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Indian Geotechnical Journal, 39(2), 2009, 233-318
ABSTRACT: In the conventional design, the allowable bearing pressure on a shallow foundation is estimated by dividing its ultimate
bearing capacity (evaluated from shear failure and settlement criteria) by a factor of safety. The selection of appropriate value of
factor of safety depends on various factors that involve social and economic considerations, type of structure and its importance,
type of soil, size of footing, and type and amount of load on the footing. Based on several theories, research work and experience,
it is established that a minimum factor of safety of 3.0 is desirable from economic and safety considerations, however a designer
may choose to use a factor of safety considerably greater than 3.0 in circumstances where the settlement is the governing factor or
the type of soil compels to use a higher factor of safety. The work of Skempton (1951) is the basis for these guidelines in which
measurements of settlements of buildings, ranges of soil properties and types of soils are considered. In this paper, the results of
Skempton (1951) are examined with in the framework of reliability analysis and conclusions with regard to the allowable pressure
are highlighted.
KEYWORDS: Geotechnical design, Global factor of safety, Probabilistic approach, Shear failure criteria, Settlement criteria
1 Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 560012. gls@civil.iisc.ernet.in
2 Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012. amisri@civil.iisc.ernet.in
2 INDIAN GEOTECHNICAL JOURNAL
qnu = cNC (1) The range of E/c for majority of undisturbed clays
lies in the range of 50 to 200 that provides a
where c is the undrained cohesion (for a saturated clayey corresponding Nc values between 7.6 to 9.4 calculated
soil for which undrained shear strength parameter φu = 0) using Eq. 3 with an average value of Nc = 8.5. (iii) Wilson
and Nc is the bearing capacity factor. Applying a factor of (1950) provided a value of Nc equal to 8.0 for the bearing
safety (FS), the allowable bearing capacity (qa) of the capacity of clay loaded at depth by a rigid circular plate
foundation soil can be calculated as below: by finding the foundation pressure necessary to bring
about the merging of the two plastic zones originating
qnu cNc from the edges of the footing. It can be seen that the
qa = = (2) available theoretical solutions for Nc although involve
FS FS
different approaches, yet they lead to values of Nc in the
It can be seen that the ultimate bearing capacity of range of ±10% covered by Mott-Gibson analysis
shallow foundation on clayey soil depends on two factors for clays.
c and Nc and a global factor of safety (FS) is applied to
cNc to obtain the allowable bearing capacity of the Skempton (1951) proposed the following
foundation soil. expression for the estimation of bearing capacity factor
(Nc), on the basis of theory, laboratory tests and field
According to Skempton (1951), if the shear observations:
strength of the soil does not vary by more than ±50% of
For strip footings:
the average value for a depth of 2/3B below the footing,
the average value of “c” can be used for the calculation of
ultimate bearing capacity of the clayey soil. ⎛ D ⎞
Nc = 5 ⎜ 1+ 0.2 f ⎟ ; limiting to maximum 7.5. (4a)
⎝ B ⎠
For the estimation of bearing capacity factor (Nc),
theoretical solutions are available in the literature. The For square and circular footings:
most popular of them is the Prandtl (1920) solution in
which the analysis of the bearing capacity of the strip ⎛ D ⎞
footing on the surface (D = 0) showed value of bearing Nc = 6 ⎜ 1+ 0.2 f ⎟ ; limiting to maximum 9.0. (4b)
⎝ B ⎠
capacity factor (Nc) equal to 2+π = 5.14. In the analysis,
the failure mechanism assumes that the footing pushes a
wedge of clay in front of it, which, in turn, pushes the For rectangular footings:
adjacent material sideways and upwards.
⎛ D ⎞⎛ B⎞ D
Nc = 5.0 ⎜ 1+ 0.2 f ⎟ ⎜ 1+ 0.2 ⎟ ; for f ≤ 2.5 (4c)
For the footings placed at a considerable depth, ⎝ B ⎠⎝ L ⎠ B
Meyerhof (1950) modified the Prandtl (1920) solution in
which the slip surface is assumed to curve back on the ⎛ B⎞ D
sides of the foundation. The corresponding value of Nc Nc = 7.5 ⎜ 1+ 0.2 ⎟ ;for f > 2.5 (4d)
for strip footing is 8.3. The solution provides an upper ⎝ L ⎠ B
limit to the bearing capacity factor (Nc) value because of
the greater length of assumed shear surface. Table 1 summarizes the available field evidence
on the ultimate bearing capacity of clays that provides a
Ishlinsky (1944) obtained a rigorous solution for Nc satisfactory confirmation to the suggested values of Nc
for circular footings, with a smooth base placed on the by Skempton (1951).
