1.

Shallow Foundation: Ultimate Bearing Capacity

1.1. Terzaghis Bearing Capacity Theory

Ultimate bearing capacity (q
u
) of general shear failure:
Continuous or strip foundation:

BN qN N c q
q c u
5 . 0 ' + + =
Square foundation:

BN qN N c q
q c u
4 . 0 ' 3 . 1 + + =
Circular foundation:

BN qN N c q
q c u
3 . 0 ' 3 . 1 + + =
) 1 ( ' cot
2
'
4
cos 2
' cot
2
' tan ) 2 / ' 4 / 3 ( 2
=
(
(
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
=

q c
N
e
N

|
.
|

\
|
+
=

2
'
45 cos 2
2
' tan ) 2 / ' 4 / 3 ( 2

e
N
q

' tan 1
' cos 2
1
2

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
p
K
N
Table 1: Terzaghis Bearing Capacity Factors
N
c
N
q
N

0 5.70 1.00 0.00
5 7.34 1.64 0.14
10 9.61 2.69 0.56
15 12.86 4.45 1.52
20 17.69 7.44 3.64
25 25.13 12.72 8.34
30 37.16 22.46 19.13
35 57.75 41.44 45.41
40 95.66 81.27 115.31
45 172.28 173.28 325.34
50 347,50 415.14 1072.80
Figure 1. Terzaghis Bearing Capacity Factors
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40



Ultimate bearing capacity (q
u
) of local shear failure:
Continuous or strip foundation:

' 5 . 0 ' ' '

3
2
BN qN N c q
q c u
+ + =
Square foundation:

' 4 . 0 ' ' ' 867 . 0 BN qN N c q

q c u
+ + =
Circular foundation:

' 3 . 0 ' ' ' 867 . 0 BN qN N c q

q c u
+ + =
N
c
, N
q
, and N

, the modified bearing capacity factors, can be calculated by using the

bearing capacity factor equations (for N
c
, N
q
, and N

respestively)by replacing by
) ' tan ( tan '
3
2
1


= .


( )
N
c

;

N
q

;

N

N
c

N
q

N
Factor of Safety (FS):
Based on gross allowable bearing capacity:
all
u
q
q
FS =
Based on net ultimate bearing capacity:
) ( net all
u
q
q q
FS

= ;
f
D q =

Water Table:

Case I: 0 s D
1
s D
f
; ) (
2 1 w sat
D D q + = ;
w sat
= '
Case II: 0 s d s B ;
f
D q = ; ) ( ' + ' =
B
d

Case III: when water table is located that d > B, the water will have no effect on the
ultimate bearing capacity.
1.2. The General Bearing Capacity

General bearing capacity equation:
i d s qi qd qs q ci cd cs c u
F F F BN F F F qN F F F N c q

2
1
+ + ' =
Bearing Capacity Factors:

'
'
+ =
tan
)
2
45 ( tan
2
e N
q

' = cot ) 1 (
q c
N N

' + = tan ) 1 ( 2
q
N N

Table 2: Bearing Capacity Factors (General Bearing Capacity Equation)
N
c
N
q
N

0 5.7 1 0
5 6.49 1.57 0.45
10 8.35 2.47 1.22
15 10.98 3.94 2.65
20 14.83 6.4 5.39
25 20.72 10.66 10.88
30 30.14 18.4 22.4
35 46.12 33.3 48.03
40 75.31 64.2 109.41
45 133.88 134.88 271.76
50 266.89 319.07 762.89

Figure 2. Bearing Capacity Factors (General Bearing Capacity Equation)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Shape Factors:
L > B
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
c
q
cs
N
N
L
B
F 1
'
|
.
|

\
|
+ = tan 1
L
B
F
qs

|
.
|

\
|
=
L
B
F
s
4 . 0 1

Depth Factors:
For D
f


/ B 1 For D
f


/ B > 1
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
B
D
F
f
cd
4 . 0 1
B
D
F
f
qd
2
) sin 1 ( tan 2 1 ' ' + =
1 =
d
F

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =

B
D
F
f
cd
1
tan ) 4 . 0 ( 1
B
D
F
f
qd
1 2
tan ) sin 1 ( tan 2 1

' ' + =
1 =
d
F

Inclination Factors:
= inclination of the load on the foundation with respect to the vertical.
2
90
1
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =

qi ci
F F
2
1
|
|
.
|

\
|
'
=

i
F








Problem:

A square foundation (B x B) has to be constructed as shown below. Assume that = 16.5
kN/m
3
,
sat
= 18.5 kN/m
3
, D
f
= 1.2 m, and D
1
= 0.6 m. The gross allowable load, Q
all
,
with FS=3 is 675 kN. The standard penetration resistance, N
60
values are as follows:

Depth (m) N
60
(blow/m)
1.5
3.0
4.5
6.0
7.5
4
6
6
10
5


Determine the size of the footing!


