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Chapter 3B - Bearing Capacity
Chapter 3B - Bearing Capacity
Foundations
CIVL 451 – Foundation Engineering –
Classroom Notes
General Bearing Capacity Equation
• The general bearing capacity equation is suggested by
Meyerhof (1963) for modifying bearing capacity theory for the
following aspects;
Undrained condition
Undrained condition
drained condition
drained condition
2
General Bearing Capacity Equation
• Solve Ex. 3.1 using general bearing capacity equation and comment on the
results.
• Ex. 3.3 A square foundation has to be constructed as shown in the figure.
Assume that the soil unit weights above and below the water table are
17kN/m3 and 19kN/m3 respectively. The internal angle of friction is 34°
and the design column load is 500kN. Determine the size of the
foundation considering general bearing capacity equation.
• D1=0.5m and Df=1.5m
Pressure Distribution at Foundation
Base
• The foundation design in practice requires that the foundation
dimensions are calculated for a given design column load,
hence the bearing capacity calculation is used to check that
the applied pressure at the base of the foundation can be
resisted by the ground, i.e.
qapplied ≤ qallowable
qmin = 0
Note that B is used to compute
shape factors in general bearing
capacity equation.
Pressure Distribution at Foundation
Base
• However, shallow foundations are traditionally designed in
accordance with the ‘Middle-third Rule’, which is based on the
restriction that the eccentricity should be within the middle
third of the foundation width or in other words;
Middle e ≤ B/6
third
B/6 B/6
Eccentricity
B/3 B/3 B/3 should be within
this zone
Pressure Distribution at Foundation Base
• Two-way eccentricity;
In order to evaluate
effective width and
length the following
cases should be
considered.
Pressure Distribution at Foundation Base
Pressure Distribution at Foundation Base
Pressure Distribution at Foundation Base
Pressure Distribution at Foundation Base
Pressure Distribution at Foundation
Base
• Note that B is used to compute shape factors in general
bearing capacity equation.