METU Civil Engineering Department Geotechnical Engineering Division

CE 366 CLASS NOTES

CHAPTER 4: BEARING CAPACITY
In this chapter, you will:
• Learn different failure modes for foundation systems
• Learn Terzaghi’s bearing capacity theory
• Understand the net foundation pressure concept
• Learn how to use the in-situ test results for estimating bearing capacity
of sands
• Lecture Notes – Pages: 67-78
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MAIN CONSIDERATIONS FOR FOUNDATION DESIGN

Settlement Bearing Capacity

Transcona - Canada

Pisa - Italy

Kocaeli - Turkey
Definition: vertical displacement of Definition: pressure to fail the
ground under foundation loading foundation
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Bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to support

Bearing capacity: the loads applied to the ground.
On the other hand, the factor of safety Structural Loads
against shear failure of the supporting
soil must be adequate (2.5-3).

Therefore, two bearing capacity terms Foundation

are defined:
1. Ultimate bearing capacity (qf): is
the minimum pressure that would Underlying soil
cause shear failure of the
supporting soil.
2. Allowable bearing capacity (qall): is
the maximum pressure which may
be applied to the soil such that the
settlement is less then the
allowable limit.
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Types of foundation failures:

There are three failure types for foundations:

General Local Shear Punching Shear

Failure Failure Failure
https://youtu.be/qoJNmaOIf0w

Involves the total rupture of the underlying

soil. There is a continuous shear failure of
the soil from below the footing to the ground
surface.

➢ Dense cohesionless soils and stiff

cohesive soils
➢ Considerable heaving at the surface
➢ Tilting of footing
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Types of foundation failures:

There are three failure types for foundations:

General Local Shear Punching Shear

Failure Failure Failure

Involves the rupture of the soil only

immediately below the footing.

➢ Cohesionless, loose-to-medium dense soils

➢ Well defined shear surface under the foundation
that may or may not reach to the ground
➢ Intermediate between other two modes.
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Types of foundation failures:

There are three failure types for foundations:

General Local Shear Punching Shear

Failure Failure Failure
Load

Involves high compression

and very large settlement
under the footing.

➢ Loose sands, weak clays

➢ Little to no soil disturbance on the surface
➢ Structure experience high levels of settlement
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Karl von Terzaghi was the first to present a comprehensive theory for the
evaluation of the ultimate bearing capacity of rough shallow foundations
(1943).

Proposed theory has the following assumptions:

❑ Depth of foundation is less than or equal to its width (Df<B)
❑ No sliding occurs between foundation and soil (rough foundation)
❑ Soil beneath foundation is homogeneous and semi-infinite mass
❑ General shear failure mode is the governing mode (but not the only mode)
❑ 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
❑ No applied moments present
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Zone 1 : Active Rankine Zone

Zone 2 : Radial Shear Zone
Zone 3 : Passive Rankine Zone

𝑞𝑓 = 𝑞1 + 𝑞2 + 𝑞3
B

3 1 3
2 2
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

𝑞𝑓 = 𝑞1 + 𝑞2 + 𝑞3

1
𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
2
Nγ, Nc and Nq are
Terzaghi’s dimensionless
bearing capacity factors, B
function of φ…

3 1 3
2 2
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Nγ, Nc and Nq are Terzaghi’s 1
dimensionless bearing capacity 𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
factors, function of φ… Page 69 of 2
the lecture notes.

φ
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

The general formula given by 1
Terzaghi is valid for strip 𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
foundations. Over the following 2
years, several corrections
Nγ, Nc and Nq must be multiplied by sγ,
including the shape correction was
sc and sq for shape effects!
introduced.
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Square Foundations
𝑞𝑓 = 0.4𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 1.2𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞

For rectangular footings

𝐵
𝑠𝛾 = 1 − 0.2
𝐿

Circular Foundations
𝑞𝑓 = 0.3𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 1.2𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

fc, fq, fγ = correction factors (shape,
Further developments by:
• Skempton (1951)
depth, load inclination, slope,
• Meyerhof (1953) etc…)
• Brinch Hanson (1961) f q = (Fqs )(Fqd )(Fqi )
• De Beer and Ladanyi (1961)
• Meyerhof (1963) f c = (Fcs )(Fcd )(Fci )
• Brinch Hanson (1970) f  = (Fs )(Fd )(Fi )
• Vesic (1973, 1975)

1
𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 𝑓𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 𝑓𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞 𝑓𝑞
2
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Effect of GWT: 1
𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
2

Both Terms 1 Term 1 is No change in

and 3 are affected but terms 1, 2 or 3
affected! Term 3 is not
affected!
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Modification for local shear failure:
In case of local shear failure,
1
cohesion and friction angle are 𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
reduced and the expression 2
for the general failure may be
used.

