INVESTIGATION OF SPREAD FOOTING (SQUARE FOOTING):

Reference: Reinforced Concrete Design 7th Edition by Wang, Salmon and Pincheira
Prepared by: Engr. RANDY G. POLICARPIO

Problem : Check the adequacy of the square footing according to the strength method of the ACI code. The
column axial load is 1300 kN deadload and 700 kN liveload. The concrete for both the column and footing has f'c
= 20.7 MPa and fy = 275 MPa. The allowable soil pressure is 250 kPa. There is a 0.6 m earth overburden having
a unit weight of 16 kN/m3 .

Given :
Loads : Strength :

DL := 1300 kN f'c := 20.7 MPa γ

con := 23.5 kN/m3

LL := 700 kN fy := 275 MPa

Footing Dimension : Column Dimension :

Length : L := 3 m b := 600 mm
Width : W := 3 m h := 600 mm
Thickness : T := 600 mm

conccover := 75 mm Earth Overburden :

D := 0.60 m
Footing reinforcement : (Bar diameter) d b1 := 25 mm
γ := 16 kN/m3
Dowels : (Bar Diameter) d b2 := 25 mm

Allowable Soil Pressure : qall := 250 kN/m2 PAGE1

Solution :
A. Soil pressure:
Allowable Soil Pressure: qall
Gross Foundation Pressure: q

For the footing to be adequate in terms of soil pressure : qall  q

Solve for the Gross foundation pressure:

Column Load : ColLoad := DL + LL

ColLoad = 2000 kN

T
Footing Weight : FootingWeight := L W γ
con
1000

FootingWeight = 126.9 kN

Earth := L W − 
b  h 
Earth overburden :  D γ
  2 
  1000 

Earth = 82.94 kN

Total Weight on soil : Totalweight := ColLoad + FootingWeight + Earth

Totalweight = 2209.84 kN

Totalweight
(Gross Foundation Pressure): q :=
L W

q = 245.54 kN/m2

qall > q

Remarks1 = "ok"

PAGE 2
B. Shear (Inclined cracking) strength:

ϕVn - shear capacity of concrete in shear

Vu - shear effect of column load (factored load)

For the footing to be adequate in shear : ϕ Vn  Vu

1. For one-way diagonal tension action (ONE-WAY ACTION)

a. The net earth pressure acting upward due to factored loads:

1.2 DL + 1.6 LL
Pnet :=
L W

Pnet = 297.78 kN/m2

b. Effective depth : d := T − conccover − d b1

d = 500 mm

b
L−
1000 d
c. Distance L2: L2 := −
2 1000

PAGE 3
L2 = 0.7 m
 d. Effective Area :

EffectArea := L2 L

EffectArea = 2.1 sq. m.

e. Factored Shear Vu:

Vu1 := Pnet EffectArea

Vu1 = 625.33 kN

L2 d L1

f. Shear Strength ϕVn :No shear reinforcement

1 1
Vc1 := f'c ( L 1000)  d 
6 1000

Vc1 = 1137.43 kN

hence : Vn1 := Vc1

ϕ := 0.75
ϕ Vn1 = 853.07 kN

ϕ Vn1 > Vu1

Remarks2 = "ok"

PAGE 4

2. For two-way diagonal tension action: (TWO WAY ACTION)

2. For two-way diagonal tension action: (TWO WAY ACTION)

a. Effective Area:
2
( b + d)
EffectArea := L W −
2
1000
d/2

EffectArea = 7.79 sq m
d/2

b. Factored Shear Vu :

Vu2 := ( Pnet)  ( EffectArea)

Vu2 = 2319.69 kN
d/2 d/2

c. Punching Shear Strength ϕVn : No shear reinforcement

b
o
 20 for a four-sided critical section (see ACI 11.12.2)
d

b o := 4  ( b + d ) = 4400 PAGE 5

b b
o 4 ( b + d) o 4  ( 600 + 500 )
= =
d d d 500
 b b
o 4 ( b + d) o 4  ( 600 + 500 )
= =
d d d 500

bo bo
= 8.8 < 20 Remarks3 = "ok"
d d

βc  2 βc is the ratio long side to short side of column

β c :=
h
=1
b

Remarks4 = "βc < 2"

bo
Vc :=  f'c b o  d  
1 1 
NOTE: If and βc are satisfied,compute Vc using the formula: 
d 3  1000 

