The Islamic university - Gaza

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

CHAPTER (6)

Mat Foundation

Instructor : Dr. Jehad Hamad

 Introduction
Under normal conditions, square and rectangular footings such as those described
in Chapters 3 and 4 are economical for supporting columns and walls. However,
under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to construct a footing that
supports a line of two or more columns. These footings are referred to as
combined footings. When more than one line of columns is supported by a
concrete slab, it is called a mat foundation. Combined footings can be classified
generally under the following categories::::

oRectangular Footings.
oTrapezoidal Footings.
oCantilever or Strap Footings
ØA combined footing is usually used to support two columns of unequal
loads. In such a case, the resultant of the applied loads would not coincide with
the centroid of the footing, and the consequent the soil pressure would not be
uniform.

ØAnother case where a combined footing is an efficient foundation solution is

when there are two interior columns which are so close to each other that the
two isolated footings stress zones in the soil areas would overlap.
ØThe area of the combined footing may be proportioned for a uniform
settlement by making its centroid coincide with the resultant of the column loads
supported by the footing.
ØThere are many instances when the load to be carried by a column and the
soil bearing capacity are such that the standard spread footing design will
require an extension of the column foundation beyond the property line. In
such a case, two or more columns can be supported on a single rectangular
foundation.
ØIf the net allowable soil pressure is known, the size of the foundation B x L can
be determined.
This photo shows an example of
combined footings used in a heavy
industrial plant, where the machinery
loads place very large loads upon
relatively confined space.

The use of combined footings helps

spread out the loads out to the
adjacent footings in order to minimize
stresses in the footings and reduce
the differential settlement between
them.
 A third case:: of a useful
application of a combined footing
is if one (or several) columns are
placed right at the property line.
The footings for those columns
can not be centered around the
columns ,The consequent
eccentric load would generate a
large moment in the footing.

By tying the exterior footing to an interior footing through a

continuous footing, the moment can be substantially
reduced, and a more efficient design is attained.
Rectangular Combined Footing:::::
Geometric design of rectangular combined footing:
Rectangular Combined Footing.
 Rectangular Combined Footings.
Step #1. The required design area A of a footing can be found from,

where Q1, Q2 are the loads in columns #1 and #2, and q all (net) is the net allowable
soil bearing capacity.

Step #2. Determine the location of the resultant of the column loads.

Step #3. For a uniform distribution of soil pressure under the footing, the resultant of
the column loads should pass through the centroid of the foundation. Thus,

where L = length of the foundation

 Step #4. Once the length L is determined from above, the value of L1 can be
obtained from,

The magnitude of L2 will be known and depends on the location of the property
line.

The width B
is then found from,
Trapezoidal Combined Footing
 Trapezoidal Combined Footing:
This type of combined footing, is sometimes used as an isolated spread
foundation for a column that is required to carry a large load in a tight space.
The size of the trapezoidal footing that will generate a uniform pressure on the
soil can be found through the following procedure.

Step #1. If the net allowable soil pressure is known, determine the area of the
footing,

Step #2. Determine the location of the resultant for the column loads,
From the property of a trapezoid,

With known values of A, L, X, and L2 ,solve Eqs. to obtain B1 and B2 Note that, for
a trapezoid,
Cantilever footing- Strap beam
A strap footing is used to connect an eccentrically loaded column footing to an
interior column.

The strap is used to transmit the moment caused from an eccentricity to the
interior column footing so that a uniform soil pressure is generated beneath
both footings.

The strap footing may be used instead of a rectangular or trapezoidal combined

footing if the distance between columns is large and / or the allowable soil
pressure is relatively large so that the additional footing area is not needed.
 Grade Beams and Strap Footings:
Their purpose is to redistribute Excesses stresses, and possible differential settlements
between adjacent spread footings.
Example1)
Find the Dimensions of the combined footing for the columns A and B that spaced
6.0m center to center, column A is 40cm x 40cm carrying dead loads of 50tons and
30tons live load and column B is 40cm x 40cm carrying 70tons dead load and 50 tons
live loads.
 Solution

1- Find the required area:

2- Find the resultant force location (Xr):

3- To ensure uniform soil pressure, the resultant force (R) should be in the center of
rectangular footing:
Example2)
Find the Dimensions of the trapezoidal combined footing for the columns A and B
that spaced 4.0m center to center, column A is 40cm x 40cm carrying dead loads of
80tons and 40tons live load and column B is 30cm x 30cm carrying 50tons dead load
and 25 tons live loads.
 Solution

1- Find the required area:

2- Determine the resultant force

3- Put the resultant force location at the centroid of trapezoid to achieve
uniform soil pressure.
The censored equation is:
o For uniform soil pressure:
Example 3)
Design a strap footing to support two columns, that spaced 4.0m center to
center exterior column is 80cm x 80cm carrying 1500 KN and interior column is
80cm x 80cm carrying 2500KN

.
1- Find the resultant force location:

2- Assume the length of any foot, let we assume L1=2m.

