Foundation Engineering I

Hawassa University Institute of Technology

Department of Civil Engineering
Bereket Bezabih
beackon@gmail.com
2018/19
 Chapter Four
Design of Shallow Foundations
Lecture One
Contents
• Introduction
• Design Approach: Limit Equilibrium
• Design Methods : WSD,LFD and Limit State Design
• Limit State Design
• Performance Requirements
• Factors to Consider in Foundation Design
• Geotechnical Design [Proportioning]
• References

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Introduction
• Limit Equilibrium Method
• The limit equilibrium method is an iterative process by
which one speculates a possible failure mechanism and use
equilibrium equations for each mechanism the collapse or
failure load
• Field observations and laboratory tests reduce the number of
possible failure mechanisms
• Remember the possible failure mechanism in determining the
bearing capacity equations
• In foundation, design the method is applied in
geotechnical design i.e. soil bearing capacity and
settlement and structural design i.e. flexure, shear etc…
• Other design methods include analytical and numerical
methods here only limit equilibrium is covered
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Introduction
• Design Methods
• Three basic methods using factors of safety to achieve
safe, workable structures have been developed;
• Permissible Stress Method/Working Stress Method
 in which ultimate strengths of the materials are divided by a
factor of safety to provide design stresses which are usually
within the elastic range
• Load Factor Method
 in which the working loads are multiplied by a factor of
safety
• Limit State Method/LRFD
 which multiplies the working loads by partial factors of
safety and also divides the materials' ultimate strengths by
further partial factors of safety
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Introduction
• Limit State Design/LRFD
• The purpose of design is to achieve acceptable probabilities
that a structure will not become unfit for its intended use i.e.,
it will not reach a limit state
• Thus, any way in which a structure may cease to be fit for use will
constitutes a limit state and the design aim is to avoid any such
condition being reached during the expected life of the structure
• The two principal types of limit state are the ultimate limit
state and the serviceability limit state
• Ultimate limit states include
• Loss of equilibrium of the structure,
• Internal failure of the structure,
• Failure due to excessive deformation in soil,
• Loss of equilibrium due to uplift and
• Failure due to hydraulic gradient
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Geotechnical Design
• Limit State Design
• Ultimate Limit State
• This requires that the structure must be able to withstand, with an adequate
factor of safety against collapse, the loads for which it is designed
• Serviceability Limit States
• Generally the most important serviceability limit states are:
• Deflection, settlement, heave, tilt etc
• the appearance or efficiency of any part of the structure must not be adversely
affected by deflections
• Cracking
• local damage due to cracking and spalling must not affect the appearance,
efficiency or durability of the structure
• Durability
• this must be considered in terms of the proposed life of the structure and its
conditions of exposure
• Often one of the limit states control the design ,but is considered good
practice to check the others are satisfied

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Introduction
• Performance Requirements for Engineering
Structures
• Design of an engineering structure must ensure that
• Under the worst loadings the structure is safe, and
• During normal working conditions the deformation of the
members does not detract from the appearance,
durability or performance of the structure
• Despite the difficulty in assessing the precise
loading, variations in the strength of the concrete
and steel and uncertainty in the geotechnical
properties of soils, these requirements have to be
met

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 Factors to Consider in Foundation
Design
• Footing Depth from Surface
• The depth of embedment must be at least large enough to
accommodate the required footing thickness, measured from
the lowest adjacent ground surface to bottom of the footing
• Depth of footing is determined after considerations of the
following factors
• Zone of high volume change/expansive soils
• Top organic soil
• Peat or Muck
• Unconsolidated materials
• Footings in soils prone to Scouring
• Footings located on or near the top of slopes i.e. possibility of land slide,
soil creep downhill
• Location of ground water (possibility of working under water

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Factors to Consider in Foundation
Design
• Minimum Depth of Square, Rectangular or Continuous footings, Df
• The depth of footing measured from the lowest adjacent ground surface
shall be at least equal to thickness of the footing, d [Cudato page 260-261]

