CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

CE 468 Geotechnical Design

Assignment #4: Mat Foundation on Clay

Given:
About Soil profile:
There is a compressible clay layer thickness 17 m. Clay layer is underlained by dense sand
and gravel. Below this sand layer there is a hard clay stratum.
GWL ( ) = 5.5 m
1 borehole log with SPT data is given.
1 UU and 1 oedometer test on upper clayey layer is given also.
Natural water content, natural unit weight, consistency limits, results of sieve analysis are also
given.
For upper clay layer; = 400
Pore pressure parameter, = 0.7

About superstructure and foundation:

1 basement + 17 floor = 18 storey office building
Depth of foundation ( ) = 5 m
Mat foundation having = 20 m x 60 m
for 1 floor = 12.5 kPa
Permissible settlement = 8 cm.

Asked: Check the stability of the mat foundation.

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

SOLUTION:

Step 1: Idealization of Soil Profile and Determination of Soil Parameters

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

Natural Natural
Natural Specific Fine
water unit Atterberg Limits (%) Soil qu from cu from UC cu from UU
Depth (m) void gravity, Percentage,
content, weight, n Classification UC (kPa) (kPa) (kPa)
ratio, en Gs FC (%)
wn (%) (kN/m3) PL LL PI
1.5 27.4 22 39 17 61.2 CL
3.0 26.4 18.9 25.9 57.9 32 79.9 CH 263 131.5
3.0 27.6 21.8 54.8 33 87.9 CH
3.0 23.5 19.5 29 9.5 60 CL
4.7 35.6 23.5 47.7 24.2 98.2 CL
6.0 30.9 17.9
6.0 29.3 0.953 19.1 2.74 20.2 40 19.8 98 CL 80
6.0 36.3 18.2 2.74 18.8 53.9 35.1 99.2 CH 70
7.5 32.4 18.6 48.7 30.1 91 CL
7.7 30.6 25.3 54.5 29.2 98.4 CH
9.0 31.4 19.1 21.9 57.1 35.2 97.4 CH 109 54.5
10.0 34.1 22.4 40.4 18 80.6 CL
13.5 23.8 23 39.7 16.7 79.7 CL
16.5 37.1 22.7 55 32.3 97.4 CH
16.5 15.5 15.1 25.7 10.6 47.3 SC
18.0 1.85 NP 16.5 GC
19.5 12.5 NP 17.2 SC
22.5 26.7 23.8 54.2 30.4 75.1 CH
23.0 26.9 25.1 48.9 23.8 79 CL

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

As a result of data interpretation idealized soil profile is as followings:

B x L = 20m x 60m
z=0 m

qgross
5.0 m
z=5 m

1 Stiff Silty CLAY (CL-CH)

SPT N = 13
wet = 18.6 kN/m3; Gs = 2.74; PI(%) = 16.7 35.1
11.5 m
cu = 62 kPa; Eu= 25 MPa;
Cc = 0.21; Cr = 0.03; e0 = 0.848; NC

z=16.5 m

Very dense SAND and GRAVEL (SC-GC)

4.5 m 2 SPT N = R z=21 m

3 Hard Gravelly CLAY (CH)

4.0 m z=25 m
SPT N = R

There is 11.5 thick compressible clay layer. This layer is underlain by relatively incompressible sand-
gravel and clay layers. Bearing capacity is dominated by uppermost layer. Also, settlement shall be
develop only in uppermost layer. Thus, defining the strength and deformation properties of the
uppermost clay layer will be sufficient.

Strength Properties: Required for bearing capacity calculations. Undrained strength is always critical.
Undrained shear strength can be estimated from:

UC test 109 / 2 = 54.5 kPa

UU test 70 and 80 kPa
SPT correlations (Stroud, 1988) For PI = 16.7 35.1 (by using given chart) f1=6 4.3
Since borehole is in Turkey probable Em = 0.45. Then N = N45 = 13 N60 = 10
From Stroud (1988) cu = (6 4.3) x 10 = 43 60 kPa
Average value from Stroud cu = 52 kPa
Average value from lab cu = 68 kPa

Deformation Properties: Required for immediate and consolidation settlement calculations.

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

For immediate settlement which will be in short time where undrained condition is valid Eu is
required.