3- Find the distance a:
 4- Find the resultant of each soil pressure:

5- Find the required area for each foot:

Example (4):
Design a rectangular combined footing, given that f’c = 3.5 ksi, fy = 50 ksi, qall = 5 ksf
with a SF = 3, Df = 5 feet, the edge of column #1 is at the property line, and the
spacing between columns is 18 feet center-to-center (c.c.).
 Solution:
Step 1: Determine the ultimate column loads and the soil stress at ultimate loads qult.

Step 2: Determine the footing dimensions L and B.

Step 3: Draw the shear (V) and moment (M) diagrams.
The column loads are treated as concentrated loads acting at the centers of the
columns.
Step 4: Design the strap.
Example (5):
Design a strap-footing for the following conditions, f’c = 3.5 ksi, fy = 60 ksi, and qa =
2.5 ksf for both the footing and the strap, with a FS=4.
The edge of column 1 is placed at the property line, and the center of the columns
are 25 feet center-to-center (c.c.).
Types of Shallow Foundations

1. Spread Footings

2. Combined Footings

3. Continuous Footing

4. Mat Foundations
Mat Foundations:
Geometric and structural design of Mat
foundation:
& Geometric design (Working loads):
Common Types of Mat Foundations.
Bearing capacity of Mat Foundations:
The net allowable bearing capacity for mats constructed over granular soil deposits
can be adequately determined from the standard penetration resistance numbers.
From Eq. (5.64), for shallow foundations

When the width B is large, the preceding equation can be approximated as

The following Assuming Fd = 1.0 , we can approximate eq 6.12 and 6.13 as

The net allowable pressure applied on a foundation

 Compensated Foundation

The net average applied pressure on soil is

For no increase in the net pressure on soil below a mat foundation, q should be
zero. Thus,

This relation for Df is usually referred to as the depth of a fully compensated

foundation.
The factor of safety against bearing capacity failure for partially compensated
foundations (Df , Q>Aγ)
For saturated clays, the factor of safety against bearing capacity failure
 Conventional Rigid Method
The conventional rigid method of mat foundation design can be explained step by
step:::
Step 1. Figure 6.10a shows mat dimensions B,L of and column loads of Q Calculate
the total column load as

Step 2. Determine the pressure on the soil, q, below the mat at points A,B,C,…..by
using the equation
The load eccentricities, ex and ey in the x and y directions can be determined by
using (x’,y’) coordinates:
Step 3. Compare the values of the soil pressures determined in Step 2 with the net
allowable soil pressure to determine whether q < qall(net)

Step 4. Divide the mat into several strips in the x and y directions. (See Figure 6.10).
Let the width of any strip be B1
Step 5. Draw the shear, V, and the moment, M, diagrams for each individual strip
(in the x and y directions). For example, the average soil pressure of the bottom
strip in the x direction of Figure 6.10a is
Now, the modified average soil reaction becomes

and the column load modification factor is

Step 6. Determine the effective depth d of the mat by checking for diagonal
tension shear near various columns.
 Example (6):
For the shown mat foundation:

* Check the adequacy of the foundation dimensions.

* Calculate the modified soil pressure under the strip ABCD which is 2m width.
* Draw SFD and BMD for the strip.
Check the adequacy of the foundation dimensions.
1- Find the center of gravity of mat footing:

The distances are taken from (x-y) axes shown in the figure.
2- Find the resultant force R:

3- Find the location of the resultant force:

4- Find the eccentricities:

5- Find M Y and M X :

6- Find the stresses:

 X,Y: Distances from the point to the center of gravity

Calculate the modified soil pressure under the strip ABCD which is 2m width.
* Locate the points E and F at the middle of strip edges.
* Find the stresses at E and F and be careful that we use ultimate loads:
* Find the average stress:
We have to make adjustment for the loads as follow:

Find the modified column loads:

Multiply each column load by 0.845

Find the modified soil pressure:

Draw SFD and BMD.

 Approximate Flexible Method
In the conventional rigid method of design, the mat is assumed to be infinitely
rigid. Also, the soil pressure is distributed in a straight line, and the centroid of
the soil pressure is coincident with the line of action of the resultant column
loads. (See Figure 6.11a.) In the approximate flexible method of design, the soil
is assumed to be equivalent to an infinite number of elastic springs, as shown in
Figure 6.11b. This assumption is sometimes referred to as the Winkler
foundation. The elastic constant of these assumed springs is referred to as the
coefficient of subgrade reaction, k.
To understand the fundamental concepts behind flexible foundation design,
consider a beam of width having infinite length, as shown in Figure 6.11c. The
beam is subjected to a single concentrated load Q. From the fundamentals of
mechanics of materials,
where and are constants and
If a foundation of width B (see Figure) is subjected to a load per unit area of q, it
will undergo a settlement ,The coefficient of subgrade modulus can be defined as
Foundations on Sandy Soils:
For foundations on sandy soils,

Foundations on Clays
For foundations on clays,

For rectangular foundations having dimensions of B,L (for similar soil and q),
For long beams,Vesic (1961) proposed an equation for estimating subgrade
reaction, namely,

For most practical purposes, Eq. (6.46) can be approximated as