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Square footing or simply known as Spread Footing from the world alone means to distribute the
concentrated load over a large area which has a lower intensity of pressure, sometimes this is called an
isolated footing and used generally to distribute the load from the base of the column. The depth is
usually controlled by diagonal tension. Let us consider the figure, the perimeter in shear for a square
column is 4(w + d) and the depth to the centre of the steel area is d. The soil pressure on the base of

the footing is q = . Summing forces vertical ∑ on the diagonal tension. The footing weights
cancels
2
which gives Pu = (w + d) q + 4d’ (w + d)vc = 0 rearranging terms we get

d2(vc + ) + d(vc + )w = (BL – W2)/4 Equation (1)

to facilitate the design of footings, various charts are published by the A.C.I. code. The quantity
(A2)/(A1) should not be less than 2 equation 1 is the general equation for solving the depth
of footing a quadratic equation and very useful in computer application.

L A1

B 2 2

d 1 1

A2

ART. 11.10.1A Bearing pressure on top of footing

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However a direct formula derived by the author can be used to solve the depth of
footing directly it may be used also for a sub – routine program in lieu of the standard
mathematical expression used by the author. (See design steps or program no 17 code
name “Square Foot’).
● ●

● ●

Column reinforcement with ties

d ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B 2” or 2.5” covering

Square Footing with column section

(3.4v1 + Pu)d12 + s(3.4v1 + 2Pu)D1 = Pu(A – a2) here the legends

v1 = Nominal shearing stress caused by the column load shear.

Pu = Ultimate column load

d1 = Effective depth of footing with respect to v1

S = Side of column

A = Area of footing in plan. The above mathematical expression is helpful for computer
application . rather than using the design steps outlined, we treat the mathematical expression
directly to solve depth of footing.

DESIGN STEPS
1) Compute footing dimensions

2) Convert Qa to ultimate

3) Find effective depth d (Diagonal punching shear usually governs)

4) Compute required steel for bending treat a unit strip as a cantilever beam.
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5) Checked bearing pressure on top of footing

6) Compute development length and area of dowels

7) Sketch and design footing

MATHEMATICAL STEPS

Find PU = 1.4*D + 1.7*L

Find footing size S = l’ = (S – W)/2

Compute for Mu = Qul2/(2)(12) Inch Kips

Compute for Qu = Pu/S2

Compute for Vc = 15.48( )

Solve for A = (Vc + Qu/4)

Solve for B = (Vc + Qu/2)/w

Solve for C = (S2 – W2)Qu/4

Solved for d = Ad2 + Bd – C = 0 a quadratic equation

Solve for As = 10.2*Fc’/Fy( 12d± 144d2 – 0.2178Mu/Fc’ )

LEGENDS

Fc = Kips per square inch

Fy = Kips per square inch Vc = shear strength of concrete

Mu = Inch Kips P = Concentrated load in Kips

d = In inches L = Live loads in Kips

As = Square inch per foot. W = Width of column

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Programmer/Designer/ Structural Engineer : Bienvenido C. David Date: Jan

19, 1970 PRC NO: 10170. PTR NO: 345678 at Baguio City 1984

DESCRIPTION: Design of Square Footing by U.S.D. format

SUBJECT: Reinforced Concrete Design (USD ALTERNATIVE) 1983 ACI

Code
TITLE: Design of Square Footing by U.S.D. format CODE NAME:
Square - Foot
MACHINE LANGUAGE : IBM BASICA COMPUTER: IBM
Program steps: 88
LIBRARY MODULE: Floppy Disk PROGRAM NAME: Square - Foot
CODE NAME: Sqr - Ft

● ●

(w + d) Y ● ●

Column reinforcement with ties

d ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B diagonal punch shear B 2” or 2.5” covering

PLAN ELEVATION Square Footing with column section

V=2 Vc = 4 Code article 11.10.1a wide beam shear

 195

REFERENCE TEXTBOOKS: Foundation & Structures By Foundation Of Structures By

Foundation Analysis & Gregory Chebotariof Clarence w. Dunham.
design By Joseph Bowles
PROGRAM DISCLAIMER: Any use of the programs to solve problems other than those
displayed is the role responsibility of the user as to whether the output is correct or correctly
interpreted.

Soil Mechanics In Strength of Materials by

Engineering Practice By R. Ferdinand Singer
Peck & Hansen

My first generation home computer

SQUARE FOOT : Is a computer program that designs dimension of square footing. It calculates
size of square footing with side S given axial load in kips (concentric loading and material
strength specifications). Computer computes required area of steel reinforcements per foot of
width and checks actual steel reinforcement ratio from code requirement 1977. It checks
allowable soil pressure and bearing pressure on top of footing and the required development
length of steel, area of dowels included in accordance with the A.C.I. code specifications
.Program is written in Advance BASICA language and can be use in programmable calculators
. It can easily be integrated into the E _Review center of UC BCF.
BASIC COMPUTER SYMBOLS
+ ADDITION ^ RAISED TO THE POWER
- SUBTRACTION SQR SQUARE ROOT OF THE NUMBER
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MULTIPLICATION * GOTO = JUMP LINE NUMBER

