conditions possible
Eccentricity can be oneway or two-way

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TwoWayEccentricity
Example
z

One-Way
Eccentricity
z

z
z

B
50
=
= 8.33 m > 6.67 m
6
6

Largest Loading: two

adjacent silos full and
the rest empty
Q = (4)(29) + 2(110) +
60 = 396 MN
M = (2)(110)(12) =
2640 MN-m

M
e=
Q
2640
e=
396
e = 6.67 m

Eccentricity OK
for one-way
eccentricity

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TwoWayEccentricity
Example
Two-Way Eccentricity

z
z
z
z

Largest Loading: one silo full and the rest

empty
P = (4)(29) + 110 + 60 = 286 MN
MB = ML = (110)(12) = 1320 MN-m

eB = eL =

1320
M
=
= 4.62m
286
Q

6eB 6eL
(6 )(4.62 )
+
= 2
= 1.11 > 1
B
L
50

Not acceptable

TwoWayEccentricity
Example
z

Two-Way Eccentricity
z

Solution to Eccentricity
Problem: increase the size of
the mat

6eB 6eL
(6 )(4.62 )
+
= 2
=1
B
L
B

B = L = 55.4 m
z

Necessary to also take other

considerations into account
(bearing failure, settlement,
etc.)

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(NAVFAC DM 7.02)

Equivalent
Footing
Procedure
Structural

Geotechnical

EquivalentFootingUsingTwo
WayEccentricityExample
z

Largest Loading: one silo full and the rest

empty

Result of Two-Way
Eccentricity Analysis
z
z

eB = eL = 4.62 m
B = L = 55.4 m (expanded
foundation)

Equivalent Footing
Dimensions
z
z

B = B 2eB = 55.4 (2)(4.62)

B = 45.8 m = L (as B = L and
eB = eL)

EquivalentFootingUsingTwo
WayEccentricityExample

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One-Way
Eccentricity
z

z
z
z
B
50
=
= 8.33 m > 6.67 m
6
6

Largest Loading: two

adjacent silos full and
the rest empty
B = L = 55.4 m
(expanded
foundation)
eB = 6.67m
eL = 0 m
B = B-2eB = 55.4
(2)(6.67) = 42.1 m
L = L = 55.4 m

Groundwaterand
LayeredSoilEffects
Layered Soils are
virtually unavoidable in
real geotechnical
situations
Softer layers below the
surface can and do
significantly affect both
the bearing capacity
and settlement of
foundations

Shallow groundwater
affects shear strength in
two ways:
o Reduces apparent cohesion
that takes place when soils are
not saturated; may
necessitate reducing the
cohesion measured in the
laboratory
o Pore water pressure increases;
reduces both effective stress
and shear strength in the soil
(same problem as is
experienced with unsupported
slopes)

SolutionforGroundwaterand
LayeredSoilBearingCapacity
Weighted average is,
overall, the best way of
handling both of these
situations
Groundwater creates
additional soil layer
Valid unless soil
strengths have major
variations

Three ways to analyze

layered soil profiles:

1. Use the lowest of values of

shear strength, friction angle
and unit weight below the
foundation. Simplest but
most conservative.
2. Use weighted average of
these parameters based on
relative thicknesses below
the foundation. Best
balance of conservatism
and computational effort.
1.

Use width of foundation B as

depth for weighted average

3. Consider series of trial

surfaces beneath the
footing and evaluate the
stresses on each surface
(similar to slope failure
analysis.) Most accurate
but calculations are tedious;
use only when quality of soil
data justify the effort

ExamplewithLayered
SoilsandGroundwater
Find

o Check adequacy
against bearing
capacity failure using
weighted average
method, Vesis
Formula and FS = 3

Given
o Square spread footing as
shown

2.5 m

LayeredSoilExample

Failure zone exists for a

distance B (1.8 m) below the
foundation, i.e., from 1.9 m to
2.7 m below the ground
surface (an assumption of
the method)

c' = (0.28+0.33)(5 kPa) +

(0.39)(0) = 3 kPa
o ' = (0.28+.33)(32) + (0.39)(38)
= 34
o = (0.33)(18.2) + (0.28)(18.29.8) +(0.39)(20.1-9.8) = 12.4
kN/m3
o

o Unsubmerged silty sand layer

is 0.6 m deep
o Submerged silty sand layer is
0.5 m deep
o Fine-to-medium sand layer is
0.7 m in the failure zone

Weighting factors
o Unsubmerged silty sand layer:
0.6/1.8 = 0.33
o Submerged silty sand layer:
0.5/1.8 = 0.28
o Fine-to-medium sand layer:
0.7/1.8 = 0.39

Weighted Values of Soil

Parameters

Note that submerged unit weights

were used for submerged layer
This avoids the need to then
compute an average buoyant
weight
In the event a layer is not
submerged, the moist unit weight
can be used for that layer and a
buoyant weight for the
submerged layers

Compute Foundation Weight

o Wf = (1.8 m)2(1.9 m)(23.6
kN/m3) = 145 kN

BEARING CAPACITY BY VESIC'S METHOD

Reference: Das, "Fundamentals of Geotechnical Engineering,"

Spreadsheet

Name
Date
08-29-12
Identification Das Example 12.1
Input
Units of Measurement
SI SI or E

w = 9.81

Foundation Information
Shape

Resultfor

Groundwater

L =

1.80

B=

0.00

L=

0.00

(deg)=

20.00

1.90 m
Df =
Soil Information
c =
3.00 kPa
=

Leave s a t blank if no water.

34.00 deg
1 =
Soil Above Foundation Base
17.80 1 s a t =
kN/m^3
2 =
Soil Below Foundation Base
kN/m^3
12.40 2 s a t =

LayeredSoil
and

1.80

kN/m^3
Loading

SQ SQ, CI, CO, or RE

B =

Section 12.2

Depth of Water Below Ground Surface

Dw = 100.00 m
Factor of Safety
F =
3.00
Calculations

(deg)=

34.00

Nc =

42.16

B =

1.80

(rad)=

0.59

Nq =

29.44

L =

1.80

(deg)=

20.00

N =

41.06

A =

3.24

Df /B=

Fcs

Fcd

Fci

qu

1.70

1.32

0.60

172

kPa

558

kN

Fqs

Fqd

Fqi

1.67

1.21

0.60

1223

kPa

3963.7

kN

F s

F d

F i

0.60

1.00

0.17

47

kPa

151.0

kN

Example

c
3.00
q
33.82

12.40

B
1.80

FS =

Nc
42.16
Nq
29.44
N
41.06

3.00

B=

0.00

B'=

1.80

L=

0.00

L'=

1.80

1.06

A'=

3.24

Qu

Gross Ultimate = 1442

kPa

4672.6

kN

Net Ultimate = 1408

kPa

4563.0

kN

Gross Allowable =

481

kPa

1557.5

kN

Net Allowable =

469

kPa

1521.0

kN

LayeredSoiland
GroundwaterExample
Notes on Solution
o To get the spreadsheet to
properly analyze the results,
we basically told it that the soil
was dry and uniform, then
input the homogenized
cohesion, internal friction
angle and unit weight under
the foundation
o We also computed a
homogenized unit weight
above the foundation;
however, note that this is
different from that below.

Notes on Solution
o Net allowable bearing
capacity of the foundation
= 1521 kN
o Loads on Foundation:
External Load = 800 kN
Foundation Weight =
145 kN
Total load = 945 kN <
1519 kN
o IMPORTANT: note that
different load combination
schemes (ASD and LRFD)
may change the total load
we are actually designing
against!

Questions?