CVLE451

Online Lecture 3
Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations
To perform satisfactorily, shallow foundations must have two main characteristics:

1. They have to be safe against overall shear failure in the soil that supports it.
2. They cannot undergo excessive displacements (settlements).

• The term excessive is relative, because the degree of settlement allowable for a
structure depends on several considerations which will be explained in the
context of «Settlements».

• The load per unit area of the foundation at which the shear failure in soil
occurs is called the Ultimate Bearing Capacity.
General Concept
• A strip footing on the
surface of sand or clay.

• The plot of foundation load

versus settlement is shown.

• As this load increases and

reaches to qu, a sudden
failure takes place.

• This load per unit area is

called the ultimate bearing
capacity of the foundation.
General Shear Failure
Most common type of shear failure; occurs in strong soils
and rocks
Local Shear Failure
Intermediate between general and punching shear
failure
Punching Shear Failure
Occurs in very loose sands weak clays
 Comments on Shear Failure

• Usually only necessary to analyze general shear failure.

• Local and punching shear failure can usually be

anticipated by settlement analysis.

• Failure in shallow foundations is generally settlement

failure;

• Bearing capacity failure must be analyzed, but in

practical terms is usually secondary to settlement
analysis.
7
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Formulas
 Assumptions for Terzaghi's Method

• Depth of foundation is less than or equal to its width

• No sliding occurs between foundation and soil
(rough foundation)
• Soil beneath foundation is homogeneous semi
infinite mass
• Mohr-Coulomb model for soil
• General shear failure mode is the governing
mode (but not the only mode)

9
 Assumptions for Terzaghi's Method

• No soil consolidation occurs

• Foundation is very rigid relative to the soil
• Soil above bottom of foundation has no shear
strength; is only a surcharge load against the
overturning load
• Applied load is compressive and applied vertically to
the centroid of the foundation
• No applied moments present
10
Bearing Capacity Factors of Terzaghi
 Notes on Terzaghi's Method
• Since soil cohesion can be difficult to quantify, conservative values of c (cohesion)
should be used.

• Frictional strength is more reliable and does not need to be as conservative as

cohesion.

• Terzaghi's method is simple and familiar to many geotechnical engineers; however, it

does not take into account many factors, nor does it consider cases such as
rectangular foundations.

14
Shape, depth, and inclination factors for the Meyerhof
bearing-capacity
Shape and depth factors for use in either the Hansen
(1970) or Vesic (1975) bearing-capacity equations.
Table of inclination, ground, and base factors for the
Vesic (1975) equations
 Example 1 on GBC Equation
Estimate the allowable bearing capacity of the footing-soil
system shown, using the General Bearing Capacity Method.
Is the chosen foundation size safe? (FS= 3). Could Terzaghi’s
bearing capacity equation be used in this case and why?

1200 kN

300 kN-m

1.0 m
2.5 m x 2.5 m H= 240 kN
0.5 m
= 18 kN/m3
c= 20 kPa
= 25
sat= 21.81 kN/m3
Example 1 cont.’d
Study problem
A column is to be supported on a 1.0 m deep rectangular footing, subjected to a vertical downward load of 1000
kN, a horizontal load of 500 kN and a moment of 500 kN-m in the direction of L. The soil beneath has the following
properties: = 19 kN/m3, c= 30 kPa. The groundwater table is at a depth of 1.5 m below the base.
– Determine the allowable bearing capacity (qall).
– What will be the bearing capacity if the water table rises to the ground level?

1000 kN

250 kNm

1.0 m H= 500 kN
2.5m x 2.5 m = 19 kN/m3 (above
0.5 m
WT)
sat= 21.81 kN/m3
(below WT)
c= 30 kPa
= 20
Past exam question on GBC equation
Suitability of Methods