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SHALLOW
FOUNDATIONS
Chapter 4

Bearing Capacity Theory

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Objectives
• Familiarize with the different modes of failure of shallow
foundations.

• Understand the importance of Bearing Capacity Equations

in determining the safe design of Shallow Foundations.

• Apply Bearing Capacity Equations in different groundwater

situations.

• Apply Bearing Capacity Equations in eccentrically loaded

shallow foundations.
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Design Requirements
• a) safety
• b) economy
• c) constructability

Consider Safety
• a) capacity ( soil shear failure)
• b) settlement (allowable)
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• SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
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Basic Key Terminologies

• Gross Pressure, qg
• = Load + Self weight of the foundation + soil weight

• Net Pressure, qn
• qn = qg – (ƔDf)

• Ultimate Bearing Capacity, qu

• Load bearing capacity before failure

• Net Ultimate Bearing Capacity, qnu

• Qnu = qu - (ƔDf)

• Net Safe Bearing Capacity, q(ns)

• Qns = qnu/F ; F = 2.5 or 3
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What can you observe with the following Bearing Capacity failures due to shear?
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Shallow Foundation in Dense Sand:

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Shallow Foundation in Loose Sand:

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Bearing Capacity Failure

• a) General Shear Failure
Most common type of shear
failure; occurs in strong
soils and rocks

• b) Local Shear Failure

Intermediate between
general and punching shear
failure

• c) Punching Shear Failure

Occurs in very loose sands
weak clays
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Soil Conditions and Bearing


Capacity Failure
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Development of Bearing Capacity Theory

• Application of limit equilibrium methods first done by

Prandtl on the punching of thick masses of metal.

• Prandtl's methods adapted by Terzaghi to bearing capacity

failure of shallow foundations.

• Vesicʼ and others improved on Terzaghi's original

theory and added other factors for a more complete
analysis
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Assumptions for Terzaghi's Method

• Depth of foundation is less than or equal to its

width
• No sliding occurs between foundation and soil
(rough foundation)
• Soil beneath foundation is homogeneous semi
infinite mass
• Mohr-Coulomb model for soil
• General shear failure mode is the governing
mode (but not the only mode)
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Assumptions for Terzaghi's Method

• No soil consolidation occurs

• Foundation is very rigid relative to the soil
• Soil above bottom of foundation has no shear
strength; is only a surcharge load against the
overturning load
• Applied load is compressive and applied vertically
to the centroid of the foundation
• No applied moments present
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Failure Geometry for Terzaghi's Method

Three Zones: Elastic Zone (ACD), Prandtl Zone (ADF & CDE)
& Passive Zone (AFH & CDE)
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Failure Geometry for Terzaghi's Method

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Failure Geometry for Terzaghi's Method

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Failure Geometry for Terzaghi's Method

qu = CNc + qNq + ½ Ɣ BNƔ

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Ultimate Bearing Capacity

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Ultimate Bearing Capacity

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The General Bearing Capacity Equation

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Bearing Capacity Factor

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Shape, Depth and Inclination Factors

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Groundwater Effects
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Groundwater Effects

Shallow groundwater affects shear strength in two ways:

• Reduces apparent cohesion that takes place when soils

are not saturated; may necessitate reducing the
cohesion measured in the laboratory

• Pore water pressure increases; reduces both effective

stress and shear strength in the soil (same problem as is
experienced with unsupported slopes)
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If the water is located above the foundation:

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If the water is located below the foundation:

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Summary for the Ground Water Table Effects

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Factor of Safety
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Eccentrically Loaded Foundations

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Non-Eccentrically Loaded Foundations

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Eccentrically Loaded Foundations

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Going Back at Strength of Materials:

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Eccentrically Loaded Foundations

There are instances in which foundations are subjected to
moments in addition to the vertical load. In such cases the
distribution of pressure by the foundation on the soil is not
uniform.
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Effective Area Method

STEP 1

If e > B/6
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Effective Area Method

STEP 2
Effective dimension of the foundation
B’ = effective width = B – 2e
L’ = effective length = L

STEP 3
Ultimate bearing capacity

Refer to the book for the use of Table 16.3

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Effective Area Method

STEP 4
Total ultimate load (A’ = effective area)

STEP 5
Factor of safety against bearing capacity failure
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Important Reminders:

1. The soil above the bottom of the foundation are used only to calculate
the term q in the second term of the Bearing Capacity Equations of
Meyerhof and Terzaghi. Other factors are calculated for the
underlying soil.

2. Effective stresses will always govern.

3. If the cohesion or c = 0 then cohesion factors of Terzaghi and

Meyerhoff are already zero.

