Principles of Foundation

Engineering
Braja M. Das

Chapter 4
Ultimate Bearing Capacity
Of Shallow Foundations:
Special Cases
1
 Special Cases
All our analyses to this point have assumed
the following:
The soil supporting the foundation below its base
is homogeneous and extends to great depth.
The ground surface is horizontal.

This is not always the case.

There will be cases where more than one soil type will be
present within the failure zone. Such cases include:
1. Rigid base that prevents full development of general shear
2. Stronger soil underlain by weaker soil
The foundation will be on or near a sloped ground surface.

2
Non-Rigid Base

(a) Failure
surface under a
rough continuous
Clay or c- soil
foundation;
(b) variation of
Sand
D/B with soil
friction angle

3
 Rigid Base Failure Mode

H<=B

Failure surface under a rough, continuous

foundation with a rigid, rough base located at a
shallow depth (ie. Rock)

4
 Rigid Base
B N*

q c nN* D N *
u 2 c f q
Same equation we have been using except
we modify the bearing capacity factors based
on the depth to the rigid base and its ratio
with footing width.

Note: we do not take the strength of the rigid

base into account in our analyses. It is assumed
to be strong enough not to fail.
5
Mandel and Salencons bearing
capacity factor N*c (Equation 4.2)

Nc = 37
Nc* = 80
6
Mandel and Salencons bearing
capacity factor N*q (Equation 4.2)

Nq = 22
Nq* = 50
7
Mandel and Salencons bearing
capacity factor N* (Equation 4.2)

N = 19
N* = 20

8
Two Simplified Cases
For sands c=0 (Rectangular or Square) What about continuous?

F* 1 m
B
B N* F*
s qs 1
L
q D N* F *
u f q qs
F * 1 m
2 B
s
2
L
For clays =0
q c N* D
u( continuous) u c f No Nq

0.5
B
0.707
H
q 5.14 1 cu D
u( square)
5.14 f

N*c(s qua re ) Table 4.1

9
N*c for = 0

10
Variation of m1 and m2 with
H/B and

m2>=0.4

11
Example Square Footing Sand
= 30 Df = 2 feet H=4 feet B=8 feet = 115 pcf

F* 1 m
B
B N* F*
s
qs 1
L
q D N* F *
u f q qs
F * 1 m
2 B
s
2
L

H/B = 4/8 = 0.5 B/L = 1 m1 = 0.3 m2 = 0.44 F*qs = 0.7 F*s = 0.56
N* = 20 N*q = 50

qu = (0.5)(115)(8)(20)(0.56) + (115)(2)(50)(0.7) = 13202 psf

12
Weak Base

In some cases, the footing is founded on a

strong soil underlain by a weaker soil. In
this instance we must take into account the
strength of both layers.

Soil Friction

Layer Unit Weight Angle Cohesion

Top '1 c'1

Bottom 2 '2 c'2

Key Pay attention to where each layers values are used in equations

13
 Bearing capacity of a continuous
foundation on layer soil

Resistance in upper layer + qbottom

Punching shear failure in stronger soil with Two forces resisting in upper layer
a general shear failure in the weak soil Passive earth pressure Pp
Adhesion Ca*H

14
 Bearing Capacity for Each Layer

First calculate bearing capacity for each layer

without depth influence
Note: Continuous footing

qtop = c1Nc(1) +1BN (1)

For that layer

qbottom = c2Nc(2) +2BN (2)

Note: No q*Nq

15
Meyerhof and Hanna punching shear
coefficient Ks

For this to apply

q2/q1<=1

Note: q1 = qtop
q2 = qbottom

Friction angle of upper soil

16
Combined Bearing Capacity
Continuous Footing
2 ca H 2 Df Ks tan 1
2
qu qbottom 1 H 1 1 H qtop
B H B

Figure 4.9 Figure 4.10 Variation of ca/c1 with q2/q1

Meyerhof and Hanna punching shear coefficient Ks based on the theory of Meyerhof and Hanna (1978)

