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First Semester M.E. (Civil) Degree Examination, March 2013

Geotechnical Engineering
2K8GT 105 : DESIGN OF SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS

Time : 3 Hours Max. Marks : 100

Instructions : 1) Answer any five full questions.

2) Missing data may be suitably assumed.

1. a) With usual notations derive Terzaghi’s general bearing capacity equation for
a continuous footing. 10

b) Calculate the net ultimate bearing capacity of a rectangular footing 2m×4m

in plan, founded at a depth of 1.5 m below the ground surface. The load on
the footing acts at an angle of 15° to the vertical and is eccentric in the
direction of width by 15 cm. The saturated unit weight of the soil is 18 kN/m3.
The shear strength parameters, C = 15 kN/m2 and φ = 25° . Natural water
table is at a depth of 2m below the ground surface. Use Meyerhof’s
recommendations. Refer table for bearing capacity, shape, depth and
inclination factors. 10

2. a) Explain with neat sketches, Meyerhof’s method of computing ultimate

bearing capacity of foundation on slopes. 10

b) A footing of size 1.5 m×1.5 m × 0.75 m is placed at a depth of 2.0 m below

the ground surface the properties of the foundation soil are γ = 17.9 kN/m3,
φ = 25° and Cu = 15 kN/m2. Estimate the allowable uplift force for a factor
of safety of 2.5. Take shape factor = Sf = 1.06. 10

P.T.O.
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3. a) Explain with neat sketches the determination of ultimate bearing capacity of

footing resting on layered clays and layered C- φ soils. 12
b) For rectangular footing of size 3m × 6m is resting on the layered clays as
shown in figure 1. Find the ultimate load carrying capacity of the footing.
Ref. figure 1 (a) for bearing capacity factors for layered clay soils. 8

Figure-1

Fig. 1 (a)
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4. a) Explain with sketches, the vertical pressure distribution on a horizontal plane

and on a vertical line due to a concentrated load at the ground surface. 10

b) A rectangular footing of size 3m × 2.5m × 0.5 m with a column is subjected

to an axial force and a moment of 600 kN and 100 kN-m respectively as
shown in figure-2. The soil parameters are ES = 10000 kPa, μ = 0.3. The
concrete column is 0.5m × 0.5 m and has a length of 3.0 m and
EC = 27.6×106 KPa. Estimate the footing rotation and find the corresponding footing
moment assuming the upper end of the column is fixed. 10

Figure-2

5. a) Explain how settlement of footing can be estimated from SCPT values. 10

b) Explain the step by step procedure of proportion of footing. 10

6. a) Explain various methods of determining the bearing capacity of rock. 10

b) Explain briefly the erosion problems for structures adjacent to flowing water. 10

7. a) What is modulus of subgrade reaction ? Explain the factors affecting the

same. 5

b) Explain the procedure to be adopted for the control of mat foundation

settlement. 5
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c) A building has to be supported on a R.C. raft foundation of dimensions 15 m × 20 m.

The sub soil is clay which has an average unconfined compressive strength
of 20 kN/m2. The pressure on the soil due to the weight of the building and
the load that it will carry will be 160 kN/m2 at the base of the raft. If the unit
weight of the excavated soil is 20 kN/m3, at what depth should the bottom of
the raft be placed to provide a factor of safety of 3 against shear failure.
Use Skempton’s recommendations. 10

8. Write short notes on the following :

a) Foundation on sanitary land bill sites.

b) Modes of shear failure.

c) Reliability on settlement calculations.

d) Cyclic plate load test. (4×5=20)

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