BEARING CAPACITY

OF SHALLOW
FOUNDATIONS

‫قدرة تحمل التربة لألساسات‬

‫الضحلة‬

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 BEARING CAPACITY OF SOILS
Bearing capacity is the ability of soil to safely carry
the pressure placed on the soil from any engineered
structure without undergoing a shear failure with
accompanying large settlements.

‫قدرة تحمل التربة هى مقدرة التربة على أن تتحمل بأمان الضغط‬

‫الواقع عليها من أى منشأ هندسى بدون حدوث انهيار بالقص‬
.‫مصحوبا بهبوط كبير‬

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 Terzaghi B/C Assumptions
Three zones do exist:
1- Active zone, just below the foundation.
.‫ أسفل األساسات مباشرة‬:‫ القطاع الفعال‬-1
2- Transition zone, between the active and passive zones.
.‫ بين القطاع الفعال والقطاع المقاوم‬:‫ القطاع االنتقالى‬-2
3- Passive zone, near the ground surface, just beside the foundation.
.‫ بالقرب من سطح األرض بجانب األساسات مباشرة‬:‫ القطاع المقاوم‬-3

passive active

Transition

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 Terzaghi Bearing Equation for
Strip Footing
qu net = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.5 B g2 Ng

Overburden
‫وزن عمود التربة‬ g1 D
B

Failure Zone (depth  2B)

Generalized soil strength : c,  Soil unit weight : g2
‫معامالت القص للتربة‬ ‫كثافة التربة أسفل األساسات‬
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 Terzaghi Bearing Equation

qult = Cohesion Term

qult = c Nc ‫الجزء الخاص بالتماسك‬
Above F.L.
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq ‫أعلى منسوب التأسيس‬
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.5B g2 Ng
Below F.L.
21 January 2021 Bearing Capacity ‫أسفل منسوب التأسيس‬ 5
 Terzaghi Bearing Equation

Nc, Nq, Ng are Terzaghi B/C Coefficients, f()

.‫ دالة فى زاوية االحتكاك الداخلى‬،‫معامالت ترزاجى لقدرة تحمل التربة‬

C,  are the soil shear strength parameters

.)‫معامالت القص للتربة (التماسك وزاوية االحتكاك الداخلى‬

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 Bearing Capacity Factors
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.5 B g2 N g

Nc Nq Ng
40
Ø – in Degrees

30

20

10

0
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 10 20 40 60 80

Nc and Nq 5.7 1.0 Ng

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 Bearing capacity factors for different .

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 Terzaghi Bearing Equation

B
P

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 Foundation Shape Factors
qult = c.Nc lc + g1 D Nq lq + 0.5B g2 Ng lg
For Rectangular or Square Footing
lc = 1.0 + 0.30 B/L
lq = 1.0 Egyptian Code of Practice
lg = 1.0 – 0.30 B/L
For Circular Footing
lc = 1.30
lq = 1.00 Egyptian Code of Practice
lg = 0.70
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 Gross and Net Bearing Capacity
qult :Gross ultimate Bearing Capacity
qult net = qult + g1 D Gross Net ultimate B/C
qult net
qall net = Net allowable B/C
F .S .
qult net
qall = + g 1 D Gross allowable B/C
F .S .
qult
qall = Gross allowable bearing capacity
F .S .
g1 D is the overburden pressure
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 Bearing Capacity of Clay,  = 0
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.50 B g2 N g
For Clay:
Nc = 5.70, Nq = 1.0, Ng = 0.0

qult = 5.70 cu + g1 D

qult net = 5.70 cu qall net = 1.90 cu

cu = qu/2 qu Unconfined compressive strength

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 Bearing Capacity of Sand, cu = 0
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.50 B g2 N g
For Sand:
Nc, Nq, Ng are determined from curve, and cu = 0,
then:

qult = g1 D Nq + 0.50 B g2 N g

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 Example
A strip footing of 1.8 m width is located at a depth of 1.5
m below the ground surface, in an over-consolidated
clay layer. The groundwater level is 10 m below the
ground surface. The unconfined compressive strength of
that clay is 120 kPa, gbulk = 18 kN/m3, and gsat = 20
kN/m3. Determine the net allowable bearing capacity,
assuming a factor of safety of 3.

Clay D = 1.5 m
qu = 120 kPa
B = 1.8 m
gbulk = 18 kN/m3

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 Solution
qult = c Nc + g1 D Nq + 0.5B g2 Ng
For Clay: Nc = 5.7, Nq = 1.0, Ng = 0.0

qu = 120 kPa, cu = 60 kPa

g1 = gb =18 kN/m2, D = 1.5m
g2 = gb =18 kN/m2, B = 1.8m
qult = c Nc + g1 D (Nq) + 0
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 qult = 60 x 5.7+18x1.5x1 +0 = 369.00

qult net = qult - g1 D

qult net= 369-18x1.5= 342.00

qult net
qall net =
F .S .
𝟑𝟒𝟐
𝒒𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒕 = = 𝟏𝟏𝟒 𝐤𝐍/𝒎𝟐
𝟑

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