17
Combined Bearing Capacity
Square Footing

B 2 ca H 2 B 2 Df 1 K s tan 1
qu qbottom 1


L B
1
H 1
L
1
H

B
1 H

qtop

qbottom c2 Nc ( 2) Fcs ( 2) 1 Df HNq ( 2) Fqs ( 2) 2 BN ( 2) Fs ( 2)

1
2

For that layer

1
qtop c1 N c ( 1) Fcs ( 1) 1 Df N q ( 1) Fqs ( 1) 1 B N ( 1) Fs ( 1)
2
Shape Factors from Chapter 3

18
 Strong Sand Over Weak Clay

B
qbottom 1 0.2 5.14 c2 1 Df H
L
Of top layer
1
qtop 1 Df N q ( 1) F qs ( 1) 1 B N ( 1) F s ( 1)
2

0.2 B 2 B 2 Df Ks tan 1
qu 1 5.14 c2 1 H 1 1 1 Df
L L H B
Of bottom layer Of top layer qtop
Ratio simplified to
q2 5.14 c2
To determine Ks
q1 0.5 1 B N ( 1 )

19
 Strong Sand Over Weak Sand
2 Df s tan 1
1K
2 B
qu 1 Df H N q ( 2) Fqs ( 2) 2 BN ( 2) Fs ( 2) 1 H 1 1
1
1 H
2 L H

B qtop

where

1
qtop 1 Df N q ( 1) F qs ( 1) 1 B N ( 1) F s ( 1)
2

and Ratio simplified to

q2 2 N ( 2)

q1 1 N ( 1)

20
 Strong Clay Over Weak Clay
0.2 B B 2 ca H
qu 1 5.14 c2 1 1 Df
L L B
where

q top 1 0.2
B
5.14 c1 1 Df
L
and Ratio simplified to

q2 c2

q1 c1
C1 and c2 are undrained

21
Critical Depth
At what depth does the lower layer impact
foundation bearing capacity?

In all instances the equations are shown to

be less than or equal to qtop. Set qu = qtop and solve for
the only unknown H.

Another estimate which assumes sand (c=0) over clay (

= 0) (not in textbook)

qtop For continuous, denominator =2

3 B ln For square, denominator = 4
Hc
bottom
q
Therefore the critical depth for a

2 1
B continuous footing would be twice
that for a square footing.
L

22
Critical Depth

23
Bearing Capacity on Slopes
Footings founded at the top of slopes can
have the shear failure zone intersected by
the slope. This changes the conditions
within the failure zone and affects BC.

24
Bearing Capacity
1
qu BNq cNcq
2
1
qu BNq For sands Note no
2 q*Nq

qu cNcq For clays

Obtain Nq from Fig. 4.15 and Ncq from Fig. 4.16

25
Meyerhofs bearing capacity factor
Nq for granular soil (c = 0)

What do you do if
0>Df/B<1?
If 30<<40?

Note Trend

26
Stability Number for =0 Soils

H
Ns
c
If B<H,use the curves for NS=0
IF B>=H, use the curves for calculated Ns

27
Meyerhofs bearing capacity factor
Ncq for purely cohesive soil

If B<H, use the curves for NS=0

IF B>=H, use the curves for calculated Ns

Note: Ns <= 5.14 for Df/B=0

28
 Stress Characteristics
Solution

1
qu BNq
2
For granular soils c=0
Cannot use for cohesive soils

29
Graham et al.'s theoretical
values of Nq (D/B = 0)
b/B=0.5 =40 ? If no dashed line, use solid line

30
Graham et al.s theoretical
values of Nq (D/B = 0.5)
If no dashed line, use solid line

31
Graham et al.s theoretical
values of Nq (D/B = 1)
If no dashed line, use solid line

32
Problem

For granular soil (c=0), use eq. 4.38

qu=1/2BNq
b/B = 1.5/1.5 = 1 Df/B = 1.5/1.5 = 1 and = 40 and = 30
From Fig 4.15, Nq = 120
2
qu = 0.5(16.8)(1.5)(120) = 1512 kN/m

33
Homework
From Chapter 4
CE 430
4.1 CE 530
4.4 Same as CE 430 plus
4.5 4.3
4.6 4.7
4.11

Read Chapter 5
34