Eu = 400 x cu = 400 x 62 =24800 kPa = 25 MPa

For consolidation settlement which will be in long time where drained condition is valid Cc, Cr and e0
are required. These parameters can be obtained from the oedometer test results.

e0 = 0.848; pc = 90 kPa; 0 = (18.6 5) + [(18.6 9.8) 1] = 101.8 Assume as NC

Cc = 0.21; Cr = 0.03

0.684
Cc
0.621
Cr

-or- from Stroud (1988) for PI = 16.7 35.1 (by using given chart) f2 = 0.6 0.43

Since borehole is in Turkey probable Em = 0.45. Then N = N45 = 13 N60 = 10

From Stroud (1988) mv = 1 / [(0.6 0.43) x 10] = 0.167 0.233 m2/MN average 0.2 m2/MN

Step 2: Bearing Capacity Check

(i) By Using Lab Data:

Average value from lab cu = 68 kPa

From Skemptons Nc Chart for D/B = 5/20=0.25 Given:Assume strip fdn Nc = 5.6

qult = Nc cu = 5.6 x 68 = 380.8 kPa

qgross = (18 x 12.5) + (1 x 25) = 225 + 25 = 250 kPa

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

0 = (18.6 5) = 93

qnet = 250 93 = 157 kPa

FS = qult / qnet = 380.8 / 157 = 2.43 < 3.0 NOT OK X

(ii) By Using Stroud (1988):

Average value from lab cu = 52 kPa

From Skemptons Nc Chart for D/B = 5/20=0.25 Given:Assume strip fdn Nc = 5.6

qult = Nc cu = 5.6 x 52 = 291.2 kPa

qgross = (18 x 12.5) + (1 x 25) = 225 + 25 = 250 kPa

0 = (18.6 5) = 93

qnet = 250 93 = 157 kPa

FS = qult / qnet = 291.2 / 157 = 1.85 < 3.0 NOT OK X

There is a bearing capacity problem !

Slide Analysis for bearing capacity estimations

(i) By Using Lab Data:

Strength Properties: Required for bearing capacity calculations. Undrained strength is always critical.
Undrained shear strength can be estimated as cu = 68 kPa ( = 0)

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

By using lab data and limit equilibrium analysis, bearing capacity is found as 450 kPa.

(i) By Using Stroud (1988):

Strength Properties: Required for bearing capacity calculations. Undrained strength is always critical.
Undrained shear strength can be estimated as cu =52 kPa ( = 0)

With the help of SPT data and limit equilibrium analysis, bearing capacity is found as 400 kPa.

The difference between analytical solution of Skempton for bearing capacity and limit equilibrium
methods might come from the following reasons:

Skemptons solution does not consider the effect of water table

The potential failure surface is assumed to be a circular arc in limit equilibrium method.

Step 3: Settlement Check

Total Settlement (St) = Si + Sc + Sh

(i) Immediate Settlement (Se):

= 0 1

From the given charts for H/B = 11.5/20 = 0.58 & D/B = 5/20 = 0.25 & L/B = 3 0 = 0.963 and
1 = 0.206.

157 20
= 0.963 0.206 = 0.0229 = 22.9 ( )
(400 68 = 27200)

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 CE 468 Assignment 4: Mat Foundation on Clay

157 20
= 0.963 0.206 = 0.0300 = 30.0 ( )
(400 52 = 20800)

(ii) Heave and Consolidation Settlements (Sh and Sc):

For NC soil:

0
= log ( )
1 + 0 0

0 +
= [ log ( )]
1 + 0 0

Where;

= (93 x 20 x 60) / (20+z)(60+z)

= (157 x 20 x 60) / (20+z)(60+z)

For A = 0.7 and H/B = 11.5/20 = 0.58 Skempton-Bjerrum Correction Factor () = 0.80

Sublayer Depth z' z'mid- zmid-depth Depth exc 'v0 'v0 - exc Sh,i
Id (i) Interval (z') (m) depth(m) (m) Factor (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (mm)
1 0 - 2.875 2.875 1.4375 6.4375 0.91 84.7 105.7 20.9 32.8
2.875 -
2 2.875 4.3125 9.3125 0.77 71.4 131.0 59.6 16.0
5.750
5.750 - 12.187
3 2.875 7.1875 0.66 61.1 156.3 95.2 10.1
8.625 5
8.625 - 10.062 15.062
4 2.875 0.57 53.0 181.6 128.6 7.0
11.500 5 5
(mm) = 65.8

Sublayer Depth z' z'mid-depth zmid-depth Depth 'v0 'v0 + Sc,i

Id (i) Interval (z') (m) (m) (m) Factor (kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (mm)
1 0 - 2.875 2.875 1.4375 6.4375 0.91 143.0 105.7 248.7 121.5
2.875 -
2 2.875 4.3125 9.3125 0.77 120.5 131.0 251.4 92.6
5.750
5.750 -
3 2.875 7.1875 12.1875 0.66 103.1 156.3 259.4 71.9
8.625
8.625 -
4 2.875 10.0625 15.0625 0.57 89.4 181.6 271.0 56.8
11.500
(mm) = 342.8
= 342.8 x 0.80 = 274.2 mm

St = 22.9 + 65.8 + 274.2 = 362.9 mm = 36.3 cm >> 8 cm

There is also settlement problem!

Pile foundation will be the best foundation system for the building in order to decrease settlement and
increase the bearing capacity.

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