Use modified cohesion and friction

angle to determine Nγ, Nc and Nq
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Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equations:

Bearing capacity of clays: 1
𝑞𝑓 = 𝛾𝐵𝑁𝛾 + 𝑐𝑁𝑐 + 𝛾𝐷𝑁𝑞
The bearing capacity formula 2
is simplified in case of the
φu=0 assumption:
qf= cu.Nc + γD

Page 73 of the lecture notes! Nγ≈0 and Nq=1

For rectangular footing:
𝐵
𝑁𝑐 = 𝑁𝑐−𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 × (0.84 + 0.16 )
𝐿
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Factor of safety – foundation pressure:

Foundations are placed at some
depth... to do that, soil is excavated! foundation

Actual foundation pressure (qgross)

Actual pressure applied on the soil due to weight of the structure

Net foundation pressure (qnet)

Net increase in pressure @ foundation level.

Initial effective stress

qnet = σvf' – σvo' @ foundation level

Effective stress
@ foundation level after the
construction is completed.
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NET FOUNDATION PRESSURE qnet = σvf' – σvo'

If the GWT level is low...

or
Weight of the structure Weigth of soil on Weigth of
(including foundation) + foundation slab - excavated soil
qnet =
Foundation Area
- σvo'

If the GWT level is high...

Weight of the structure Weigth of soil on Uplift force acting

(including foundation) + foundation slab - on foundation
qnet =
Foundation Area
- σvo'
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NET FOUNDATION PRESSURE qnet = σvf' – σvo'

WB
ɣnat

DF WF
hw ɣsat

Uplift =hw * ɣw

B : Buoyancy

Buoyancy (B) : Water pressure acting vertically against base of the foundation.

B = Vsub * ɣw

Dead Load of Structure

FSBuoyancy = Total Uplift Force
FSBuoyancy > 1.0
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Example:
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What can we do to prevent floating?

Friction Piles Anchors

Increasing the weight of structure

http://commercial.foundationsupportworks.com/case-study/case-studies/1440-capital-cascade-trailmeridian-amphitheater-tallahassee-fl.html
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Factor of safety – foundation pressure:

Similar to the net foundation pressure, the net ultimate bearing
capacity is defined as:
q nf qf -γ*D
FS = =
qn q-γ*D
Net Safe Bearing Capacity

qnsafe = q nf qnsafe q nf SAFE FOUNDATION!

FS
In addition to the FS against bearing capacity
failure, settlements of the foundation should qall
be tolerable – check for settlement!
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Bearing capacity of sands:

Option 1:Use field test to
High permeability calculate

Immadiate pwp dissipation SPT

Ø’

Design is based on CPT

effective stress Use it to determine Nγ, Nc and Nq

c’ = 0 Ø’ 0
1
qult = γ.B.Nγ + c.Nc + γ.D .Nq
2
Lab tests cannot Obtained
be from
Reliable
reliably used to field tests? Note that the size of foudation
effects the bearing capacity of
determine Ø’ sands.
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Bearing capacity of sands:

Laboratory tests showed that the effect of foundation size has no effect on the bearing
capacity of clays but B has a significant effect on the bearing capacity of sands.
q all
Settlement is generally more critical than the factor of safety due to shear failure in
sands. q f

1 2
B
Bearing capacity Settlement
governing the governing
behavior the behavior
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Option 2:Estimate qall directly from field tests

Remember the design charts from
previous chapter? For details, please
refer to Chapter 3!
q all

qf

1 2
B

Zone 1 Bearing capacity governs

FS = 2.0
Zone 2 Settlement governs
25mm