Terzaghi’s Analysis for Bearing

Capacity of Soil

Harshita Daila CO19223

Ritika CO19238
Smridhi Aggarwal CO19250
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Theory
• The ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations is usually determined by
using a bearing capacity theory in which a failure mechanism is postulated and
the load intensity at failure is expressed in terms of the shearing resistance
mobilized and the geometry of the problem.

• This theory is based on the limiting equilibrium approach, wherein the forces
acting on the soil wedge immediately beneath the foundation are examined for
static equilibrium condition and the ultimate bearing capacity determined.

• Terzaghi’s theory is a improvement over Prandtl’s Theory. Prandtl considered the

base of footing to be smooth whereas Terzaghi considered the base of footing to
be rough.
 Assumptions
1. The base of footing is rough.
2. The footing is laid at a shallow depth. (Df ≤B)

3. The stress zone extend up to foundation level only and not up to the ground level. It
considered only base resistance and side resistance is ignored. Hence soil above the
foundation level is removed and replaced by a uniform surcharge ƳDf
Note- It is the main reason due to which this theory is not applicable for deep footing.
4. The load on the footing is vertical and is uniformly distributed.
5. The footing is long that is L/B ratio is infinite, where B is the width and L is the length of the
footing.
6. The shear strength of the soil is governed by the Mohr coulomb equation.
7. At the time of failure soil reaches to plastic equilibrium.
8. Load is vertical and concentric.
9. Ground surface is horizontal.
10. Water table is below the stress zone, it means effect of water table is not considered.
 Zones
• Zone 1 (Central Zone)
Soil below the footing gets compacted and becomes the part of footing it is in the elastic equilibrium and makes an angle of ɸ
with the footing. The soil wedge abd immediately beneath the footing is prevented from undergoing any lateral movement
by the friction and the adhesion between the base of the footing and the soil.

• Zone 2 (ade’ and bde)

It is in plastic equilibrium. It is circular in clayey soil and log spiral in silty soil. This zone is called Radial Shear Zone.

• Zone 3 (ae’f’ and bef)

These are the Rankine passive Zones of linear shear, in which the two sets of Shear planes are inclined at an angle (45 ◦- ɸ/2)
to the horizontal.

• The lower boundaries ad and bd of the elastic wedge or failure planes rising at an angle ɸ to the horizontal. The failure
surfaces de’f’ and def are taken to be vertical at d.
Derivation: Terzaghi Ultimate Bearing Capacity for Strip Footing

• The footing cannot break into the soil until the passive resistance of the soil masses ade’f’ and bdef is
overcome. The inclined face ad or bd can be regarded as a rough back of a rigid wall on which the shear
strength parameters c and ɸ are the equivalents of the wall adhesion and angle of wall friction
respectively. If the passive resistance on ad (or bd) is known, the bearing capacity, q u can be determined
from the equilibrium of the wedge adb.

• At failure, the download forces and the upward force acting on the wedge abd must be equal. The
downward forces are due to the load transmitted by the footing, q u × B and the weight of the wedge, Ƴ
The upward forces are the total passive resistance, (because it acts as an angle ẟ = ɸ to the normal) and
the vertical components of the cohesion force C acting along the surface da and db.
• Thus, …(Eqn 1)

or

Substituting this in Eqn 1

…(Eqn 2)
• The total passive resistance PP on the surface da and db is made up of three components:
a) PPproduced by the weight of the soil in shear zone, assuming the soil to be cohesionless (c = 0) and
neglecting the surcharge q.
b) Ppc produced by the soil cohesion, assuming the soil to be weightless (= 0) and neglecting the
surcharge q.
c) Ppq produced by the surcharge, assuming the soil to be cohesionless and weightless, (c = 0, = 0)

• The resultant passive resistance, may, therefore be assumed to be the sum of the components P P, Ppc and
Ppq

From equation 2,

…(Eqn 3)

Let …(Eqn 3a)

…(Eqn 3b)

…(Eqn 3c)

• Equation 3 can now be written as

…(Eqn 4)
• Nc, Nq and NƳ are dimensionless bearing capacity factors depending only on the angle of shearing resistance of the soil.

• The ultimate bearing capacity

…(Eqn 5)
in second term is for the soil above the base of footing.

in third term is for the soil below the base of footing.

• Terzaghi gave the following equations for bearing capacity factors:

…(Eqn 6)

• …(Eqn 7)

• …(Eqn 8)

• where,

= passive earth pressure coefficient, dependent on

• Special Case- For Clay (
Nc = 5.7
Nq = 1
N= 0
So,

qu = 5.7cu + q …(Eqn 9)

qnu = 5.7cu …(Eqn 10)

• Modification for square and circular footings:

Square Footing: …(Eqn 11)

Circular Footing: …(Eqn 12)

• Modifications for the Shear Failure:
In the above equations general shear failure is used but soil may fail in local shear failure also.

Hence modified shear parameters (cm, m) can be used to determine bearing capacity.

cm =

…(Eqn 13)

tan m = tan

…(Eqn 14)

m is used to determine Nc, Nq and Nif local is mentioned.

If local is not mentioned but < 28 degree, table of N c, Nq and Nis given.
 NUMERICAL
• QUESTION 1:

Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing, 1.5m wide, with it’s base at a depth of 1m, resting on a dry sand stratum.

Take:

= 17 kN/m3

ɸ’ = 38◦

c’ = 0

Use Terzaghi’s Theory.

• Solution:

ɸ’ > 36◦. Hence, general shear failure will occur. The ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing in general shear failure is given by:

For ɸ’ = 38◦, Nq = 60 and N= 75

q = Df = 17 × 1 = 17 kN/m2

qu = 17 × 60 + 0.5 ×17 × 1.5 × 75

= 1976 kN/m2
THANK YOU