CHAPTER 2

SHALLOW FOUNDATION
 INTRODUCTION
• Shallow foundation must have 2 characteristic
Safe against overall shear failure
Cannot undergo excessive displacement or
settlement
• Ultimate Bearing Capacity (load per unit area
of foundation which shear failure soil occurs)
Principles of Foundation Engineering, SI

© 2011 Cengage Learning Engineering. All

3-3
Rights Reserved.
 Bearing capacity failure
• Nature of bearing capacity failure are :

general shear failure (for stiff clay or dense sand)

local shear failure (for medium dense sand or
clayey soil)
punching shear failure(loose sand or soft clay)
 IMPORTANT NOTE
• L IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN B
• For square; B=L
• for circular; B=L=Diameter of foundation
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity

• General shear failure

qu  cN c  qN q 0.5BN  .......( strip. foundation )

qu  1.3cN c  qN q  0.4BN  ........( square. foundation )
qu  1.3cN c  qN q  0.3BN  .........(circular . foundation )
Example of Calculation
Modification of B.C Eqn for Water
Table
General Bearing Capacity Equation
Eccentrically Loaded Foundations
Ultimate B.C under Eccentric Loading
(Meyerhof’s Theory)
 Ultimate B.C under Eccentric Loading
(Prakash & Saran Theory)
Continuous foundation Rectangular foundation
Prakash & Saran
2 – Way Eccentricity
Determine L1 & L2
Determine B1 & B2
Determine B2 & L2
• Shallow foundation size 1.2 m x 1.8 m
subjected to centric load & moment. If eb =
0.12 m and el = 0.36 m.
• Which case?
Solution
Elastic Settlement (Theory of Elasticity)
 List of formula
• Refer to text book page 303 - 308
Elastic settlement of foundations on
saturated clay
Strain Influence Factor
Primary Consolidation Settlement
Relationship
3-Dimensional Effect on Primary
Consolidation Settlement
Normally consolidated clay
Overconsolidated clay
Secondary consolidation settlement
Tolerable Settlement of Buildings