A combined footing supports two columns.

It is used when the two columns are

so close to each other that their individual footings would overlap. A combined footing
is also provided when the property line is so close to one column that a spread footing
would be eccentrically loaded when kept entirely within the property line. By
combining it with that of an interior column, the load is evenly distributed. A combined
footing may be rectangular or trapezoidal in plan.

Combined footings condition

 When two columns are close together, causing overlap of adjacent isolated footings.
 Where soil bearing capacity is low, causing overlap of adjacent isolated footings.
 The proximity of building a line or existing building or sewer, adjacent to a building
column.

Figure 1: Rectangular Combined Footing

Figure 2: Loadings on a Rectangular Combined Footing

Rectangular combined footing
 Longitudinally, the footing acts as an upward loaded beam spanning between
columns and cantilevering beyond. Using statics, the shear force and bending
moment diagrams in the longitudinal direction are drawn. Moment is checked at
the faces of the column. Shear force is critical at distance ‘d’ from the faces of
columns or at the point of contra flexure. Two-way shear is checked under the
heavier column.
 The footing is also subjected to transverse bending and this bending is spread
over a transverse strip near the column.

Design procedure:

Service load design:

1. Determine the size of combined footing.

Structural analysis:

2. Perform structural analysis to determine moment and shear in various section

of the footing.

Reinforced concrete design:

3. Check punching shear & direct shear

4. Design longitudinal reinforcements.
5. Design transverse reinforcements.
6. Design column dowels.

Service load design: Determine Size of Footing

The size of the footing shall be determined to have uniform bearing pressure under the
footing so that differential settlement is minimized. The resultant of bearing pressures
needs to coincide with the resultant of column loads. The procedures are as follows:

1. Determine the location of the resultant of column loads.

 2. Calculated the required length of footing. The length of the footing is twice the
distance from the edge footing of the exterior column to the resultant of column
loads.
3. Calculate the width of footing. The required area of footing is the total column
load divided by allowable net soil bearing pressure. The width of footing is the
required footing area divided by the length of footing.

Example 1: Determine size of a combined footing

Given:

 Column information:
 Column A: Live load = 40 kips, Dead load = 50 kips
 Column B: Live load = 80 kips, Dead load = 100 kips.
 Distance between two columns: 15 ft.
 Footing information:
 Allowable soil bearing capacity; 3000 psf
 Distance from column A to edge of footing: 1 ft.
 Allowable soil bearing capacity = 3000 psf
 Weight of soil above footing = 120 psf
 Depth of footing= 24”
 Depth of soil above footing = 12”

Requirements: Determine the size of a combined footing.

Solution:
 Total column load of A = 40+50=90 kips
 Total column load of B = 80+100 = 180 kips
 Take moment about A,
 Location of resultant from A= 180*15/(90+180) = 10 ft.
 The length of footing = 2*(10+1) = 22 ft Use 22 ft
 Net soil bearing capacity = 3000-2*150-120=2580 psf
 Required footing area = (90+180)/2.58=104.7 ft2.
  Required width of footing = 104.7/22=4.8’ Use 5 ft

Structural analysis:

Structural analysis of a combined footing is the same as analyzing an invert simply

support beam supported by two columns with factored soil pressure as loading. The
procedures are as follows:

1. Calculate factored footing pressure.

2. Calculate maximum shear at an effective depth from the face of column
3. Calculate maximum positive and negative moment in the footing. Maximum
positive moment occurs at face of column. Maximum negative moment occurs
between two columns at zero-shear.

It is worth to mention that because of load factors, the centroid of factored column loads
does not necessary located at the center of the footing. It means that the factored footing
pressure is no longer uniform. The correct way to solve the problem to analyze the
footing with trapezoid shape of factored footing pressure.
Example 2. Determine maximum shear and moment of a combined footing

Given:

 A combined footing as shown in Example 3.1

 Column size: 1 ft by 1ft for both A & B

Design code: ACI 318-05

Requirements: Determine maximum shear and moment in longitudinal direction.

Solution:

Factored column loads:

Column A: Pua = 1.2*50+1.6*40=124 kips

Column B: Pub = 1.2*100+1.6*80=248 kips

Location of resultant from column A= 248*15/(124+248)=10 ft.

Since the location of resultant is at center of footing, factored footing pressure is

uniform.

Factored footing pressure per linear foot of footing, Q u = (124+248)/22=16.9 k/ft

Shear diagram:

At point 1: Vu = 16.9*1.5-124= -98.7 kips

At point 3: Vu = 16.9*(1.5+14)-124=138 kips

At point 4: Vu = 16.9*(1.5+14+1)-124-248= -93.2 kips

Moment diagram:

At point 1: Mu = 16.9*1.52/2-124*0.5= -43 ft-kips

At point 2:
Location of point 2: from triangular relation between point 1 and point 3 in shear
diagram

X = 14*98.7/(98.7+122.9)=6.24’ from inside face of column A

Mu = 16.9*(1.5+6.24)2/2-124*(0.5+6.24)=-329.5 ft-kips

At point 3: Mu = 16.9*(1.5+14)2/2-124*(0.5+14)=232.1 ft-kips

At point 4: Mu = 16.9*5.52/2=255.6 ft-kips

Reinforced concrete design:

Design procedure:

1. Check both punching shear and direct shear. The critical section of punching
shear is at ½ effective depth from face of column. The critical section of direct
shear is at one effective depth of column. For column at the edge of footing the
critical section of punching shear only has three sides along the column. Critical
sections of punching shear and direct shear are shown below.
 2. Design longitudinal reinforcements. Longitudinal reinforcements are design
based on the maximum moments from structural analysis. Reinforcement for
negative moment should be placed near top face of the footing. Positive
reinforcement should be placed near bottom face of the footing.
3. Design transverse reinforcements. Transverse reinforcements are designed
based on moment in the transverse direction at face of column. They should be
placed near bottom face of the footing.
4. Design column dowels.

