MIDTERM EXAM

CIVE 470 Foundation Engineering

Instructor: Dr. Tadahiro Kishida

Department of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering

Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi

Date: 24/10/2022

Name____________________________________________

Student ID________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. You have 75 minutes to complete the exam.

2. The exam is worth a total of 100 points.
3. Allocate your time wisely. Use the number of points assigned to each problem as your
guide.
4. Please put your name on your answer sheet and hand it in with your exam.
Problem 1 (7 points)
A shallow foundation is to be constructed in sand. D1 = 1 m, Df = 3.0 m,  = 18 kN/m3, sat = 20
kN/m3, ’ = 30°. Calculate the surcharge (q) for the bearing capacity analysis.

Solution
q = D1 + (Df-D1)(sat – w)= (1)(18) + (3 – 1)(20-9.81) = 38.4 kPa

Problem 2 (7 points)
A shallow foundation is to be constructed in the below figure. The foundation size is 3 m x 3 m.
If the water table exists at Case 2, calculate the unit weight () in the last term of the bearing
capacity equation.  = 18 kN/m3 above the water table, where sat = 20 kN/m3.

Solution
' = 20 – 9.81 = 10.19 kN/m3.
_ = ’ - (’ - )(Dw2/B) = 10.19 – (10.19 – 18)(1.25/3) = 13.44 kN/m3.

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Problem 3 (6 points)
A mat foundation will be constructed with B = 70 m and L = 100 m. The structure exerts a uniform
pressure of 200 kN/m2. Calculate the effective vertical stress at 50-m depth before the construction
of structure.

Solution
’v = (17)(30) + (19)(20) – (9.81)(50) = 399.5 kPa

Problem 4 (6 points)
A mat foundation will be constructed with B = 70 m and L = 100 m. The structure exerts a uniform
pressure of 200 kN/m2. Calculate the vertical stress increase at the depth of 50 m beneath the center
of foundation. Use 2:1 Method.

Solution
v = qBL/[(B+z)(L+z)] = (200)(70)(100)/((70+50)(100+50)) = 77.8 kPa

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Problem 5 (6 points)
A shallow foundation is subjected to the column load (Q) and moment (M). The foundation size
is B = 2.0 m, L = 2.0 m. Q = 1000 kN, M = 210 kN-m. Calculate the eccentricity (e) of the applied
load.

Solution
e = M/Q = 210/1000 = 0.21 m

Problem 6 (6 points)
A shallow foundation is subjected to the column load (Q) and moment (M). The foundation size
is B = 1.5 m, L = 2.5 m. Q = 2000 kN, M = 180 kN-m. Calculate the effective width following the
approach by Meyerhof.

Solution
e = M/Q = 180/2000 = 0.09 m

B’ = B - 2e = 1.5 – (2)(0.09) = 1.32 m

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Problem 7 (6 points)
The order of ranking of ethical responsibility of the professional engineer, from highest to lowest
importance, is:

A. Society as a whole, client, the profession, oneself

B. Oneself, the client, society as a whole, the profession
C. Oneself, the client, the profession, society as whole
D. The client, society as a whole, the profession, oneself

Problem 8 (6 points)
Ministry of Transportation hired a Quality Verification Engineer to review the contractor’s
quality. However, the Verification Engineer could not objectively evaluate the contractor
because he was working directly for the contractor and being paid directly by him. Which of the
following terms fits the situation related to ethics?

A. Confidential information
B. Conflict of interest
C. Family members
D. Harassment

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Problem 9 (20 points)
Consider a rectangular foundation 2 m x 2 m at a depth of 1.2 m in a sand deposit. Given  =
17.5 kN/m3, 𝑞 = 145 kN/m2. The variation of Es beneath the foundation is given in the table. The
water table is located well below the foundation.

z (m) Es (kN/m2)
0-0.5 6300
0.5-2.5 9604
2.5-6.0 8260

1) Calculate the vertical stress increase at the middle of each layer by 2:1 Method.

The vertical stress increase is computed by 2:1 Method as follows:

@ 0.25 m
v = qBL/[(B+z)(L+z)] = (145)(2)(2)/((2+0.25)( 2+0.25)) = 114.6 kPa

By computing v similarly at the depth of 1.5 and 4.25 m, the following table is obtained.

z (m) Es (kN/m2) Middle of layer depth (m) v (kPa)

0-0.5 6300 0.25 114.6
0.5-2.5 9604 1.5 47.3
2.5-6.0 8260 4.25 14.8

2) Calculate the vertical settlement of the foundation. Use M = 1/mv = 1.2Es.

z (m) Es (kN/m2) Middle of layer v (kPa)  (kN/m2)   (mm)

depth (m)
0-0.5 6300 0.25 114.6 7560 0.0152 7.58
0.5-2.5 9604 1.5 47.3 11525 0.0041 8.22
2.5-6.0 8260 4.25 14.8 9912 0.0015 5.24

Therefore, the settlement at the foundation is  = 7.58 + 8.22 + 5.25 = 21.0 mm

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 3) Calculate the vertical settlement by using Burland and Burbidge’s Method.

