Bearing Capacity of Strip Footings on Jointed Rock Masses

Widjojo A. Prakoso, A.M.ASCE,1 and Fred H. Kulhawy, F.ASCE2

Abstract: Bearing capacity solutions are presented for strip footings on jointed rock masses with one and two sets of discontinuities. The
solutions employ a lower bound bearing capacity model coupled with a simple discontinuity strength model. The strength of the rock
material and the discontinuities, and the number and orientation of the discontinuity sets, are evaluated explicitly. The results are presented
as bearing capacity factor charts that illustrate the significant effects of the strength and discontinuity geometric parameters. The trends of
the results agree well with those obtained from other models. The solution is straightforward, and it can be implemented manually or in
any spreadsheet program.
DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:12(1347)
CE Database subject headings: Rock foundations; Footings; Bearing capacity; Rock masses.

Introduction ␶r = cr + ␴ tan ␾r 共2兲

The bearing capacity of a footing on a rock mass is dependent on
the strength of the rock material and the discontinuities and on the
number and orientation of the discontinuities. Any theoretical so-
lution for the capacity requires idealization of these four compo-
nents. In this paper, a well-known, simple, lower bound bearing
capacity model, generally known as the Bell model (Bell 1915),
coupled with a simple discontinuity strength model, is proposed
for strip footings. The above four components are considered ex-
plicitly, and a step-by-step calculation procedure is presented. It is
inherently assumed in this model that the discontinuities are ubiq-
uitous, and therefore the discontinuity spacing is not considered
explicitly in the model.
where ␾r = rock material friction angle. The shear strength of the
discontinuities is given by
␶ j = c j + ␴ tan ␾ j 共3兲
where c j and ␾ j = discontinuity cohesion and friction angle, re-
spectively. The failure is assumed to occur along the discontinuity
that has an orientation angle of ␪ to the horizontal plane (see Fig.
1). Note that no tension is allowed in the discontinuity.
The Bell model for a rock mass with one discontinuity set is
shown schematically in Fig. 2. The bearing capacity is calculated
using the following procedure.
1. Calculate the strength of Zone I.
• Calculate the strength of rock material with ␴3 = 0

Lower Bound Bearing Capacity Model ␴1r = 2cr tan共45° + ␾r/2兲 共4兲
The bearing capacity of strip footings can be given simply by • Calculate the strength of discontinuity. To satisfy the no ten-
sion requirement, for ␾ j 艌 共90° −␪兲, use Eq. (4) (failure actu-
qult = crNcs 共1兲 ally occurs in rock material) and, for ␾ j ⬍ 共90°− ␪兲 ⬍ 90°, use
the following:
where cr = rock material cohesion; and Ncs = bearing capacity fac-
tor. The effect of rock mass weight is considered to be insignifi- 2c j
cant relative to cr, and therefore it is neglected. The effect of ␴1j = 共5兲
关1 − tan ␾ j/tan共90° − ␪兲兴sin关2共90° − ␪兲兴
embedment is not considered herein. The strength of both the
rock material and the discontinuities is assumed to follow the Repeat the calculation for N number of discontinuities.
Mohr–Coulomb criteria. For an applied stress of ␴, the shear • Calculate the strength of Zone I
strength of the rock material is given by
␴1-I = min共␴1r,␴1j1,␴1j2, . . . ,␴1jN兲 共6兲
1
Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Indonesia, Depok
16424, Indonesia. E-mail: wprakoso@eng.ui.ac.id
2. Calculate the strength of Zone II.
2
Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hollister • Establish the confining stress
Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853-3501 (corresponding author).
E-mail: fhk1@cornell.edu ␴3-II = ␴1-I 共7兲
Note. Discussion open until May 1, 2005. Separate discussions must
be submitted for individual papers. To extend the closing date by one • Calculate the strength of rock material
month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Managing Editor.
The manuscript for this technical note was submitted for review and ␴1r = ␴3-II tan2共45° + ␾r/2兲 + 2cr tan共45° + ␾r/2兲 共8兲
possible publication on November 5, 2002; approved on March 26, 2004.
This technical note is part of the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvi- • Calculate the strength of discontinuity. To satisfy the no ten-
ronmental Engineering, Vol. 130, No. 12, December 1, 2004. ©ASCE, sion requirement, for ␾ j 艌 ␪, use Eq. (8) (failure actually oc-
ISSN 1090-0241/2004/12-1347–1349/$18.00. curs in rock material) and, for ␾ j ⬍ ␪ ⬍ 90°, use the following:

JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING © ASCE / DECEMBER 2004 / 1347

 Fig. 1. State of stress at failure for discontinuities

2c j + 2␴3-II tan ␾ j
␴1j = ␴3-II + 共9兲
共1 − tan ␾ j/tan ␪兲sin 2␪
Repeat the calculation for N number of discontinuities.
• Calculate the strength of Zone II (and bearing capacity)
qult = ␴1-II = min共␴1r,␴1j1,␴1j2, . . . ,␴1jN兲 共10兲
Fig. 3. Lower bound versus other model bearing capacity factors
This procedure is simple enough to be performed manually or in
any spreadsheet program. Theoretically, there is no limitation of
the number of discontinuities evaluated simultaneously. Practi-
cally, however, results of models with two sets of discontinuities
having less than 5° difference in orientation angle are very close
to those of models with only one of set of discontinuities. It is
noted that a more detailed derivation of the Bell model for general
conditions can be found, for example, in Sowers (1979).
The results of the proposed model, in terms of Ncs, can be
compared with those of other models. Using plasticity and finite
element models, Davis (1980), Booker (1991), Alehossein et al.
(1992), and Yu and Sloan (1994) proposed solutions for strip
footings on a rock mass with one to three sets of discontinuities.
Fig. 3 shows the discontinuities and Ncs for rock masses with one
to two discontinuity sets (␾r = ␾ j = 35° and c j / cr = 0.1). Ncs based
on the proposed model is lower than that based on the other
models, but the trend is very similar.

