EXAMPLE #2.

Use the cone sounding data presented in class to design a footing with thickness = 0.5
meters and D = 1 meters.
The load on the foundation is P = 300,000 lbf
Use FS = 3
Assume a rigid foundation and assume that the gwt is at z=0. Settlement should be less
than 3 cm.
D := 1 m

is a function of

Design Examples - Shallow Foundations.

= 17.6 + 11 log

qc

2
( pa)
eff

at a depth = B, eff

q=

B
2

2. Determine layers and classify the soil. For the cone data given, the top layers are
z=0-4m: qT = 3MPa
FR = 3 soil is in area #6 (sandy silt to clayey silt)
z=4-8.6: qT = 16 MPa
FR = 0.5
soil is in area # 9 (sand)
z=8.6-9: qT = 16 MPa
FR = 0.5 soil is in area # 9 (sand)

B := 24

eff := 18

qa =

4. set

q ult
FS

qa = q

1 B N

eff

=
3

FS

B = 24

= 8.19

( eff N )
P

This is the design equation for drained analysis.

P = 1.334 10 kN

eff := 8.19

pa := 100 kPa atmospheric pressure

kN
3

qc := 4 MPa

eff = 32.959 kPa

OK, now you can compute the new phi using the effective stress calculated above,
which is a function of B...

Find the N value that corresponds to this phi angle (see chart in
handout given) and place it above (where you had an arbirtary value of
N). Do this until cenvergence - the value of does not change anymore.

q ult :=

Round up

Nc := 6.14

1 B N

eff

q ult = 557.302 kPa

This is the bearing capacity of the

foundation wih B = 3.1m for drained
conditions.

FS

for circular footing

by using the factor of safety

qa

q ult

4. set

kPa := 10 Pa
3

[ ( 1 m) + B]

Nc su
FS

Nc su
3

kN

MPa := 10 Pa

3. find

qa =

m
6

qc

( eff pa) 2

q ult = Nc su

kN

kN

UNDRAINED ANALYSIS

P
B

2

:= 17.6 + 11 log

B := 3.1 m

and solve for B

eff = ( 18 9.81)

P := 300000 lbf

( 1 m + B) 9.81

B = 3.024 m

For eff assume that soil = 18 kN/m^3

kN := 1000 N

= 37.874

1 B N
1 B N

eff

eff

This is the B that corresponds to the arbitrary N that you chose above...

by using the factor of safety

qa

Find B - this is again, the design equation.

Compute the angle of internal friction of the soil

DRAINED ANALYSIS

3. find

kN

1 B N

eff

The method calls for finding the effective stress at a depth = B below the foundation base
So, at a depth = z = B+D, eff = ?

Lets assume that the soil at a depth B below the foundation is the first layer - sandy silt
to clayey silt. If this is the case, then we need to perform both drained and undrained
analysis

( eff N )

B = 3.024 m

find q ult

q ult =

=?
1

Note that we are disregarding the foundation weight and the weight of the soil above
the footing, as well as the pore pressure at a depth = D in this equation. This is done to simplify
THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE.

Write this equation with a bold equal sign so that it does not turn red.
Very important note:
When you want to plot phi vs. depth from cone data, then the effective stress used in
this equation is that calculated by considering the mid depth of the layer in question.
However, when you use this equation for shallow foundation design, you must calculate
the effective stress at a depth = B below the foundation base.

use an arbitrary # for N you will change it soon...

N := 45

bar := 100 1000 Pa

1. find q as a function of B
P

This qc is for the layer we preselected (top layer)

Nc su
3

qa = q

and solve for B

P
B

2

B = 2

3 P
Nc su

This is the design equation for undrained conditions...

kN := 1000 N

MPa := 10 Pa

kPa := 10 Pa
3

P := 300000 lbf

P = 1.334 10 kN

pa := 100 kPa

Parameters repeated here for clarity when going back to

review this worksheet.

qc := 4 MPa

is ???

su

Settlement - use Schmertmann's method

At this point we must find Su from the cone data.

Lets assume that B = 5m works.

The equation is (see your downloaded notes):

su
eff

1
2

sin( ) OCR

This suggests that the undrained analysis controls the bearing capacity. But you have not finished yet!
You must iterate here. Now that B = 5.5 meters, you must find OCR and phi for the layer that lies at a depth of B=5.5m
below the foundation base - that is, at z = D+B = 1+5.5 = 6.5m. You must compute the effective stress at this depth as
well. You will then follow the procedure above to compute another B and so on, until convergence.