2
 L 
 1.25   0.7
Se  B   B   q' 
  1 23      
BR  0.25   L    BR   pa 
  B 
 

where BR = 0.3 m. 1, 2, 3 are given in the below table. The 2 = mv obtained from Es;
hence N60 is not required. Soil type is normally consolidated sand.

where,
.
𝐵
𝑧′ = 1.4𝐵
𝐵

The soil is normally consolidated sand; hence 1 = 0.14.

.
𝑧 = 1.4(0.3) = 1.74 m.
.

Therefore, mv can be obtained as average from depth of 0 to 1.74 m.

(0.5)(6300) + (1.74 − 0.5)(9604)

𝐸 = = 8655 𝑘𝑃𝑎
1.74

Therefore, mv (1/MPa) is calculated as follows:

1 1 1
𝑚 = = = 0.0963 ( )
1.2𝐸 1.2(8.655) 𝑀𝑃𝑎

Therefore, 2 = 0.0964.
Since H = 6 m from the soil profile, 3 = 1.

q' = 145 – (1.2)(17.5) = 124 kPa

Therefore,
2
1.25 2 .
124
𝑆 = (0.3)(0.14)(0.0963)(1) 2 = 0.0189 𝑚 = 18.9 𝑚𝑚
2 0.3 100
0.25 +
2

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Problem 10 (30 points)
A rectangular foundation with B = 2.7 m and L = 3.5 m is constructed. Given: D f = 2.0 m, ’ =
30°, c’ = 0 kN/m2, γ = 20 kN/m3. Eccentricity of the vertical load is 0.1 m along the width
direction. FS = 4. Water table exists at the bottom of the foundation (i.e. a depth of 2.0 m).

1. Determine effective width (B’) and effective length (L’). (use Meyerhoff’s effective area
method)

B’ = 2.7 – 2(0.1) = 2.5 m, L’ = 3.5 m

2. Determine the maximum stress (qmax) beneath the foundation. Q = 2000 kN.
𝑄 6𝑒 2000 6(0.1)
𝑞 = 1+ = 1+ = 259 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝐵𝐿 𝐵 (2.7)(3.5) 2.7

3. Determine the surcharge (q) at the bottom of foundation for bearing capacity analysis.

𝑞 = 𝛾𝐷 = (20)(2) = 40 𝑘𝑃𝑎

4. Determine the unit weight to be used for bearing capacity analysis.

𝛾 = 20 − 9.81 = 10.19 𝑘𝑁/𝑚

5. Determine the allowable vertical load (kN) the foundation could carry (use Meyerhoff’s
effective area method).
1
𝑞 = 𝑐 𝑁 𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 + 𝑞𝑁 𝐹 𝐹 𝐹 + 𝛾𝐵′𝑁 𝐹 𝐹 𝐹
2

Since, c’ = 0 with vertical load,

1
𝑞 = 𝑞𝑁 𝐹 𝐹 + 𝛾𝐵′𝑁 𝐹 𝐹
2
From the table with ’ = 30 degree, Nq = 18.4, N = 22.4.

𝐵′ 2.5
𝐹 = 1+ 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 = 1 + 𝑡𝑎𝑛30 = 1.412
𝐿 3.5
𝐵′ 2.5
𝐹 = 1 − 0.4 = 1 − 0.4 = 0.714
𝐿 3.5
𝐷 2.0
𝐹 = 1 + 2𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜙 (1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 ) = 1 + 2𝑡𝑎𝑛30(1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛30) = 1.214
𝐵 2.7
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 𝐹 =1
Therefore,
1
𝑞 = (40)(18.4)(1.412)(1.214) + (10.19)(2.5)(22.4)(0.714)(1) = 1465 𝑘𝑃𝑎
2

𝑄 = 𝑞 𝐵 𝐿 = (1465)(2.5)(3.5) = 12819 𝑘𝑁
Therefore,
𝑄 12819
𝑄 = = = 3,205 𝑘𝑁
𝐹𝑆 4

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