Concordia University

Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering

FOUNDATION DESIGN – CIVI 435

Final Exam (winter 2021)

Date: April 29, 2021 Time: 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM

Instructor: Dr. A.M. Hanna

Instructions:
1-Closed book examination
2-Additional information may be reasonably assumed

Question # 1 (10 %)

1. Provide two loading conditions, which may generate negative skin friction on plies
2. Provide a condition, where foundation failure was due inadequate design
3. Explain what may happened to Shallow foundation in terms of bearing capacity and settlement,
when: Water table rose up. Or water table dropped down
4. Repeat question 3 above, in case of pile foundation
5. Describe what may happened to shallow foundation built on sensitive clay supporting machine
in a factory.

Question # 2 (20 %)
Nine circular concrete piles, having a diameter of 450mm were arranged in a square pattern with
spacing center to center of 1m. The piles were installed in offshore, where 23m of the piles were
embedded in the soil. The soil profile indicates an average unconfined compressive strength of
0.25 kg/cm2. The submerged density of soil is 0.9 t/m3. UCS = cu in undrained condition (Not confirmed
2 by prof)
a) Calculate the ultimate capacity of a single pile.
b) Calculate the ultimate capacity of the group.
c) Determine the group efficiency.
d) Do you accept the design of the group, and why?
Question # 3 (20 %)

A combined footing carrying three columns as shown in the Figure below, given the width of the
footing = 1.5 m, the footing length = 9.5 m, the depth of embedment = 1.5m, c = 7 kN/m2,
°18 kN/m3, and the factor of safety = 3. Determine:

a. The eccentricity
b. The effective width of the footing B’
c. The maximum and minimum stresses on the footing
d. the allowable bearing capacity of this footing.
e. If the ground water level rose to the founding level, determine the allowable bearing
capacity of this footing.

P = 1100 kN P = 900 kN P = 1100 kN

a. All Columns 45cm x 45cm

G.L.b. 4.5 m 3m
c.
d. 1 m 1
Df=1.5m
m

ELEVATION

B=1.5m

PLAN

Good luck, have a happy safe summer

Adel
Earth pressure:
1  sin  
 ha   v  Ka  2  C  Ka Ka 
1  sin  
1  sin  
 hp   v  K p  2  C  K p Kp 
1  sin  
Bearing capacity (Meyerhof):
1
qu  C  Nc  Sc  ic  qo  N q  Sq  iq   B   2  N  S  i
2

Footing Sc Sq S
Strip 1 1 1 2
   
2
 qo  D f   1
Square 1.3 1 0.8 ic  iq  1   i  1  
Circle 1.3 1 0.6  90   
Rectangular 1+0.3B/L 1 1-0.2B/L

 Nc Nq N   Nc Nq N
0.00 5.00 1.00 0.00 23.00 18.05 8.66 4.82
1.00 5.38 1.09 0.00 24.00 19.32 9.60 5.72
2.00 5.63 1.20 0.01 25.00 20.72 10.66 6.77
3.00 5.90 1.31 0.02 26.00 22.25 11.85 8.00
4.00 6.19 1.43 0.04 27.00 23.94 13.20 9.46
5.00 6.49 1.57 0.07 28.00 25.80 14.72 11.19
6.00 6.81 1.72 0.11 29.00 27.86 16.44 13.24
7.00 7.16 1.88 0.15 30.00 30.14 18.40 15.67
8.00 7.53 2.06 0.21 31.00 32.67 20.63 18.56
9.00 7.92 2.25 0.28 32.00 35.49 23.18 22.02
10.00 8.34 2.47 0.37 33.00 38.64 26.09 26.17
11.00 8.80 2.71 0.47 34.00 42.16 29.44 31.15
12.00 9.28 2.97 0.60 35.00 46.12 33.30 37.15
13.00 9.81 3.26 0.74 36.00 50.59 37.75 44.43
14.00 10.37 3.59 0.92 37.00 55.63 42.92 53.27
15.00 10.98 3.94 1.13 38.00 61.35 48.93 64.07
16.00 11.63 4.34 1.37 39.00 67.87 55.96 77.33
17.00 12.34 4.77 1.66 40.00 75.31 64.20 93.69
18.00 13.10 5.26 2.00 41.00 83.86 73.90 113.99
19.00 13.93 5.80 2.40 42.00 93.71 85.37 139.32
20.00 14.83 6.40 2.87 43.00 105.11 99.01 171.14
21.00 15.81 7.07 3.42 44.00 118.37 115.31 211.41
22.00 16.88 7.82 4.07 45.00 133.87 134.87 262.74