Load, P(kN) Minimum Depth Df Load, Minimum Depth Df

(mm) P(kN/m) (mm)
Square/Rectangular Continuous

0-300 300 0-170 300

300-500 400 170-250 400
500-800 500 250-330 500
800-1100 600 330-410 600
1100-1500 700 410-490 700
1500-2000 800 490-570 800
2000-2700 900 570-650 900
2700-3500 1000 650-740 1000
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Factors to Consider in Foundation
Design
• Maximum Embedment depth
• Some times maximum embedment depth is specified for
the following reasons
• Potential undermining of existing foundations, structures,
streets, utility lines etc
• Presence of soft layers beneath a harder stronger near surface
stratum and the desire to support the stratum on it
• The desire to avoid below the ground water level and avoid
dewatering expenses
• The desire to avoid excavation costs

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Factors to Consider in Foundation
Design
• Footing Spacing
• Footings adjacent to existing structures

• The distance m indicated should be greater than or equal to the depth

difference zf

K is lateral earth pressure coefficient ka<k<kp

• If the soils is a sand(no cohesion) one can not excavate to a depth more the existing footing
• If the soil is a c-φ soil, the maximum depth is given by zf

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Geotechnical Design
• Geotechnical Design: Proportioning
• A geotechnical engineer must ensure the foundation
satisfies the following requirements
• The foundation must not collapse or became unstable
(both locally and globally) under any conceivable
loading
• i.e. safety during ultimate limit state[ULS]
• Settlement of the structure should be within tolerable
limits
• i.e. Safety against serviceability limit state[SLS]
• The values of ultimate and serviceability limit states
are provided in building codes like EBCS

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Geotechnical Design
• Geotechnical design [Proportioning]
• The ultimate bearing capacity of soils can be determined
as discussed in chapter 3 of this lesson using bearing
capacity equations
• Partial safety factors as per Euro Code for geotechnical
material properties
Angle of Effective Undrained Unconfined Bulk
Internal Cohesion Shear Strength Strength Density
Friction (apply
to )
Symbol
Combination 1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Combination 2 1.25 1.25 1.4 1.4 1.0

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 Geotechnical Design
• Proportioning Isolated Footing
• For collapse(bearing capacity failure) i.e.
ultimate limit state considerations, the factored
loads shall be used
• For settlement considerations, the least
amount of permanent and variable load shall
be used as the settlement takes place over a
long period of time
Example 4.1: Proportioning Spread Footing
• Design a spread footing for the average soil
conditions and footing load given below. Note
the geotechnical consultant provided qa
=220kPa.
• Permanent load=350kN Variable Load=450kN
𝑠 𝑢 =100 𝑘𝑃𝑎
• Soil,profile
𝐸 Show =1000
𝑠 (𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑦) 𝑠𝑢 𝐸
in the figure =500 (𝑁 55 +15)
𝑠(𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑 )
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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width
• Most structures require many footings hence it is often
inconvenient to compute bearing capacity for each
footing
• often geotechnical engineers provide design criteria
applicable to the entire site
• Two such methods are presented hereunder
• Allowable Bearing Capacity Method
• Design Chart Methods

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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width
• Allowable Bearing Capacity Method
• Allowable bearing capacity is the largest bearing capacity that
satisfies both bearing capacity and settlement(total &
differential) qall
• Use the following procedure to develop allowable bearing
capacity
1. Select depth of embedment, D if different depth are required
for different footings use the depth of the shallowest
groundwater level
2. Determine the required factor of safety
3. Use bearing capacity equations and perform bearing capacity
analysis on a footing with the smallest applied normal load

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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width: Allowable bearing capacity method
• Use the following procedure to develop allowable bearing capacity
cont….
4. Use the equation below to write the bearing capacity q as a function of B

Where q is bearing pressure

Q vertical column load
Wf weight of footing including weight of any backfill
A area of the footing
UD pore water pressure at depth D
5. Using appropriate bearing capacity equation and write the bearing
capacity qa as a function of B
6. Set q=qa and solve for B
7. Using bearing capacity equation, determine qa for B value in step 6

