Foundation Engineering Lesson 3

BEARING CAPACITY OF
FOUNDATIONS
LESSON 3
The soil must be capable of carrying the loads
from any engineered structure placed upon it without
a shear failure and with the resulting settlements
being tolerable for that structure.
Seldom has a structure collapsed or tilted over
from a base shear failure in recent times. Most
reported base failures have occurred under
embankments or similar structures where a low
factor of safety was deemed acceptable. Most
structural distress attributed to poor foundation
design is from excessive settlements. Even here,
however, structural collapse seldom occurs. This
may in part be due to settlements being time-
dependent so that when cracks or other evidence
first appears, there is sufficient time to take remedial
measures.
It is necessary to investigate both base
shear resistance and settlements for any
structure. In many cases settlements criteria
will control the allowable bearing capacity;
however, there are also a number of cases
where base shear dictates the recommended
bearing capacity.
We should note that while primary focus
is on bearing capacity for framed structures
and equipment foundations, the same
principles apply to obtain the bearing
capacity for other structures such as tower,
bases dams and fills.
A recommendation for the allowable
bearing capacity qa to be used for design is
based either on settlement considerations or
on the ultimate bearing capacity. The ultimate
bearing capacity is divided by a suitable safety
factor SF as:
qa = qult
SF
or qa = qult(RQD)2
SF
Bearing Capacity Equation by Terzaghi
qult = cNcsc + qNq + 0.5gBNgsg
where:
Nc = (Nq-1)cotf
Nq = ____a2______
2 cos2 (45 + f/2)
a = e(0.75p – f/2) tanf
Ng = tanf (Kpg/ cos2f – 1)
2
For: strip round square
sc = 1.0 1.3 1.3
sg = 1.0 0.6 0.8
• Example Prob 3-1:
Compute the allowable bearing pressure
using the Terzaghi Equation for the footing
and soil parameters given below. Use safety
factor of 3 to obtain qa.
g = 110 pcf
f = 250
c = 300psf
D = 4 ft (depth of footing from ground
surface)
B x L = 2 ft X 2 ft (footing size)
Req’d: qa
Sol’n:
From Terzaghi Table:
for f = 250
Nc = 25.1 Nq = 12.7 Ng = 9.7
for square footing:
sc = 1.3 sg = 0.8
therefore:
qult = (300)(25.1)(1.3) + 110(4)(12.7) + .5(110)(2)(9.7)(0.8)
qult = 16230.6 psf or 16.23 ksf
qa = qult/SF
qa = 16.23/3
qa = 5.41ksf
a = e(0.75p – f/2) tanf
a = e(0.75p – ((25)/2)*p/180) tan(25)
a = 2.7101
Nq = ____a2______
2 cos2 (45 + f/2)
Nq = ____(2.7101)2______
2 cos2 (45 + (25)/2)
Nq = 12.72
Nc = (Nq-1)cotf
Nc = (12.72-1)cot(25)
Nc = 25.13
Ng = tanf (Kpg/ cos2f – 1)
2
Ng = tan(25) ((35)/ cos2(25) – 1)
2
Ng = 9.70
• Effect of water table on Bearing Capacity
The effective unit weight of the soil is
used in the bearing capacity equations for
computing the ultimate capacity.
ge=(2H –dw)dw gwet + g’(H – dw)2
H2 H2
Where:
H = 0.5B tann(45 + f/2)
dw = depth to water table below base of
footing
gwet = wet unit weight of soil in depth dw
g’ = submerged unit weight below water
table = gsat - gw
• Example Prob 3-2:
A square footing vertically and concentrically loaded is
to be placed on a cohensionless soil as shown. The
soil and other data are as shown:
What is the allowable bearing capacity if gsat = 20.12

KN/m3 using the Terzaghi using SF = 2.0?
Solution:
a.) Solve for ge
ge=(2H –dw)dw gwet + g’(H – dw)2
H2 H2
Where:
H = 0.5B tan (45 + f/2)
H = 0.5B tan (45 + 35/2)
H = 2.40m
dw = 1.90 – 1.10 = 0.85m
gwet = g = 18.10 KN/m3
g’ = gsat - gwater
g’ = 20.12 - 9.81 = 10.31KN/m3
ge=(2x2.40 –0.85) 0.85x18.10 + (20.12-9.807)(2.4 – 0.85)2
2.42 2.42
ge= 14.85 KN/m3
From Terzaghi Table:
for f = 350
Nc = 57.8 Nq = 41.4 Ng = 42.4
for square footing:
sc = 1.3 sg = 0.8
therefore:
qult = (0)(57.8)(1.3) + 18.10(1.1)(41.4) +
0.5(18.10)(2.5)(42.4)(0.8)
qult = 1591.714 kPa
qa = qult/SF
qa = 1591.714/2
qa = 795.857kPa
Bearing Capacity for Rocks:
With the exception of a few porous limestone and
volcanic rocks and some shales, the strength of
bedrock in situ will be greater than the compressive
strength of the foundation concrete. This may not be
true if the rock is in a badly fractured, loose state
where considerable relative slip between rock
fragments can occur. The major problem is to identify
the rock soundness, and on occasion take cores for
unconfined compression testing of the intact
fragments. On very important projects and where it is
economically feasible, one may make in situ strength
tests.
where:
Nq = tan6 (45 + f/2)
Nc = 5tan4 (45 + f/2)
Ng = N q + 1
For: strip round square
sc = 1.0 1.3 1.3
sg = 1.0 0.6 0.8
q’ult = qult (RQD)2
qa = qult(RQD)2
SF
Example Prob. 3-3: We have a drilled pier
with a diameter = 3 ft to be founded at a
depth of 10 ft in a rock mass to get through
the surface irregularities and the weathered
zone as determined by coring to a depth of
25ft. From the cores the average RQD =
0.50 (or 50 percent) below the pier point.
Assume: f = 450, and c = 0.5 ksi, SF = 3.
Estimate the allowable bearing capacity for
the pier base.
• Req’d: qa
• Solution:
Nc = 5tan4 (45 + f/2)
Nc = 5tan4 (45 + 45/2)
Nc = 170
Nq = tan6 (45 + f/2)
Nq = tan6 (45 + 45/2)
Nq = 198
Ng = N q + 1
Ng = 199
For: round base/ footing
sc = 1.3
sg = 0.6
Since:
qult = 0.5(144)(170)(1.3) + (0.160)(10)198 +
0.5(0.160)(3)(199)(0.6)
qult = 16257 ksf
Therefore:
qa = qult(RQD)2
SF
qa = 16257(0.5) 2
3
qa = 1355 ksf
Assign:
Prob 1: What is the allowable bearing capacity
using Terzaghi methods for the assigned
problem in the following data set. Other data:
Use B = 5ft or 1.52m, D = 0.75B. The
average unit weight in the zone of interest is
110 pcf or 17.3 KN/m3 and water table is not
a problem.
a.) f = 200, c = 0.30 ksf (15kPa)
b.) f = 300, c = 0.10 ksf ( 5kPa)
c.) f = 380, c = 0.0
Prob 2:
A square footing vertically and concentrically loaded is
to be placed on a cohensionless soil as shown. The
soil and other data are as shown:
What is the allowable bearing capacity if the water

table is 1.5m instead of the 1.95m shown in the figure
and use the Terzaghi using SF = 2.0?

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BEARING CAPACITY OF

What is the allowable bearing capacity if gsat = 20.12

What is the allowable bearing capacity if the water

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