MAPÚA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering

CE175-4S (Foundation Design and Earth Retaining Structure)
DIRECTION: Read the following problems carefully. Please follow the respective instructions for each portion of the
test. Round your final answer in three decimal places unless otherwise specified. Wrong spelling is WRONG. No units
(if needed) are considered to be incorrect. ANYONE CAUGHT CHEATING WILL MERIT A GRADE of 5.0 WITHOUT
AN EXCUSE.

Modular Exam No. 1 – Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity and Design of

Axially Loaded Square Column

Example: 2006102602
A = second lowest nonzero digit = 2 B = lowest nonzero digit = 1
C = second highest digit = 2 D = highest digit = 6
E = mode of the digits = 2 (if there is no mode, get the median; get the largest number if there are more
than one mode)
F= average of the digits (if it is a decimal, round it up to the nearest whole number) = 2
G= lowest digit = 0

SITUATION 1
Using Terzaghi’s General shear failure, what will be the net soil bearing capacity of a clay layer having an
angle of internal friction of [25+D+A] degrees, cohesion of [45 +0.5C] kPa, specific gravity of soil solids of
2.72 and void ratio of 0.35 under the following cases:

(a) 1.4 m x 1.4 m x 0.45 m thick footing?

(b) 1.3 m diameter, 0.50 m thick footing?
(c) 1.2 m wide strip footing, 0.40 m thick?

The footing is embedded [1.6 +0.4B] m below the ground. The water table is located at the embedment of
the footing. Use a Factor of Safety of 3.5

SITUATION 2
(10pts each) Design an interior isolated square footing that carries the following concentrated loads as
transmitted by the [250+50(B+F)] mm square column pedestal with 8 – 20 mm diameter bars distributed
equally in all sides:
Dead Load = [820 + 20(B+C)] kN Live Load = [935 + 35(E+F)] kN
The footing is placed [1.5+0.05A] m below the NGL. Use γs = 19.5 kN/m3, γc = 23.56 kN/m3, f’C = 28 MPa,
and fy = 420 MPa. Use 20 mm diameter for main reinforcements. The allowable soil bearing capacity is
[160 + 2.75C] kPa.
a. Determine the effective soil pressure in kPa
b. Determine the governing service load in kN
c. Determine the SIZE of FOOTING in m
d. Determine the governing ultimate load
e. Determine the ultimate soil pressure in kPa
f. Check the adequacy of footing against shear. NOTE: Be sure that thickness is adequate
before proceeding with moment analysis. If otherwise repeat (a) to (e) until the thickness
is adequate vs. shear.
g. Determine the moment capacity of the footing in kN-m
h. Determine the number of bars needed

SITUATION 3
(20 pts each) A [1.5+B+E] m square THK footing is reinforced with [12+D]-20mmΦ main bars on both
ways. The concrete strength used in the design is 21 MPa and the yield strength used is 280 MPa. The
footing carries a [400 + 50F] mm diameter pedestal and carries a dead load of [400+20C] kN and an
unknown live load
a. Determine the live load in kN considering one-way shear
b. Determine the live load in kN considering two-way shear
c. Determine the live load in kN considering moment capacity
d. Determine the safest live load that the footing can carry.

Prepared By
Engr. Ivan Dela Llana - Marquez