Example 3: Reinforced concrete design of a combined footing

Given:

 A combined footing with loading, shear, and moment as shown in example 3.1
& 3.2
 Compressive strength of concrete for footing at 28 days: 4000 psi
 Yield strength of rebar: 60 ksi

Design code; ACI 318-05

Requirement: Check shear stresses and design flexural reinforcements.

Solution:

a. Check punching shear for column A

Assume the reinforcements are #6 bars, the effective depth

d = 24" - 3" (cover) - 0.75" (one bar size) = 20.3 " = 1.7'

Factored footing pressure = (124+248)/ (22*5) = 3.38 kips/ft2.

The perimeter of punching shear is

P = 2*(6” +12” +20.3”/2) +(12” +20.3”) = 88.6”

The punch shear stress can be calculated as

vu = [124-(3.38) (1+1.7) (0.5+1+1.7/2)] (1000)/ (20.3*88.6) = 57 psi

The shear strength of concrete is  vc = 0.75 x 4 x 4000 = 189.7 psi O.K.

Check punching shear for column B

The perimeter of punching shear is

P = 4*(12 + 20.3) =129.2”

The punch shear stress can be calculated as

vu = [248-(3.38) (1+1.7)2] (1000)/ (20.3*129.2) = 85.2 psi < 189.7 psi O.K.

b. Check direct shear:

The critical section of direct shear is at one effective depth from the face of
column. From Example 3.2, the maximum direction shear is 138 kips at inside face of
column B. The distance from zero shear (point 2) to the maximum direct shear (point
3) is 14-6.24= 7.76’. From triangular relationship, the direct shear at critical section is

Vu = 138*(7.76-1.2)/7.76= 116.7 kips

The shear strength of concrete for footing section,

 Vc =  vc*b*d = (0.75 x 2 x 4000) *60*20.3/1000 =115.6 kips  116.7 kips (less

than 1% difference) O.K.

c. Determine Maximum positive reinforcement in longitudinal direction

The maximum positive moment at the face of the column B is

Mu = 255.6 k-ft. for 5’ width of footing

Use trail method for reinforcement design

Assume depth of stress block, a = 0.9".

T = Mu/[(d-a/2)] = [(255.6) (12)]/ [(0.9) (20.4-0.9/2)] = 170.8 kips

Calculate new a,

a = T/ [(0.85) (fc’) (b)] = 170.8/ [(0.85) (4) (60)] = 0.84  0.9”

As = T/fy = 170.8 / 60 = 2.84 in2.

The reinforcement ratio is

 = As/bd = 2.84/ (60) (20.4) = 0.0023

Minimum reinforcement ratio,

 min= 0.0033 > min = ((4/3) *0.0023=0.0031

Use min = 0.0031,

As = (0.0031) (60) (20.4) = 3.8 in2.

Use 9-#6 bars in both directions, As = 3.96 in2.

d. Maximum negative reinforcement in longitudinal direction

The maximum negative moment between column is

Mu = 329.5 k-ft. for 5’ width of footing

Use trail method for reinforcement design

Assume a = 1.2".

T = (329.5) (12)/ [(0.9) (20.4-1.2/2)] = 221.8 kip

Calculate new a,

a = 221.8/ [(0.85) (4) (60)] = 1.1"  1.2”

As = 221.8 /60 = 3.7 in2

The reinforcement ratio is

 = As/bd = 3.7/ (60) (20.4) = 0.0031

Minimum reinforcement ratio,

 min= 0.0033 < min = ((4/3) *0.0031 = 0.0041

Use  = 0.0033,

As = (0.0033) (60) (20.4) = 4.0 in2.

Use 10-#6 bars in both directions, As = 4.4 in2.

e. Determine reinforcement in transverse direction

The distance from face of column to the edge of the footing is

l = (5– 1)/2 =2'

The factored moment at the face of the column is

Mu = (3.38) (2)2/2 = 6.76 k-ft. per foot width of footing

Use trail method for reinforcement design

Assume a = 0.1".

T = (6.76) (12)/ [(0.9) (20.4-0.1/2)] = 4.4 kip

Calculate new a,

a = 4.4/ [(0.85) (4) (12)] = 0.11  0.1” assumed

As = 4.4/60 = 0.073 for one-foot section.

The reinforcement ratio is

 = As/bd = 0.073/ (12) (20.4) = 0.0003

Minimum reinforcement ratio,

 min= 0.0033 < min = ((4/3) *0.0003 = 0.0004

Use min = 0.0004

As = (0.0004) (22) (12) (20.4) = 2.2 in2.

Use 16 #4 bars, As = 0.2*15= 3 in2.

Maximum spacing = (22*12-3-3)/15 = 17.2” < Maximum spacing, 18” O.K.

e. Designing column dowels.

The bearing capacity of concrete at column base is

Pc = (0.7) (0.85) (4) (12) (12) = 342.7 kips

Which is greater than factored column loads of both A and B.

The minimum dowel area is

As,min = (0.0005)(12)(12) = 0.72 in2

Use 4 - #4 dowels As = 0.8 in2

The footing is shown in below