CE 441 FOUNDATION ENGINEERING – 2021 FALL

HOMEWORK 1
Due date: 9 November 2021, Tuesday (Late homeworks will not be accepted!)
Homeworks have to be uploaded to the “Homework” folder in YUlearn sysytem

1. SPT test was performed in a 300 mm diameter boring at a depth of 5 m below the ground
surface. The driller used a Columbian-style donut-shaped Cathead hammer and a standard
SPT sampler. The actual blow count (N) was 33. The soil is a clayey sand that has OCR of 3,
a dry unit weight of 17 kN/m3 and a saturated unit weight of 18.5 kN/m3. D50 of the soil is 0.15
mm. The groundwater table is at a depth of 3.5 m. Take unit weight of water as 10 kN/m3.
Take age of the soil (t) as 950 years. Calculate: (1pts)

N60
(N1)60
Dr (relative density)
Consistency (denseness)
Ø (internal friction angle)

2. A square column foundation has to carry an allowable load of 250 kN. The depth of the
foundation is 0.7 m. The load inclined at an angle of 20◦ to the vertical as shown in the figure
below. Determine the width of the foundation (B). Use Vesic method and take FS as 3. (2pts)

c = 8 kN/m2
3. Make a layered soil bearing capacity analysis for the given square foundation below. The
failure surface passes through 1.3 m below the bottom clay layer. The allowable factor of
safety for bearing capacity is 2.5. Calculate the factor of safety of the system and comment on
the design whether it is safe or not against a bearing capacity failure (1pts)

1.3m

4. A bearing wall carries a total load of 220 kN/m. It is to be supported on a 400 mm continuous
footing. The underlying soil parameters are given below. For a factor of safety of 2 against
bearing capacity failure, calculate the width (B) of the foundation. Take Ɣconcrete as 24 kN/m3
and Ɣwater as 9.8 kN/m3 (1pts)