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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width: Allowable bearing capacity method
• Use the following procedure to develop allowable
bearing capacity cont….
8. Determine the total and differential settlement
9. Using local experience or the following table determine
Design Values for for spread footing foundations
Predominant Soil Type Below Design Values for for spread footing foundations
Footings
Flexible Structure Rigid Structure
Sand Natural Soils 0.9 0.7
Compacted Fills 0.5 0.4
Clay Natural Soils 0.8 0.5
Compacted Fills 0.4 0.3

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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width: Allowable bearing capacity Method
• Use the following procedure to develop allowable
bearing capacity cont….
10. If ,then designing the footing to satisfy the total settlement
requirement (will implicitly satisfies the differential settlement
requirement ( as well, hence proceed to the next step
• If it is necessary to reduce to keep differential settlement under
control. Hence, revise () and continue
11. Using the step 10 perform a settlement analysis on the
footing with the largest applied normal load. Determine the
maximum bearing pressure q that keeps the total settlement
within tolerable limits i.e.
12. Set the allowable bearing pressure equal to the lower of qa
from step 7 or step 11

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Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width: Allowable bearing capacity Method
• The structural design shall be based on the criteria that
,thus for square, rectangular, circular or continuous
footings

Setting

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 Geotechnical Design
• Footing Width: Allowable bearing capacity Method
• Example 4.2
• A new parking garage is proposed on a site previously used by a
two story office building, which is demolished and backfilled
with well graded sand. The design column loads range between
1112kN to 4000kN.The allowable total and differential
settlement are 25mm and 15mm.A serious of boring show the
soil is primarily a backfilled soil underlain by alluvial sand
Depth Modulus of deposit. The groundwater table is located at 61m depth.
(m) Elasticity
(kPa) • A laboratory shear test shows the compacted fill has
0-3 52,700 • Determine the allowable bearing capacity for square and
3-6 47900 continuous footing and determine the dimension of square
>6 81400 footing that will support 1350kN column load.
Assume the first 1m of back fill will be removed. Unit weight of sand
for the first 3m is 19.7kN/m3 and below that 17.6kN/m3
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Introduction
• Design for Eccentric or Moment Loads
• It may be necessary to design footing which support
eccentric loads or moments

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Geotechnical Design
• Design for Eccentric or Moment Loads cont….
• One way Eccentricity
• If the footing has a base area A and supporting a load P with
footing weight Wf the eccentricity e is given by

𝑃 𝑒1 𝑀
𝑒=
𝑒= 𝑃 +𝑊 𝑓
𝑃 +𝑊 𝑓
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Geotechnical Design
• Design for Eccentric or Moment Loads cont….
• One way Eccentricity

𝑒< 𝐵 / 6 𝑒= 𝐵 / 6 𝑒> 𝐵 / 6

𝑞𝑚𝑖𝑛 = (
𝑃 +𝑊 𝑓
𝐴 )(
− 𝑈 𝐷 1−
6𝑒
𝐵 ) 𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = ( 𝑃+𝑊 𝑓
𝐴 )(
−𝑈 𝐷 1+
6𝑒
𝐵 )
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Geotechnical Design
• Design for Eccentric or Moment Loads cont….
• Two way Eccentricity
• The load has eccentricity or support a two way moment the
eccentricity will be contained within the kernel if the following
condition is met

• The magnitude of q on the four corners of the footing is given

by

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Geotechnical Design
• Design for Eccentric or Moment Loads cont….
• Use the following procedure to proportion footings with eccentric
loads or moments
1. Develop a preliminary values for the plan dimension B and L.
2. Determine the resultant of the load that acts within the middle third (for
one-way) of the footing or the kern (for two way) footing. If this is the case
the length/width of footing shall be increased
3. Using the following procedure determine B’ and L’.
4. Determine eB bad eL
5. Compute effective footing dimensions

hence

5. Compute the equivalent bearing pressure

6. Compare with .If the design is satisfactory if not increase the dimensions

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Geotechnical Design
• Example 4.3
• Proportion a footing for the following loading conditions

Loads Permanent Variable Column Dimensions

P 800kN 950kN wx 500mm
Moments wy 600mm
Mx 300kNm 500kNm Allowable Soil Pressure
My 400kNm 650kNM qall 250kPa

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