surface of the clay. The solution provided a numerical
value of Nc = 5.68. For a rough footing, Meyerhof (1950) Settlement Analysis
used an approximate analysis and for the same case, a
value of Nc equal to 6.2 was reported. For the shallow foundation resting on a clayey
soil, the final settlement and rate of settlement can be
For circular footings located at a considerable
calculated from Terzaghi’s theory of one dimensional
depth beneath the surface, three theoretical solutions
consolidation (Terzaghi and Peck 1948). Considering the
available in the literature. (i) Meyerhof (1950) calculated
estimation of net final settlement of the clayey soil under
a value of Nc equal to 9.3, which is certainly an upper
an applied net pressure (qn), the following Eq. 5 can be
limit. (ii) Gibson (1950) combined the approach originated
used for the foundation resting directly on a thick layer
by Bishop et al., (1945) for metals with large strain theory
of clayey soil:
by Swainger (1947) and found the solution for bearing
capacity factor for clays. The failure mechanism assumed
that the penetration of footing at ultimate failure is Sn = mv qnBIf (5)
equivalent to expanding a spherical cavity in the clay of
diameter equal to the diameter of the footing (B). A where mv is the coefficient of volumetric compressibility at
a depth beneath the foundation, as measured in
plastic zone develops with a radius of B 3 E (where E is oedometer tests on undisturbed samples and determined
2 c
over the range of overburden pressure from (po) to
the secant modulus of clays at a stress equal to ½ the
yield value) beyond which the clay remains in elastic (po+σz). po is the initial effective overburden pressure at
state. The following expression for Nc was proposed by depth z and σz is the increment of vertical pressure due
Gibson (1950); to application of net foundation pressure (qn). If =
influence factor at a given depth z and the value can be
4⎛ E ⎞ obtained from published literature (Terzaghi 1943).
Nc = loge + 1⎟ + 1 (3)
3 ⎜⎝ c ⎠
ALLOWABLE BEARING PRESSURE ON CLAYS-RELIABILITY BASED APPROACH 3
Table 1 Comparison of Field data with the Suggested Nc Value for the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Clays
(Skempton 1951)
Normally, in the analysis, the performance For normally distributed input variable
function g() is defined as C-D; where C is the capacity
and D is the demand. g() > 0 will be in the safe state ⎡ ⎤
1
while g() < 0 will be in the unsafe state. ln ⎢FS 2 ⎥
⎣⎢ 1+ CoVC ⎦⎥
β= (11)
From shear failure consideration, C will be taken
as ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation soil and D ( )
ln ⎡⎣ 1+ CoVC2 ⎤⎦
will be the applied pressure on the footing. On the other
hand, from the settlement considerations C will be the For lognormally distributed input variable
allowable settlement and D will be the calculated
settlement. For uncorrelated normally distributed C and Using Eqs 10 and 11, the range of factor of safety
D, reliability index (β) can be calculated using the normally used in the conventional design of shallow
following equation: foundation on clayey soils can be reinvestigated by
ALLOWABLE BEARING PRESSURE ON CLAYS-RELIABILITY BASED APPROACH 5
of the footing and type of soil on which footing is placed. EUROCODE (1997): ‘Geotechnical design-General
The probabilistic approach provides a rational basis for rules’, BS EN 1997-1:2004 Eurocode 7.
the selection of factor of safety with sound mathematical
treatment to the uncertainties involved. Gibson, R. E. (1950): ‘Discussion on paper by Guthlac
Wilson (1950)’, Journal of institution of Civil Engineers,
Concluding Remarks 34:382.
Bishop, R. F., HILL, R., and Mott, N. F. (1945): ‘The Terzaghi, K. and Peck, R. B. (1948): ‘Soil mechanics in
theory on indentation and hardness tests’. Proc. Physics engineering practice’, John Wiley publications, NY.
society. 57:147.
USACE (1997): ‘Risk-based analysis in Geotechnical
Bowles, J. E. (1996): ‘Foundation analysis and design’, Engineering for Support of Planning Studies, Engineering
5th edition, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. and Design’, US Army Corps of Engineers, Department
of Army, Washington D C, Report No. 20314-1000.
Duncan, J. M. (2000): ‘Factor of safety and reliability in
geotechnical engineering’, Journal of geotechnical and Wilson, G. (1950): ‘The bearing capacity of screw piles
geoenvironmental Engg., ASCE, 126(4), pp.307-316. and screwcrete cylinders’, Journal of institution of Civil
Engineers, 34:4.