\ DIVISION GO SUB = GO SUB ROUTINE

A.B.S ABSOLUTE VALUE SGN = SIGNUM NOTATION
If true branch out

Branch out IF THEN ELSE STATEMENT

Main program
If false

COMPUTER INSTRUCTION CODE

LINE NO STATEMENT SAMPLE ONLY FOR

DE-BUGGING
PURPOSES
5 CALL CLEAR
10 PRINT” This is design of Square Footing by U.S.D.
method in English units”
15 PRINT “ Consult drawing and program record for
legends and symbols”
20 PRINT “ Be sure all given data’s are in their respective
units dead load in Kips , material strength
specifications in Kips per square inch dimension of
column in inches”
25 PRINT “ If all data’s are in their respective units then
run line no 60”
50 STOP
60 CALL CLEAR
70 REM This program was developed by Bienvenido C.
David a Civil/Structural Engineer in his hometown
Baguio City year 1984
75 INPUT”LL,DL,FC,FY,W1,QA”: LL,DL,FC,FY,W1,QA Example only
LL=100,DL=71,
FC=3,FY=50,W1=14,QA=4
80 W =W1/12 1.1666 Ft.
85 S = ((DL+LL)/QA)^.5 6.53 Ft
90 PRINT “Side of footing=”S;”Feet” 6.53 ft.
100 PU = 1.4*DL+1.7*LL 269.4 Kips
110 QU =PU/S^2 6.3180112
120 VC =15.48*FC^.5 26.8113 Ksf
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130 A = VC+QU/4 28.3908

140 B =(VC+QU/2)*W 34.96
150 C = (S^2-W^2)*QU/4 65.207
155 E =(B^2+4*A*C)^.5 92.88011
160 D =(-B+E)/(2*A) 1.0199626
170 D1 =12*D 12.239
180 PRINT” Depth of footing=”;D1;”Inches” 12.239 Inches
190 REM Determine required steel reinforcement area per
foot of width
200 LC = (S-W)/2 2.6817
220 MU = 6*QU*LC^2 272.81642 Inch Kips
225 IF (144*D^2-0.2178*MU/FC)<0 THEN 230 ELSE 245
230 PRINT “ Value of F is negative not possible review
given data”
235 STOP
245 F = SQR(144D^2-0.2178*MU/FC) 11.40239
250 G =10.2*FC/FY 0.612
255 H = 12*D-F 0.837161
260 AS = G*H 0.51234 Square inch
270 PI = 0.006944*AS*D 0.003628
280 GOSUB 540
290 AS4 =P4*D1
300 PRINT” Area of steel per foot of width=”;AS4;”Square
Inches”
310 PRINT” Select from tables no and bar diameter sketch
and draw footing then type continue to resume
running”
315 BREAK
320 INPUT” Diameter of selected bar in inches”:DB
330 L1 = 12*LC-3 29.1804
340 GOSUB 680
350 LD = LD 29.1804
360 PRINT”Recquired development length as per A.C.I. 29.1804
code requirement is =”;LD;”Inches”
379 REM Check bearing pressure on top of footing
380 A1 = 144*W^2 195.9779
390 A2 = (12*W+48*D)^2 3963.6191
400 K = (A2/A1)^.5 4.497
410 IF K>=2 THEN 420 ELSE 440
420 T=K
430 GOTO 450
440 T=2
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450 F1 = 0.595*FC*T 3.57 **Here T = 2

460 F2 = PU/(12*W)^2 1.374 Ksi
470 IF F1>=F2 THEN 480 ELSE 510
480 PRINT” Actual stress on top of footing is less than
A.C.I. code limitations design okay”
490 PRINT” This programmed was developed by
Bienvenido C. David, a Civil/Structural Engineer in his
hometown Baguio City on the 10th of October year
1984”
500 STOP
510 PRINT “Actual bearing stress is greater than A.C.I.
code”
520 PRINT” This programmed was developed by
Bienvenido C. David, a Civil/Structural Engineer in his
hometown Baguio City on the 10th of October year
1984”
530 STOP
540 REM This is sub – routine one Checking of steel
reinforcement ratio within A.C.I. code limitation
550 PN = 0.2’FY 0.004
560 PM = 0.6375*FC/FY*87/(97+FY) 0.0226377
570 IF P1=> PN THEN 580 ELSE 600
580 P2 – P1
590 GOTO 610
600 P2 = PN 0.004
610 IF P2 =< PM THEN 620 ELSE 640
620 P3 = P2
630 GOTO 650
640 P3 = PM
650 P4 = PM 0.004
660 RETURN
670 STOP
680 This is a sub – routine two required development
length as per A.C.I. code
690 L2 = 0.0993463*FY*DB^2/FC^.5 11.20 Inches
700 L3 = 0.4*DB*FY 12.5 Inches
710 IF L1>L2 THEN 730
720 IF L2>L3 THEN 760
725 GOTO 780
730 IF L1>L3 THEN 740
740 L4 = L1
750 GOTO 790
760 L4 = L2
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770 GOTO 790

780 L4 = L3
790 LD = L4
800 RETURN
810 PRINT” Here LD is the required development length
(i.e. the largest of the three quantities)