FOUNDATION ENGINEERING 2

Mat Foundations (Design Equations)

Design Example
Design the mat foundation for the plan shown below. All column dimensions are 50
cm x 50 cm with the load schedule shown below. The allowable soil pressure is qall =
60 kPa. Use fc = 24 Mpa and fy = 275 MPa

4.25 m

4.25 m

8m
y

0.25 m
M

3.75 m

DL= 200 kN
LL= 200 kN

N
DL = 250 kN
LL = 250 kN

C
DL=250 kN
LL=200 kN

7m

DL=800 kN
LL= 700 kN

DL=800 kN
LL= 700 kN

DL=650 kN
LL=550 kN

7m

DL=800 kN
LL= 700 kN

DL=800 kN
LL= 700 kN

DL=650 kN
LL=550 kN

3.75 m

DL = 250 kN
LL = 250 kN

J
0.25 m

8m

DL=200 kN
LL= 200kN

21.5 m

7m

7m

0.1 m

Pu

7m

0.44m

DL=200 kN
LL=150 kN

8m

L
0.25 m

16.5 m

Plan of Mat Foundation with column loads and dimensions

1 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

STEP 1 CHECK SOIL PRESSURE FOR SELECTED DIMENTION

Allowable load P = !Pi
Ultimate load

Piu = ! [1.4DLi + 1.7LLi]

Ultimate ratio

ru =

Pu
P

The table below shows the calculations for the loads:

Column

DL, kN

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L

200
250
250
800
800
650
800
800
650
200
250
200

LL, kN

P, kN

200
250
200
700
700
550
700
700
550
200
250
150
Total Loads =

400
500
450
1500
1500
1200
1500
1500
1200
400
500
350
11000
ru =

Pu, kN
620
775
690
2310
2310
1845
2310
2310
1845
620
775
535
16945
1.54

Ultimate pressure qu = qa x ru = 60 x 1.54 = 92.4 kPa

Location of the resultant load Pu
In x- direction:
ex '

!My-axis = 0,

"620 % 2310 % 2310 % 620# $ 8

&

"690 % 1845 % 1845 % 535# $ 8

16945

= 0.44 m
In y- direction:
ey '

!Mx-axis = 0,

"620 % 775 % 690#x10.5 % "2310 % 2310 % 1845#x3.5 - "2310 % 2310 % 1845#x3.5 & "620 % 775 % 535#x10.5
16945

= 0.1 m

2 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

-P
My x
Mx y *
(
Applied ultimate pressure, qu,applied = + u .
.
Iy
Ix (
+A
,
)
A = Area = BL = (16.5) x (21.5) = 354.75 m2

Where

Mx = Pu ey = (16945)(0.1) = 1694.5 kN.m

My = Pu ex = (16945)(0.44) = 7455.8 kN.m
1

Ix =

Iy =

12
1
12

BL =

12
1

LB =

12

(16.5) (21.5) = 13665 m4

3

(21.5) (16.5) = 8050 m4

Therefore,
7455.8 x
1694.5 y *
- 16945
qu,applied = +
.
.
(
8050
13665 )(
,+ 354.75

"

= 47.76 . 0.93 x . 0.124 y

Point

Sign for x Sign for y

8.25

10.75

56.77

10.75

49.09

8.25

10.75

&

41.42

8.25

10.75

&

54.10

10.75

&

46.43

8.25

10.75

&

&

38.75

qu,applied, kPa

For the dimensions L = 21.5 m and B = 16.5 m,

qu,max = 56.77 kPa < qu = 92.4 kPa
and
qu,min = 38.75 kPa > 0
Therefore, the dimensions are adequate.
3 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

STEP 2 DRAW SHEAR AND MOMENT DIAGRAMS (L - DIRECTION)

The mat is divided into several strips in L-direction (see figure on page 1).
The following strips are considered: AMOJ, MNPO and NCLP
The following calculations are performed for every strip:
a) The average uniform soil reaction, qu =

q u,

Edge 1

% qu

edge 2

Refer to table on page 3 for pressure values

Strip AMOJ: Edge 1 is point A

and

Edge 2 is point J

Strip MNPO: Edge 1 is point B

and

Edge 2 is point K

Strip NCLP: Edge 1 is point C

and

Edge 2 is point L

b) Total soil reaction Qi = qu x (Bi x L)

Strip AMOJ: B1 = 4.25 m
Strip MNPO: B2 = 8.00 m
Strip NCLP: B3 = 4.25 m
For all strips L = 21.5 m
c) Total Column loads Pu, total = !Pui
d) Average load Pu, avg =

Q i % Pu,total
2

e) Load multiplying factor F =

Pu,

avg

Pu,

total

f) The modified loads on this strip P'ui = (F) x (Pui)

- Pu, avg *
g) Modified Average soil pressure qu, modified = qu x +
(
+, Q i ()
h) The pressure distribution along the length of the strip
qu, L =

/ P' ui
L

4 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

The following table presents the calculations for the selected strips:
Strip

Bi, m Point
A
J
B
K
C
L

AMOJ 4.25
MNPO 8.00
NCLP 4.25

qu,
kPa
56.77
54.10
49.09
46.43
41.42
38.75

qu,avg
kPa

Q,
kN

Total Pu,
kN

Pu, avg, qu, mod

kN
kPa

55.44

5065.37

5860.00 5462.69 59.47 0.932

47.76

8214.72

6170.00 7192.36 40.97 1.166

40.09

3662.77

4915.00 4288.88 45.94 0.873

Based on table above, the adjusted column loads and the pressure under
each is strip are:
Strip