B = 5.5 m

0.8

effzD := ( 1 ) m 18

So, we need the proper effective stress, OCR and the proper phi to use in this equation.
We start by considering a depth of B below the foundation base (let's use the B that we caulated from the
drained analysis, B = 3.1m).
Thus, the depth z
in question would be at

B = 3.1 m + 1 m (=D) = 4.1m

Depth
(m)
2.0
6.3
8.0
11.0
15.0
18.5
22.0

qT
(Mpa)
4.0
16.0
16.0
16.1
2.2
20.2
20.1

qc
(Mpa)
4.0
16.0
16.0
16.0
2.0
20.0
20.0

u2
(kPa)
-0.3
0.8
-1.1
-3.3
-9.5
-10.3
-4.6

v0
(kPa)
36.0
112.5
144.0
198.0
270.0
333.0
396.0

u0
(kPa)
0.0
0.0
9.8
39.2
78.5
112.8
147.2

v0'
(kPa)
36.0
112.5
134.2
158.8
191.5
220.2
248.9

37.7
41.6
41.0
40.2
29.5
40.0
39.6

Mayne 95 M and K, 1982

Ko
Ko
1.0
1.0
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.9
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.7
0.7
0.0
0.0

OCR
6.0
3.2
6.0
2.0
4.5
3.5

:= 41.6 deg

WE COMPUTE the effective stress at that depth as well (just like in the drained analysis). The depth is z = B+D, which in this case
is
eff := 18

kN
3

( 1 m + B) 9.81

kN
3

[ ( 1 m) + B]

B = 3.1 m

( 1 ) m 9.81

kN

Effective stress at the bottom of the

foundaiton

1 m + B 18 kN 1 m + B 9.81 kN Effective stress at a depth below the ground

3
3
2
2
m
m surface = to D + B/2

effzp = 30.712 kPa

D+

B
2

= 3.75 m

q :=

B

2

Iep := 0.5 + ( 0.1)

q effzD
effzp

Iep = 0.625

effzD

c1 := 1 0.5

c1 = 0.915

q effzD

c2 := 1

eff = 33.579 kPa

kN

effzD = 8.19 kPa

effzp :=

At z = 4.1 meters, the layer is the second layer! Note from the table above that the mid-depth of the second
layer is at 6.3m. OK, so at z=4.1m, the layer is the second layer and this layer has an OCR = 3.2 and phi =
41.6 degrees.
OCR := 3.2

c3 := 1.03 0.03

B
B

c3 = 1

Es := 300 su

The Su equation (again) is:

su
eff

1
2

sin( ) OCR

0.8

solving for Su yields:

su :=

1 sin( ) OCR0.8

eff
2

wait wait wait! - what about averaging the Su over a depth = 1B to 1.5B below the foundation base?
Aha, that is the "more involved" analysis. In that case, Su must be plotted with depth, and the average is then taken. How do you
plot it? Easy - use the equation above with OCR's and phi's for say 4 depths, calculate the effective stress at those depths, and then
plot Su vs. depth. The "more involved" analysis is important for cases where there are various layers that feel the stress, and/or
when the footing is very large. In this case, the first and second layers are quite thick, so we can use the Su at z = B+D.

:=

c1 c2 c3 ( q effzD) ( Iep + 0.025 ) B

= 1.85 cm

Es
= 0.728 in

su = 28.267 kPa
B := 2

3 P
Nc su

Design equation

Find B
B = 5.419 m
B := 5.5 m

round up
4

This answer presumes that the modulus is constant with depth from D to 2B (in this case, su is assumed to be
constant within this region). That is, from z=1m to z=1 + 2(3.4)=7.7m. Is this the case? Look at the cone
data - At z=7.7 meters we are in the third layer, where qc is 16 MPa and the OCR is about 6. Thus, a more
accurate analysis could be performed as follows
1. divide the thickness from D to 2B into three layers (as you have done for your sounding.
2. with the data for each layer, compute the su with the equation
su =

1 sin( ) OCR0.8

eff
2

Find eff at the middle of each sublayer

3. You will obtain 3 su values (one for each layer).

= c1 c2 c3 q effzD

Ie H
Es

4. How do you find Ie? - from Schmertmann's plot or from equations 7.19 - 7.23.

B=3.4m
Depth
(m)
2.00
6.25
8.00
11.00
15.00
18.50
22.00

qc
(Mpa)
4.0
16.0
16.0
16.0
2.0
20.0
20.0

v0'
(kPa)
36.0
112.5
134.2
158.8
191.5
220.2
248.9

37.7
41.6
41.0
40.2
29.5
40.0
39.6

OCR
6.0
3.2
6.0
2.0
4.5
3.5

su
kPa
46.1
94.6
184.5
89.2
157.3
192.9

H
(m)
4
2.5
2.5

zf
(m)
1.50
4.25
7.00

zf/B
0.44
1.25
2.06

Ie1 := 0.67

H1 := 4 m

Es1 := 46.1 300 kPa

Ie2 := 0.38

H2 := 2.5 m

Es2 := 94.6 300 kPa

Ie3 := 0.0001

H3 := 2.5 m

Es3 := 184.5 300 kPa

new := c1 c2 c3 q effzD

new = 0.997 cm

Ie1 H1

Es1

Ie2 H2
Es2

Ie
0.67
0.38
0.0001

Ie3 H3
Es3

new = 0.393 in

Thus, we must increase B and redo the whole analysis. However, note that the deeper layers are
stronger (from cone data) - thus, we can think of placing the footing on a deeper stratum - these
are sand strata, so we can use the drained analysis only...