Ejercicios prácticos / Cimentaciones superficiales

Curso: ESTRUCTURAS GEOTÉCNICAS

Prof.: Rafael Méndez, I.C., M.Eng.

1. A circular foundation of diameter 8 m supports a tank. The base of the foundation is at 1

m from the ground surface. The vertical load is 20 MN. The tank foundation was designed
for short-term loading conditions (cu=80 kPa y γsat=19 kN/m3). The groundwater level
when the tank was initially designed was at 4 m below the ground surface. It was assumed
that the groundwater level was stable. Fourteen months after the tank was constructed,
during a week of intense rainfall, the tank foundation failed. It was speculated that failure
occurred by bearing capacity failure. Establish whether this is so or not. The friction angle
is 25° from direct shear tests.

2. A mat foundation 10 x 30 m is to be placed at a depth of 3.5 m in a deep stratum of soft,

saturated clay of γ=17.5 kN/m. The water table is at 2.5 m below the ground surface. The
strength parameters of the soil, obtained from unconsolidated, undrained test are cu= 28
kPa, whereas consolidated, drained tests give c’=5 kPa and ϕ’=22°. Find the allowable
bearing capacity.

3. A square footing is shown in the following figure. The footing is subjected to an eccentric
load. Determine the gross allowable load that the footing could carry if γ=19.5 kN/m3,
c’=0, ϕ’=40°, B=3 m, Df=1.4 m and e=0.3 m.

4. Determine the factor of safety against bearing capacity failure of the cantilever gravity
retaining wall shown in the following figure. The existing soil is a clay (γ=20.5 kN/m3,
cu= 48 kPa, c’=9 kPa, ϕ’=23°) and the backfill is a coarse-grained soil. The base of the
wall will rest on a 50 -mm-thick, compacted layer of the backfill. The interface friction
between the base and the compacted layer of backfill is 28°. Groundwater level is 8 m
below the base.