4. If the angle of friction is zero then the friction factors for the Bearing
Capacity Equation will be zero.
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Important Reminders:

5. If the eccentric load applied on the foundation is inclined at an angle

then the Inclination factor, FƔi will be zero in the last term of Meyerhof’s
BC equation.

6. Terzaghi’s equation is valid for square, strip or circular footings while

Meyerhof’s equation is also valid for rectangular footings.

7. Unless otherwise specified, local shear failure suggests that the

cohesion “c = 2/3 c” and the fictional component "tan ɸ = 2/3 tan ɸ”
would be
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Sample Problem 1
• A footing 6m square carries a total load, including
its own weight of 10,000 kN. The base of the
footing is at a depth of 3m below the ground
surface. The soil strata at the site consists of a
layer of stiff saturated clay 27.5m thick overlying
dense sand. The average bulk density of the clay
is 1,920 kg/m3 and its average shear strength
determined from undrained triaxial test is 130 kN/
m2 and Φ=0ᵒ. Use the Terzaghi’s Equation for
Square Footings.
• A. Determine the gross foundation in kPa
• B. Determine the net foundation pressure
• C. Calculate the factor of safety of the foundation
against complete shear failure under the
undrained condition (both gross and net).
Cohesion is neglected.
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Sample Problem 1
• A. Gross Foundation
• qs = 10,000/ (6)(6)
• = 277.8 kPa

• B. Net Foundation, qu =qg – γDf

• γ = pg =1920(9.81)
• = 18,835.2 N/m3
• qu =277.8 –(18.835 x 3)
• = 221.3 kPa

• C. qu = 1.3 (130) (5.7) + 1 (18.835) (3) + 0.4 (18.835) (6) (0)

• = 1,019.8 kPa
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Sample Problem 1
• C. Gross Factor of Safety
• FS = qu/qg
• = 1019.8/277.8 =3.67
• Net Factor of Safety
• FSnet = qunet/qnet
• qunet = qu – γDf
• = 1019.8 – 18.835(3)
• = 963.295 kPa
• FSnet = 4.35
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Sample Problem 2
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We then will check the value of

max, by validating the case of e:
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And then we will finally get the

solution for the ultimate pressure, qu:
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Homework No.1
• A continuous footing is shown. Use the Terzaghi’s
Bearing Capacity Equation.
• γ= 115 pcf c = 500 psf Φ=25ᵒ
• Df = 2ft B=2.5ft FS =2
• A. Determine the gross allowable load per unit
area that the footing can carry, in psf.
• B. Determine the net allowable bearing capacity
with a factor of safety of 2, in psf.
• C. Determine the developed cohesion and angle
of friction if the factor of safety is 2 with respect to
shear failure.
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Homework No. 2
For the rectangular foundation (2m x 3m):
A. Compute the Net allowable bearing capacity (FS =3)
B. If the water is lowered by 2m, what will be the new bearing capacity?
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Use the following factors to solve the problem:

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Use the following factors to solve the problem:

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Other sample problems:

• A footing 1m square carries a total load
including its own weight of 59,130kg. The base
of the footing is at a depth of 1m below the
ground surface. The soil strata at the site
consist of a layer of stiff saturated clay 27.5m
thick overlying dense sand. The average
density of clay is 1846 kg/m3.
• Use Terzaghi’s ultimate bearing capacity for
square footings.
• A. Determine the gross foundation pressure.
• B. Determine the overburden pressure.
• C. Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of
the soil.
• D. Assuming local shear, determine the
ultimate bearing capacity of the soil.
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Other sample problems:

• A soil has the following properties:
• Unit Weight, γ = 19.2 kN/m3
• Cohesion, c= 50 kPa
• Angle of Friction = 10⁰
• Assume local shear failure

• A. Calculate the net bearing capacity for a strip footing of width

1.25m at a depth of 4.5m.
• Use qu = cNc + γ Df Nq + 0.5 γ B Nγ
• B. Considering shear failure only, calculate the safe bearing
pressure on a footing 6m long by 1.25m wide, using a load factor of
2.5
• Use qu = cNc[1+ 0.3(B/L)] + γDf Nq + 0.5 Nγ [1-0.2(B/L)]
• qs = qunet/FS + γDf
• C. What is the safe total load of the footing?
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Other sample problems:

• A circular footing 2.5m in diameter is shown.
• Assume general shear failure and use FS =3.
• Determine:
• A. The Gross Allowable Bearing Capacity
• B. The Net Allowable Bearing Capacity
• C. The safe load that the footing can carry.