LECTURE 8

Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation

Dr. J. Berlin P. Juanzon CE, MBA, MSCM

a) General Shear Failure Most common type of shear failure; occurs in strong soils and rocks
b) Local Shear Failure Intermediate between general and punching shear failure c) Punching Shear Failure Occurs in very loose sands weak clays
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General shear failure

Local shear failure

Punching shear failure

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Application of limit equilibrium methods first done by Prandtl on the punching of thick masses of metal. Prandtl's methods adapted by Terzaghi to bearing capacity failure of shallow foundations. Vesic and others improved on Terzaghi's original theory and added other factors for a more complete analysis
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Depth of foundation is less than or equal to its width No sliding occurs between foundation and soil (rough foundation) Soil beneath foundation is homogeneous semi infinite mass Mohr-Coulomb model for soil General shear failure mode is the governing mode (but not the only mode)

No soil consolidation occurs Foundation is very rigid relative to the soil Soil above bottom of foundation has no shear strength; is only a surcharge load against the overturning load Applied load is compressive and applied vertically to the centroid of the foundation No applied moments present

Since soil cohesion can be difficult to quantify, conservative values of c (cohesion) should be used. Frictional strength is more reliable and does not need to be as conservative as cohesion. Terzaghi's method is simple and familiar to many geotechnical engineers; however, it does not take into account many factors, nor does it consider cases such as rectangular foundations.

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General Shear Failures 1. Strip Footing:

1 = + + 2

Square Footing: = 1.3 + + 0.4 3. Rectangular Footing:

2.

= 1.3[1 +

0.3 ]+

1 0.2 [1 ] 2

4. Circular Footing: = 1.3 + + 0.3

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Local Shear Failures 1. Strip Footing:

1 = + + 2 2. Square Footing: = 1.3 + + 0.4 3. Rectangular Footing:

= 1.3[1 +
0.2 ] 0.3 ]

+ +

1 [1 2

4. Circular Footing: = 1.3 + + 0.3

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1. Gross Allowable Load: = ; = 2

2. Net Allowable Load: () = ; = 2

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A footing 6m square carries a total load, including its own weight of 10,000kN. The base of the footing is at a depth of 3.0m below the ground surface. The soil strata at the site consists of a layer of stiff fully saturated clay 27.5m thick overlaying dense sand. The average bulk density of the clay is 1,920kg/m3 and its average shear strength determined from un-drained triaxial test is 130kN/m2.
1. Determine the gross foundation pressure. 2. Determine the net foundation pressure. 3. Calculate the factor of safety of the foundation against complete shear failure under the un-drained condition (both gross and net)

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Modifications of Bearing Capacity

Groundwater Effects

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Shallow groundwater affects shear strength in two ways:

Reduces apparent cohesion that takes place when soils are not saturated; may necessitate reducing the cohesion measured in the laboratory Pore water pressure increases; reduces both effective stress and shear strength in the soil (same problem as is experienced with unsupported slopes)
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If water table is located so that D1 < Df. The factor q in the bearing capacity equations will be:

= 1 + 2( )
Where: q= efective surcharge = unit weight of soil sat= saturated unit weight of soil w = unit weight of water

Water table

D1 Df D2

Also the value of in the last term of the equations has to be replaced by

= ( )

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If water table is located so that 0< d < B. The factor q in the bearing capacity equations will be:

Where: q= efective surcharge = unit weight of soil d= depth of water table from bottom of foundation

Df

The factor in the last term of the equations has to be replaced by factor

= + d/B ( )
Water table B d

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If water table is located so that d B, the water will have no effect on the ultimate bearing capacity. = . + + .

Use: =
Df

B Water table

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If water table is located at the bottom of the foundation. = . + + .

Use: =
Water table Df

B Change the value of in the last term of the equations by

= ( )

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A square footing carries an allowable load of 60,000kg including its own weight. The bottom of the footing and the ground water table is 1.2m below the ground surface. Using the formula: = 1.3 + + 0.4

1. Compute the effective surcharge at the bottom of the footing. 2. Compute the value of B using a gross factor of safety of 3. Assume general shear failure. 3. Compute the net factor of safety. Use s = 1,850kg/m3; sat = 1,960kg/m3 C=1600kg/m3; =30o

From table Nc = 35 Nq = 22 N =19

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A square footing has a dimension of 1.2m x 1.2m and has its bottom 1.0m below the ground surface.

1. If the ground water table is located at depth of 1.2m from the ground surface, compute the allowable load that the footing could carry if it has a factor of safety of 3. 2. Find the ultimate bearing capacity of the soil if the groundwater table is at the bottom of the footing 3. Find the ultimate bearing capacity of the soil if the ground water table is 0.50m above the bottom of the footing.
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In layered soil profiles, the unit weight of the soil, the angle of friction and the cohesion are not constant throughout the depth. The ultimate surface failure may extend through two or more of the soil layers. Consider the case when the stronger soil is underlain by a weaker soil. If H, the thickness of the layer of soil below the footing, is relatively large then the failure surface will be completely located in the top soil layer, which is the upper limit for the ultimate bearing capacity. If the thickness H is small compared to the foundation width B, a punching shear failure will occur at the top soil stratum, followed by a general shear failure in the bottom soil layer. If H is relatively deep, then the shear failure will occur only on the top soil layer.
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The Bearing Capacity of Multi-Layered Soils

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Meyerhof and Hanna (1978) and Meyerhof(1974)

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Meyerhof and Hannas punching shear coefficient Ks

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Variation of ca/c1 with q2/q1

based on the theory of Meyerhof and Hanna (1978)

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