Column

DL, kN

LL, kN

P, kN

Pu, kN

AMOJ
F=0.932

P'u, kN qu,L, kN/m

200

200

400

620

800

700

1500

2310

2152.92

800

700

1500

2310

2152.92

200

200

400

620

577.84

Total =

2000

1800

3800

5860

5461.52

MNPO

250

250

500

775

F=1.166

800

700

1500

2310

2693.46

800

700

1500

2310

2693.46

250

250

500

775

903.65

Total =

2100

1900

4000

6170

7194.22

NCLP

250

200

450

690

F=0.873

650

550

1200

1845

1610.685

650

550

1200

1845

1610.685

200

150

350

535

467.055

Total =

1750

1450

3200

4915

4290.795

Total Loads =

5850

5150

11000

16945

577.84 254.02

903.65 334.61

602.37 199.57

The shear and bending moment diagrams for the selected strip in Ldirection are shown below.

5 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

Strip AMOJ (B' = 4.25 m)

577.8 kN
0.25 m

2152.9 kN

2152.9 kN
7m

7m

7m

577.8 kN
0.25 m

254.02 kN/m

1500
1265.4
888.1

1000

510.8

500
63.4

V(kN)

& -500

10

15

20 -63.4

-510.8

-1000

-888 .1
-1265.4

-1500

Max. moment between columns

Steel at the bottom
2660.5
2660.5

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000

500

M(kN.m)

&

1106.3
7.9

7.9

-500

5
-503.0

-1000

10

15

20

- 503.0

Max. moment under columns

Steel at the top

Moment drawn on compression side

6 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

Strip MNPO (B' = 8.0 m)

903.7 kN
0.25 m

2693.5 kN

2693.5 kN
7m

7m

7m

903.7 kN
0.25 m

334.6 kN/m

2000
1524.9

1500

1169.8

1000

814.7

500
83.6

V(kN)

& -500

10

15

20 -83.6

-814.7

-1000

-1169.8

-1500

-1524.9

-2000
Max. moment between columns
Steel at the bottom

3000

2496.2

2496.2

2500
2000
1500
1000
500

+
&

449.1

10.5

M(kN.m)

10.5

-500

10

15

20

-1000

-982.4
-1500

Max. moment under columns

Steelon
atcompression
the top
Moment drawn
side

-982.4

Moment drawn on compression side

7 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

Strip NCLP (B' = 4.25 m)

602.4 kN
0.25 m

1610.7 kN

1610.7 kN
7m

7m

7m

467.1 kN
0.25 m

199.6 kN/m

1000
845.0

632.6

500

420.4

+
V(kN)

50.1
0

&

-500

10

20 -49.7

15

-554.4
-766.6

-1000

-978.8

-1500

1500

1023.5

Max. moment between columns

Steel at the bottom

1000

554.7
500

+
M(kN.m)

&

6.3

6.3
0

-500
-1000
-1500
-2000

10

15

20

-446.6
-762.3

-1842.1

Max. moment under columns

Steel at the top

Moment drawn on compression side

8 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

STEP 3 DEPTH OF CONCRETE, d'

The table below was prepared for the columns and d was estimated using
Structural Depth of Concrete table for punching shear failure (fc' = 24 MPa).
Column

Punching

p', m

Pu, kN

d', m

A&J

1.00

620

0.29

B&K

1.50

775

0.27

1.00

690

0.31

D&G

1.50

2310

0.62

Maximum

E&H

2.00

2310

0.54

Use d' = 0.65 m

F&I

1.50

1845

0.53

1.00

535

0.25

STEP 4 REINFORCEMENT
L-direction Reinforcement: The table below is prepared by selecting the
appropriate moments for each strip and estimate the moment per meter
by Mui/m = Mu/Bi or Li . Using Mui/m, d' = 0.65, fc' = 24 MPa and fy = 275
MPa*, p (percent steel) and thus As can be estimated by Percent Steel
Tables.
Strip

B', m

Location

AMJO

4.25

0-5 m / top
5-17 m / bottom
17-21.5 m / top

503
2660.5
503

MNPO

0-5 m / top
5-16.5 m / bottom
16.5-21.5 m / top

MNPO 4.25

Mu, kN.m Mu, kN.m/m

p, %

AS (cm2/m)

Reinforcement

118.4
626.0
118.4

0.11**
0.62..
0.11**

33.2
40.3
33.2

030@25 cm c-c
030@20 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c

982.4
2496.2
982.4

122.8
312.0
122.8

0.11**
0.30**
0.11**

33.2
33.2
33.2

030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c

0-6 m / top
762.3
6-9 m / bottom
1023.5
9-13 m / top
446.6
1314.5 m / bottom 554.7
14.5-21.5 m / top 1842.1

179.4
240.8
105.1
130.5
433.4

0.18**
0.24**
0.10**
0.12**
0.43**

33.2
33.2
33.2
33.2
33.2

030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c
030@25 cm c-c

* For fc' = 24 MPa and fy = 275 MPa, p(min) = 0.51%, and p(max) = 2.99%
** p < p(min) so use p(min) = 0.51%
+ AS = p x d' x 1 = (p/100) x (65) x (100)

B-direction Reinforcement: The same can be done for the B-direction

moments (step 2) by considering (refer to page 1) strips: ACNM (B' = 3.75
m), MNPO (B' = 7 m), OPRQ (B' = 7m) and QRLJ (B' = 3.75 m).
9 of 9

Foundation Engineering 2
Example on Design of Mat Foundations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma