Lecture 12

Bearing Capacity of Shallow

Foundation using Field tests

USAMA KHALID
PH.D. IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
SPECIALIZED IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
usama.khalid@cuisahiwal.edu.pk
Bearing capacity Calculation using Field tests

Different field tests are available to explore and determine the strength of
different soils in field. Here, we will discuss the three field tests and their
applications to calculate the bearing capacity of foundation.

1.Standard Penetration test (SPT)

2.Plate load test

3.Cone Penetration test (CPT)

 1. Standard Penetration test (SPT)
• The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is widely used to determine the in-situ
properties of soil.
• The test is especially suited for cohesionless soils as the correlation
between the SPT value and φ is now well established.
• In Pakistan, this test is widely used for all types of soil.
• The test was introduced by the Raymond Pile Company in 1902 and remains
today as the most common in-situ test worldwide.
• The procedures for the SPT are detailed in ASTM D 1586 and AASHTO T-206.
Procedure and Apparatus
• The test consists of driving a split spoon sampler (Figure 1.1) into the soil
through a borehole of 55 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inch) in diameter at the desired
depth.
• It is done by a hammer weighing
63.5 kg (140 lb) dropping onto a
drill rod from a height of 750 mm
(30 inch).
• The number of blows (N-value)
required to produce a
penetration of 300 mm (12
inches) is regarded as the
penetration resistance.
• To avoid errors in reading, the
blows for the first 150 mm (6
inches) of penetration are not
taken into account.
• Those required to increase the
penetration from 150 mm to 450
mm constitute the N-value. The
operation of SPT is shown in
• It is important to point out that several factors contribute to the variation of
the standard penetration number (N) at a given depth for similar soil profiles
• Among these, factors are the SPT hammer efficiency, borehole diameter,
sampling method, rod length, water table and overburden pressure
important.
• The most two common types of SPT hammers used in the field are the
safety hammer and donut hammer.
• They are usually dropped using a rope with two wraps
around a pulley.
• Usually SPT is conducted at every 1.5 m or 2 m depth
or at the change of stratum.
• In hard formations, the testing is discontinued if N
value is found to be over 100 and it is termed refusal.

Termination of SPT

The test can be terminated if the following three conditions appear in the
field.

•A total of 50 blows have been applied during any one of the three 6-in. (150
mm) increments.
•A total of 100 blows have been applied.
•There is no observed advance of the sampler during the application of 10
Corrections of Standard
Penetration Test (SPT)
The use of SPT correction factor is
often confusing.
•Corrections for field procedures
(Energy Correction) are always
appropriate
•But the overburden pressure
correction may or may not be
appropriate depending on the type of
soil. For cohesive soil there is no
need for overburden pressure
correction (Peck et al.,1974). For
Cohesionless soil at first overburden
pressure correction is made.
•Then if it is fine sand or silt under
water table with N value >15,
dilatancy correction is made. For
coarse sand, dilatancy correction is
not required.
1- Correction on SPT N-value for field procedures
• The filed SPT N-value is a function of the input driving energy.
• The variations in testing procedures may be at least partially compensate
by converting the measured N to N6 0(Ske m pton ,19 86).
• The SPT hammer has about 60% efficiency in field, its energy dissipates
around the sampler and around the surrounding soil.
• This correction is to be done irrespective of the type of soil.
2- Correction on SPT N-value for Overburden Pressure
• In cohesionless soils, the overburden pressure affects the penetration
resistance.
• For SPT made at shallow levels, the values are usually too low. At a greater
depth, the same soil at the same density index would give higher
penetration resistance.
• Peck et al. (1974)
• So, overburden pressure correction is applicable only for cohesionless soils.
proposed the
Overburden pressure
correction for N6
0-valu e
of co
hesionless soils.
• Overburden correction
of N6
0denote da (
sN1 )
60
• The moist unit weight
of soil to calculate
overburden pressure
3- Correction on SPT N-value for water table
• In addition to corrections of overburden, investigators suggested
corrections of SPT-value for water table in the case of fine sand or silt
below water table.
• Apparently, high N-values may be observed especially when observed value
is higher than 15 due to dilatancy effect
• The pore pressure affects the resistance of the soil and hence the N value.
In such cases, following correction is recommended (Terzaghi and Peck,
1948).
• In applying this correction, overburden correction is applied first and then
this dilatancy correction is used.
• This correction is applicable, when(N1 )
60>15.
• After this correction,(N1
)
6
0i
s
de
no
t
e
d(
N
a
s)
1
6
0
(
C/
O
R
R
)(
N
1)
6
0
(
c
).
Bearing Capacity Calculation using Corrected N-value
Determination of Design N-value
• Due to uncertainty in field procedure of SPT, all the N-values in influence
zone of a foundation are considered to calculate the bearing capacity.
• According to Scmertmann, the influence zone of square footing (L/B=1) is
2B and influence zone of strip footing (L/B>10) is 4B.
• ND
e
s
i
g
ni
sg
i
v
en
by
E
q
u
at
i
o
n.
Note: If consider the
zone of influence up
to 2B, then the
ND es
ig
n = 8.
6 = 9
(Pleas e calculate it
)
Allowable Bearing Capacity Calculation usingNC
Cohesionless Soils
• It is difficult to collect undisturbed sample in cohesionless soil, hence
extensive research have been made to find out the allowable bearing
capacity of shallow foundation in cohesionless soil from SPT N-value.
• Bowles (1997) method is modified for energy correction including
overburden pressure correction and water table correction if applicable.

Note: For shallow

foundations, the
tolerable (permissible)
settlements is usually
25.4 mm (1 inch).
Allowable Bearing Capacity Calculation usingNC
Cohesionless Soils

Note: i- In Bowles methos, N=(N1)60

(c
)=N c
For shallow foundations, the tolerable (permissible) settlements is usually 25.4 mm (1 inch).
Allowable Bearing Capacity Calculation usingNC
Cohesive Soils
• Skempton (1951) proposed equations for bearing capacity of footings
founded on purely cohesive soils based on extensive investigations which
can be modified to establish a relationship among net allowable bearing
capacity, SPT N-value and bearing capacity factor Nc
. Accord i
ng to hi
m the
b eari
ng c apac i
ty fac tor
N cisa func ti
on ofth e d
epthof found at
io nand also
o fi
tss ha pe.
The equation for net ultimate bearing capacity, qn
e
t
-
ulti
sa sfoll
o ws:
(2.7)

(1.6)
Allowable Bearing Capacity Calculation usingNC
Cohesive Soils
 Practice Numerical:
For SPT borehole log shown, Calculate
the allowable net bearing capacity for
FOS: 3 against shear using and a
maximum settlement is nor more than
25.4 mm. Footing size is 4.5mx4.5m.
Depth of footing is 2 m. Standard
sampler was used in borehole with
diameter of 100mm, and donut type
hammer was used.
Hints: 1-Influence zone is 2B.
2-From borehole log, soil is silty clay with
sand, and depth of GWT is only 0.3m.
3-Apply all N-Value corrections up to 2B and
determine the (N1
)
.
6
0

4- After that, Calculate the Nd

e
s
i
g
n.