Bearing Capacity Factor for Strip Footings

Fig. 4. Lower bound bearing capacity of strip footings on jointed
The lower bound bearing capacity factor 共Ncs兲 for strip footings rock masses (one discontinuity set)
on rock masses with a single discontinuity set is given in Figs.
4–6. The uniaxial compressive strength 共qu兲 of the rock material,

Fig. 2. Lower bound capacity model for rock mass with one Fig. 5. Effect of discontinuity cohesion on lower bound bearing
discontinuity set capacity

1348 / JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING © ASCE / DECEMBER 2004


Fig. 6. Effect of discontinuity friction angle on lower bound bearing
capacity
normalized by cr, is also given. In all figures, Ncs is related di-
rectly to the discontinuity orientation angle 共␪1兲. The effect of
friction angle variation 共␾r = ␾ j兲 on Ncs is shown in Fig. 4. As ␾r
increases, the maximum and minimum Ncs increase, the ␪1 value
for the minimum Ncs decreases, and the ratio of maximum to
minimum Ncs increases slightly. Also, the range of ␪1 affecting Ncs
decreases, and the shape of the line of Ncs changes, with increas-
ing ␪r.
The effect of discontinuity cohesion, given in terms of c j / cr, is
shown in Fig. 5. As c j / cr increases, the minimum Ncs increases,
and the range of ␪1 affecting Ncs decreases. The effect of discon-
tinuity friction angle 共␾r 艌 ␾ j兲 is shown in Fig. 6. As ␾ j increases,
the minimum Ncs increases, and the ␪1 value for the minimum Ncs
changes. Also, the range of ␪1 affecting Ncs decreases, and the
shape of the line of Ncs changes significantly, with increasing ␾ j.
Ncs for rock masses with two discontinuity sets is given in Fig.
7. As shown, Ncs is influenced significantly by ␪1 and the angle
between the discontinuity sets 共⌬␪兲. The minimum Ncs and the ␪1
value for this minimum are different for different ⌬␪ values. Also,
the range of ␪1 affecting Ncs varies, and the shape of the line of
Fig. 7. Lower bound bearing capacity of strip footings on jointed
rock masses (two discontinuity sets)
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Ncs changes significantly, with different ⌬␪ values. The results for
both one and two discontinuity sets suggest that the strength of
both the rock material and the discontinuities, and the number and
orientation of the discontinuity sets, all have significant effects on
Ncs.
Summary
A lower bound bearing capacity model, coupled with a simple
discontinuity strength model, is proposed for strip footings on
jointed rock masses. The strength of both the rock material and
the discontinuities, and the number and orientation of the discon-
tinuity sets, were considered explicitly. The presented step-by-
step calculation procedure is simple, and it can be performed
manually or be implemented in any spreadsheet program. The
general trend of the results obtained from the proposed model
agrees well with that obtained from other models. Using the pro-
posed model, several bearing capacity factor charts were devel-
oped and presented. The effects of the strength and discontinuity
geometric parameters were found to be significant.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this technical note:
N ⫽ number of discontinuity sets;
Ncs ⫽ bearing capacity factor;
c j ⫽ discontinuity cohesion;
cr ⫽ rock material cohesion;
qu ⫽ uniaxial compressive strength of rock material;
qult ⫽ bearing capacity;
⌬␪ ⫽ difference in discontinuity angle;
␪i ⫽ orientation angle of discontinuity i to horizontal
plane;
␴1,3 ⫽ principal stresses;
␾ j ⫽ discontinuity friction angle; and
␾r ⫽ rock material friction angle.
References
Alehossein, H., Carter, J. P., and Booker, J. R. (1992). “Finite element
analysis of rigid footings on jointed rock.” Proc., 3rd Int. Conf. on
Comp. Plasticity, Vol. 1, 935–945.
Bell, A. L. (1915). “Lateral pressure and resistance of clay, and the sup-
porting power of clay foundations.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., Struct.
Build., 199, 233–336.
Booker, J. R. (1991). “Analytical methods in geomechanics.” Proc., 7th
Int. Conf. on Comp. Methods and Advances in Geomech., Balkema,
Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Vol. 1, 3–14.
Davis, E. H. (1980). “A note on some plasticity solutions relevant to the
bearing capacity of rock and fissured clay.” Proc., Int. Conf. Struct.
Found. on Rock, Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Vol. 2, 80–
93.
Sowers, G. F. (1979). Introduction to geotechnical engineering, 4th Ed.,
Macmillan, New York.
Yu, H. S., and Sloan, S. W. (1994). “Bearing capacity of jointed rock.”
Proc., 8th Int. Conf. on Comp. Methods and Advances in Geomech.,
Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Vol. 3, 2403–2408.