Solution:

5 . 0
0
60 60 1
'
) (
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

a
p
N N
20
'
20
5 . 0
5 . 0
0
60
+
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
= '

a
p
N

p
a
(atmospheric pressure) ~ 95 kN/m
2
. Now the following table can be prepared:
Depth (m) N
60
o
0
(kN/m
2
) (deg)
1.5
3.0
4.5
6.0
7.5
4
6
6
10
5
0.6x16.5+0.9(18.5-9.8)=17.73
17.73+1.5(18.5-9.8)=30.78
30.78+1.5(18.5-9.8)=43.83
43.83+1.5(18.5-9.8)=56.88
56.88+1.5(18.5-9.8)=69.93
33.6
34.5
33.3
36.0
30.8
Average |=33.64~ 34

Next we have
q
all
= Q
all
/ B
2
= 675 / B
2
kN/m
2


with c = 0, we obtain
q
all
=
FS
q
u
=
3
1
|
.
|

\
|
+
d s qd qs q
F F BN F F qN

'
2
1

For =34 from table 3.3., N
q
=29.44 and N

=41.06.
Hence,
F
qs
= 1+
L
B
tan = 1+tan 34 = 1.67
F
s
= 1 0.4(
L
B
) = 1- 0.4 = 0.6
F
qd
= 1 + 2 tan |(1-sin|)
2
B
D
f
= 1 + 2 tan 34 (1-sin 34)
2
B
4
= 1 +
B
05 . 1

F
d
= 1

And

q = (0.6)(16.5) + 0.6(18.5-9.8) = 15.12 kN/m
2


so

q
all
=
3
1
(

|
.
|

\
|
+ |
.
|

\
|
+ ) 1 )( 6 . 0 )( 06 . 41 )( )( 8 . 9 5 . 18 (
2
1 05 . 1
1 ) 67 . 1 )( 44 . 29 )( 12 . 15 ( B
B


= 247.79 +
B
18 . 260
+ 107.16B

Substitution,
675 / B
2
= 247.79 +
B
18 . 260
+ 107.16B
By trial and error, we find that B ~ 1.025 m








1.3. Eccentrically Loaded Foundation

Figure 3. Eccentrically Load


L B
M
BL
Q
q
2
max
6
+ = ;
L B
M
BL
Q
q
2
min
6
=
Q
M
e =
For e<B/6:
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
B
e
BL
Q
q
6
1
max
; |
.
|

\
|
=
B
e
BL
Q
q
6
1
min

For e>B/6:
) 2 ( 3
4
max
e B L
Q
q

= ; negative q =
min





Ultimate Bearing Capacity under Eccentric Loading Meyerhofs Theory:

Step 1: Determine the effective dimension of the foundation:
B = effective width = B-2e
L = effective length = L


Step 2: Use general equation for ultimate bearing capacity:

i d s qi qd qs q ci cd cs c u
F F F BN F F F qN F F F N c q

2
1
+ + ' =
Step 3: Determine the total ultimate load
' ' A q Q
u ult
=
A= effective area = (B)(L)
Step 4: Determine factor of safety against bearing capacity failure

Q
Q
FS
ult
=
Step 5: Check the factor of safety against q
max
;

max
'
q
q
FS
u
=















Problem:

A continuous foundation is shown below. If the load eccentricity is 0.15 m, determine the
ultimate load, Q
ult
, per unit length of the foundation. Use Meyerhofs effective area.

Solution:

For c=0,

i d s qi qd qs q u
F F F BN F F F qN q

2
1
0 + + =
where,
q = (17.5)(1.8) = 31.5 kN/m
2


For = 35, from Table.1 Terzaghis Bearing Capacity Factors, N
q
= 33.3 and N

=
48.03
And B = 2 (2)(0.15) = 1.70 m
Because the foundation is a strip foundataion, B / L is zero.
Hence,
1 = =
s
qs
F F


1 = =
i
qi
F F


F
qd
= 1 + 2 tan |(1-sin|)
2
B
D
f
= 1 + 2 tan 35 (1-sin 35)
2
B
4

= 1 + 0.255 |
.
|

\
|
2
8 . 1

= 1.2295
F
d
= 1

And
) 1 )( 1 )( 1 )( 03 . 48 )( 70 . 1 )( 5 . 17 ( ) 1 )( 2295 . 1 )( 1 )( 3 . 33 )( 5 . 31 ( 0
2
1
+ + =
u
q
= 2004.13 kN/m
2

Thus,
Q
ult
= (B)(1)(q
u
) = (1.70)(1)(2004.13) = 3407.021 kN/m = 340.7 ton/m