Otherwise solve for the Nominal Punching Shear strength Vc and select the smallest of the following:

Vc1 :=   1 +   f'c b  d   1  = 5004.70

1 2
kN
6  cβ 
o
 1000 

α s := 40 (interior column) αs value: 40 - interior column

30 - edge column
20 - corner column
1  sα d
+ 2   f'c b o  d  
1 
Vc2 :=   = 5459.67 kN
12 bo
   1000 

Vc3 :=  f'c b o  d  
1 1 
 = 3336.47 kN
3  1000 

Vc := Vc3 = 3336.47 kN

hence : Vn2 := Vc

ϕ := 0.75

ϕVn 2 = 2502.35 kN

ϕVn 2 > Vu2

Remarks5 = "ok" PAGE 6

c. Bending Moment Strength:

c. Bending Moment Strength:

For the footing to be adequate in bending : Asprovided  Asrequired

1. Solve for the maximum moment Mu (factored moment):

b
L−
1000
Solve for L1: L1 :=
2

L1 = 1.2 m

2
Pnet L L1
Mu :=
2

Mu = 643.2 kN - m

2. Required ρ (reinforcement ratio) :

Mu
Rn = L2 d L1
ϕ bd
2

let : b =L ϕ := 0.90

2
Mu 1000
Rn := Rn = 0.9529
ϕ ( L 1000)  d
2

ρ=
1  1 − 1 − 2mRn 
 
m fy 

fy
m := m = 15.6294
0.85 f'c

ρ :=
1 1 − 1 − 2m Rn 
 
m fy 

ρ = 0.0036

3. Minimum reinforcement ratio ρmin:

ρmin := 0.002 for structural slabs of uniform thickness

ρ > ρmin

Therefore use ρ
PAGE 7

4.Required As :
4.Required As :
Asrequired := ρ ( L 1000)  d
2
Asrequired = 5346.5 mm

5. Provided As :
d b1 = 25 mm

π d b1
2
2
Ab1 := Ab1 = 490.8739 mm
4

No of bar (one direction): n := 15 (given)

2
Asprovided := n  Ab1 Asprovided = 7363.11 mm

Asprovided > Asrequired

Remarks6 = "ok"

PAGE 8
D. Development of Reinforcement: simplified equation

To satisfy the code requirement for development length (length of embedment):

Ldavailable  Ldrequired

PAGE 9
For Case 1:
Footing has no stirrups therefore does not satisfy Case 1

For Case 2:
To satisfy Case 2: BarClearSpacing  TwoBarDiameter

ConcreteCover  BarDiameter
1. Solve for the Bar Clear Spacing:
n 1 := 15 number of bar

conccover := 75 mm minimum concrete cover for member permanently exposed to ground

BarClearSpacing :=
( )
L 1000 − n 1  d b1 − 2conccover
n1 − 1

BarClearSpacing = mm

2. Two-bar diameter: ( )
2  d b1 = 50 mm

BarClearSpacing > 2.d b1

3. conccover = 75 mm

Bar diameter: d b1 = 25 mm

conccover > d b1

Remarks7 = " satisfy Case 2"

Solve for the required Ld:

12 fy ψt  ψe
Ld =  d b1
20 λ  f'c

ψt := 1.0

ψe := 1.0

λ := 1.0

12 fy ψt  ψe
Ld :=  d b1
20 λ  f'c

PAGE 10
Ld = 906.6482 mm (Ld required)
e. Development of Reinforcement: General equation (ALTERNATE METHOD)
ACI Formula 12-1

