FOUNDATION

Introduction to Foundation Engineering

Bearing Capacity of Foundation
FOUNDATION
 To transfer the load of the structure to the soil

 Considerations:
 Settlement of the structure
 Shear failure of the soil under the foundation
Types of Foundation
 SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
 Depth of embedment-to-width ratio of approximately less
than four (4)

 SPREAD FOOTING
 Enlargement of a load-bearing wall or column to spread the
load of the structure over a larger area

 MAT FOUNDATION
 Concrete pad where the entire structure is supported
Spread Footing
Spread Footing
Mat Foundations
Types of Foundation
 DEEP FOUNDATION
 depth of embedment-to-width ratio of foundation greater
than four

 PILE FOUNDATION
 FRICTION PILES – shear resistance along the surface of the pile
 END BEARING PILES – lad is transmitted at the tip to a firm
stratum of soil

 DRILLED SHAFT FOUNDATION

 Shaft drilled in the subsoil is then filled with concrete
Pile Foundation
Drilled Shaft Foundation
SOIL BEARING CAPACITY FOR SHALLOW
FOUNDATIONS

Terzaghi’s Ultimate Bearing Capacity Equation

Effect of Groundwater Table
Allowable Bearing Capacity
General Bearing Capacity Equation
Foundation with Moment Loads
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes
Plate Load Test
Ultimate Bearing Capacity
 Two Modes of Bearing Capacity Failure

General Shear Failure

Dense Sand

Local Shear Failure

Loose to Medium
Dense Sand

Zone II - radial shear zone (logarithmic spirals)

Zone III – linear shear zone (planar surfaces)
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Analysis

Shallow foundation criterion:

depth Df ≤ width B

Weight of the soil above the base of the

footing may be replaced by an
equivalent surcharge, q = γ Df

Failure mechanism: general shear

failure, with AJ and BJ making an angle
of φ with respect to the horizontal

Rupture lines: JD and JE are arcs of

logarithmic spiral

Passive force: inclined at an angle δ

(angle of wall friction) with respect to the
perpendicular drawn to the wedge faces
and , but δ = φ
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Analysis

By equilibrium:
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Analysis

 PASSIVE FORCE, Pp
 Sum of the contribution of the weight of soil (γ), cohesion
(c), and surcharge (q) such that:
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Analysis

Substituting:
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Analysis

 Approximating the value of ultimate bearing

capacity equation:
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation

 By superposition:

Where:

Nc
Nq bearing capacity factors
Nγ
Terzaghi’s Ultimate Bearing Capacity Equations
Terzaghi’s Ultimate Bearing Capacity Equations
Effect of Groundwater Table
Effect of Groundwater Table
Effect of Groundwater Table
Factor of Safety
 GROSS ALLOWABLE BEARING CAPACITY
Factor of Safety
 NET ALLOWABLE BEARING CAPACITY
Factor of Safety
 GROSS ALLOWABLE BEARING CAPACITY WITH A
FACTOR OF SAFETY WITH RESPECT TO SHEAR
FAILURE
PROBLEM

Ans.
1. 225.220 kPa for FS =3
168.915 kPa for FS = 4
2. 166.215 kPa
3. 60.872 kPa
PROBLEM

Ans.
1. 149.032 kPa
2. 141.970 kPa
3. 93.204 kPa
PROBLEM
A circular footing having a diameter of 2.5m is supported by a
soil with the following properties:

Φ = 27° γ = 20.4 kN/m3

c = 38.4 kPa γsat = 22.3 kN/m3

The bottom of the footing is 2m below the ground surface.

GWT is located 2m below the ground surface. Using
Terzaghi’s equation, determine the gross allowable bearing
capacity, net allowable bearing capacity and gross allowable
bearing capacity with factor of safety with respect to shear
failure . Assume local shear failure. Use γw = 9.81 kN/m3.
PROBLEM
A square footing having a width of 5m is supported by a
soil with the ff. properties:

Φ = 32° γ = 17.5 kN/m3

c = 30 kPa

The bottom of the footing is 3.2m below the ground

surface. Using Terzaghi’s equation, determine the
footing’s gross allowable bearing capacity with a factor
of safety of 4 with respect to shear failure.
General Bearing Capacity Equation

Where:

and

and

and
General Bearing Capacity Equation
General Bearing Capacity Equation

For values of q and γ, consider the effect of

groundwater table.
PROBLEM
Footing with Eccentric or Moment Loads

 Effective footing
dimensions:

 Effective Area:
Footing with Eccentric or Moment Loads

 Use effective width in computing the allowable

bearing capacity

 Example, using the general bearing capacity equation:

Footing with Eccentric or Moment Loads

 Design the footing so that the equivalent net

bearing pressure does not exceed the allowable
bearing capacity
PROBLEM
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes

 Cohesionless soils
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes

 Cohesive soils
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on Slopes
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Plate Load Test
 ASTM D-1194
Plate Load Test
Plate Load Test

ULTIMATE BEARING CAPACITY

Plate Load Test

SETTLEMENT
Plate Load Test

BEARING CAPACITY FOR

COHESIVE SOIL (HOUSEL)
PROBLEM
PROBLEM