Example 8-1. A strip foundation 2.0 m wide is located at a depth of 2.

0 m in a stiff clay of saturated

unit weight 21 kN/m3. The undrained shear strength is uniform with depth, with cu = 120 kPa.
Determine the undrained bearing capacity of the foundation under the following conditions:
(a) the foundation is constructed in level ground;
(b) a cutting at a gradient of 1:2 is subsequently made adjacent to the foundation, with the crest
1.5 m from the edge of the foundation.
(a)
Footing
&
Ground

Nc , sc

σq

qf
(b)
Footing
&
Ground

Nc , sc

σq

qf
Example 8-2. A footing 2.25 × 2.25 m is located at a depth of 1.5 m in a sand for which c′ = 0 and
ϕ′ = 38º. Determine the bearing resistance (a) if the water table is well below foundation level
and (b) if the water table is at the surface. The unit weight of the sand above the water table is
18 kN/m3; the saturated unit weight is 20 kN/m3.
(a)
Footing
&
Ground

Nq

Nγ

sq

sγ

qf

(b)
qf
Example 8-3. A rectangular foundation 6 × 3 m carries a uniform pressure of 300 kPa near the
surface of a soil mass. Determine the vertical stress at a depth of 3 m below a point (A) on the
centre line 1.5 m outside a long edge of the foundation.

Footing

(1) Iqr

(2) Iqr

Δσz
Example 8-4. A foundation 4 × 2 m, carrying a uniform pressure of 150 kPa, is located at a depth
of 1 m in a layer of clay 5 m thick for which the value of Eu is 40 MPa. This layer is underlain
by a second clay layer 8 m thick for which the value of Eu is 75 MPa. A hard stratum lies
below the second layer. Determine the average immediate settlement si under the foundation.

Footing
&
Ground

si1

si2

si3

si
Example 8-5. A footing 6 m square, carrying a net pressure of 160 kPa, is located at a depth of 2
m in a deposit of stiff clay 17 m thick: a firm stratum lies immediately below the clay. From
oedometer tests on specimens of the clay the value of mv was found to be 0.13 m2/MN, and
from triaxial tests the value of A was found to be 0.35. The undrained Young’s modulus for
the clay is estimated to be 55 MPa. Determine the total settlement under the centre of the
footing.
Footing
&
Ground

si

se

&

sc
 Layer z (m) m, n Iqr Δσ΄ (kPa) soed (mm)

Sum=

st
Example 8-6. A footing 2.5 × 2.5 m supports a net foundation pressure of 150 kPa at a depth of
1.0 m in a deep deposit of normally consolidated fine sand of unit weight 17 kN/m3. The
variation of cone penetration resistance with depth is given in Figure 8.33. Estimate the
settlement of the footing.

Footing
&
Ground

Izp
s

Layer Δz qc E Iz Iz Δz/E
(m) (MPa) (MPa) (m3/MN)
1

Sum=
Example 8-7. A foundation 2.0 × 2.0 m is located at a depth of 1.5 m in a layered clay of saturated
unit weight 21 kN/m3. The characteristic undrained shear strength is 160 kPa in the upper
layer 2.5 m thick, and 80 kPa below. The foundation supports existing dead load of 1000 kN,
and is subject to a variable load of 500 kN. Additional floors are to be added to the supported
structure which will increase the dead load acting on the foundation. Determine the maximum
allowable additional dead load which can be supported by the foundation under undrained
conditions if it is to satisfy EC7 at ULS.
Footing
&
Ground

ΣQ

DA1a
 DA1b

DA2

DA3

Qadditional
Example 8-8. A concrete strip footing 0.7 m thick is to be designed to support a dead load of 500
kN/m and an imposed load of 300 kN/m at a depth of 0.7 m in a gravelly sand. Characteristic
values of the shear strength parameters are c′ = 0 and ϕ′ = 40º. Determine the required width
of the footing to satisfy EC7 at the ULS, assuming that the water table may rise to foundation
level. The unit weight of the sand above the water table is 17 kN/m3, and below the water
table the saturated unit weight is 20 kN/m3. The bulk unit weight of the concrete is 24 kN/m3.
Footing
&
Ground

ΣQ

DA1a
DA1b

DA2

DA3

Bmin
Example 8-9. A square footing carrying an applied bearing pressure of 250 kPa is to be located at
a depth of 1.5 m in a sand deposit, the water table being 3.5 m below the surface. Values of
standard penetration resistance were determined as detailed in Table 8.14. Determine the
minimum width of the foundation if the settlement is to be limited to 25 mm.

Footing
&
Ground

Trial & error

Iteration B (m) ZI (m) Ic B (m)