 15 fy ψt ψe ψs λ 

Ld =    d
 16 f'c  cb + Ktr   b
  
  db  
The distance cb is the smaller of the following two values :
let : c1 - surface of the concrete to the center of bar
c2 - one-half center to center spacing
d b1
c1 := 75 + c1 = 87.5 mm 75 mm used is a minimum concrete cover
2

 [ ( L 1000) − 2  conccover] − ( n 1  d b1)  1

c2 :=  + d b1  c2 = 100.8929 mm
n1 − 1
  2

Select cb: c1 < c2

Therefore: cb = 87.5

No Stirrups : Ktr := 0

cb + Ktr
= 3.5 > 2.5
d b1

ψt := 1.0

ψe := 1.0

ψs := 1.0

λ := 1.0

 15 fy ψt ψe ψs λ

Ld :=    d Ld = 566.66 mm (Ld required)
 16 f'c ( 2.5)  b1

Solve for the Ld available (Actual Embedment):

( L 1000) − ( b )
Ldavailable := − conccover Ldavailable = 1125 mm
2

Ldavailable > Ldrequired

PAGE 11
Remarks8 = "ok"
f. Load transfer from column to footing

Check transfer of load at the base of column. Assuming transfer without aid of dowels, the design strength is

Ultimate Strength Pu : Pu := 1.2 DL + 1.6 LL Pu = 2680 kN

1
Nominal Strength Pn : Pn := 0.85 f'c ( b  h )  Pn = 6334.2 kN
1000

P Capacity : ϕ := 0.65 (factor for tied column)

Pcap := ϕ Pn Pcap = 4117.23 kN

Pcap > Pu The column load is transferred into the footing by bearing

Remarks9 = "ok"

Bearing Stress on the Footing :

2
A1 := b  h A1 = 360000 mm

d b2 = 25 mm bar diameter of dowels

π d b2
2
2
Abdowel := Abdowel = 490.8739
mm
4

Asrequireddowel := 0.005 A1 2
Required As : Asrequireddowel = 1800 mm

Asrequireddowel
Asperbar := 2
Required As per bar : Asperbar = 450 mm
4

Abdowel > Asperbar Note: A1-is the loaded area which is the column area
Ab2-is the dowel bar area
Remarks10 = "ok"

PAGE 12
 g. Development Length for Compression Bars (Dowel bars):
To satisfy the development length in the dowels:

Ldavailable  Ldrequired

1. Solve for the Ldrequired:

0.25fy d b2
Ld1 := Ld1 = 377.77 mm
f'c

Ld2 := 0.044 d b2 fy Ld2 = 302.5 mm

Ldmin := 200 mm

Ldrequireddowel = 377.77
mm

2. Solve for the Ldavailable:

Ldavailabledowel := T − conccover − 2  d b1

Ldavailabledowel = 475 mm

Ldavailabledowel > Ldrequireddowel

Remarks11 = "ok"

SUMMARY:

1. Soil Pressure: qall = 250 q = 245.54 qall > q Remarks1 = "ok"

2. Shear: One-Way Action: ϕVn 1 = 853.07 Vu1 = 625.33 ϕVn 1 > Vu1 Remarks2 = "ok"
Two-Way Action: ϕVn 2 = 2502.35 Vu2 = 2319.69 ϕVn 2 > Vu2 Remarks5 = "ok"

3. Bending: Asprovided = 7363.11 Asrequired = 5346.5 Asprovided > Asrequired Remarks6 = "ok"

4. Development Length: Ldavailable = 1125 Ld = 566.66 Ldavailable > Ld Remarks8 = "ok"

5. Column Load Tranfer: Pcap = 4117.23 Pu = 2680 Pcap > Pu Remarks9 = "ok"

Abdowel = 490.87 Asperbar = 450 Abdowel > Asperbar Remarks10 = "ok"

6. Development Length for dowel: Ldavailabledowel = 475 Ldrequireddowel = 377.77

Ldavailabledowel > Ldrequireddowel Remarks11 = "ok"

Conclusion : The footing is adequate since it satifies all ACI requirements. PAGE 13