A Concise Presentation By

Nabin Prasad Joshi

On
TERZAGHI’S BEARING
CAPACITY THEORY

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 Content of Presentation

• Overview of Terzaghi’s Theory

• Assumptions
• Failure Mechanism
• Derivation of Equation
• Special cases
• Effect of Water Table
• Modification of Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity
Theory
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 Overview of Terzaghi’s Theory
 Bearing capacity of soil can be obtained by either
theoretical methods or from in-situ tests.
 Before Terzaghi, Prandtl developed equation on
ultimate bearing capacity as:
Qult=c*cotφ*(kpeπtanφ-1)=cNc
 But in this theory when c=0, Qult is zero and when φ=0,
Qult is infinite which are quite far from reality.
 Also this equation does not take into account width of
foundation and weight of soil within failure wedge.
 So, to counterattack these complications, in 1943
Terzaghi gave a general bearing capacity equation for
strip foundation.
 Terzaghi considered a continuous footing of width B
placed at a depth D below G.S.
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 Assumptions
 L/B ratio is large
 D<B i.e shallow foundation
 Footing is continuous and has rough base
 General shear failure
 Shear strength is governed by Mohr’s Coulomb criteria

 Shear resistance of soil above base of foundation is neglected

 Soil is homogeneous and isotropic
 Principle of superposition holds good
 Soil above base of foundation is replaced by uniform
surcharge
 Load is vertical and ground surface is horizontal.

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 Failure Mechanism

 The soil is assumed to fail along the surface abedcfg in three

zones.
 Zone I, which constitute wedge abc, is elastic zone
 Zone II, which comprises wedges afc and bcd is zone of
radial shear, which is transition from elastic to plastic state.

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 Failure Mechanism

 The wedges agf and bde comprise zone III and are known as
passive Rankine’s zone and will be in a plastic state.
 When the footing is loaded wedge abc sinks into ground as an
integral part of footing and remains in the elastic state due to
cohesion and friction between base of footing and soil.

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 Failure Mechanism

 In zone II and III shear pattern develops.

 Zone II constitute a set of radial lines emerging from outer
edges b and a of footing. Outer lines are log spiral.
 The boundaries of passive Rankine’s zone III are inclined at
an angle (45-φ/2).

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 Derivation of Equation
Ultimate bearing capacity is calculated by
cosidering the equilibrium of elastic wedge
abc.
Qult*B + 1/4*ϒB2tanφ = 2.Pp + 2csinφ
Qult*B = 2.Pp + Bctanφ - 1/4*ϒB2tanφ

Pp= Ppϒ + Ppc+ Ppq

Weight term Cohesion term Surcharge term

Qult*B=(2Ppϒ - 1/4*ϒB2tanφ)+(2Ppc+Bctanφ)+2Ppq

0.5B2ϒNϒ BcNc BqNq

Terzaghi’s Bearing
Qult=cNc+qNq+0.5BϒNϒ
Capacity Equation 8
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 Special Cases
Local Shear Failure
Modify shear strength parameters as
Cm=2/3*c Φm=tan-1(2/3*tanφ)

Square Footing
qult=1.3cNc+qNq+0.4BϒNϒ

Circular Footing
qult=1.3cNc+qNq+0.3BϒNϒ

Rectangular Footing
qult=(1+0.3B/L)cNc+qNq+(1-0.2B/L)BϒNϒ

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 Effect of Water Table

Case I: Dw<=Df
Surcharge q=ϒDw+ϒsub(Df -Dw)
Then bearing capacity is calculated by replacing ϒ with ϒsub in
wedge weight term
qult=cNc+qNq+0.5BϒsubNϒ

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 Effect of Water Table

Case II : Df<=Dw<=(Df +B)

Surcharge q=ϒDf
In bearing capacity equation replace ϒ by ϔ
ϔ=ϒsub+(Dw-Df)/B*(ϒ-ϒsub)

qult=cNc+qNq+ 0.5BϔNϒ
Case III : Dw>(Df+B)
No effect of water table

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Extension of Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity
Theory
1. Meyerhof’s Equation for bearing capacity
 Both for shallow and deep foundation in case of strip footing
 Also applicable for foundation subjected to eccentric loading,
inclined loading and foundation on slopes.
 Takes in account depth, shape, and inclination factors for
foundations of all shapes and loading conditions.
Qult=c.Nc.Sc.dc.ic+ϒDf.Nq.Sq.dq.iq+0.5B.ϒ.Nϒ.Sϒ.dϒ.iϒ
Where, i=inclination factors
S=shape factors
d=depth factors

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Extension of Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity
Theory
 These values are determined by specific tables.
 Same equation is used for Hansen’s and IS methods but
only values of depth, shape and inclination factors have
different values

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THANK
YOU

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