Geotech 6

Soil Bearing Capacity

Bearing capacity is the maximum pressure that the
soil can support at foundation level without failure.
This is a key design parameter for foundation design
and also for design of retaining walls at the base
level. This chapter deals with the basic theory.
 Bearing Capacity Failure
1. General Shear Failure
o Involves total rupture of the underlying soil.
o There is a continuous shear failure of the soil (soil lines) from below the footing to the
ground surface.
o Occurs for soil that are dense or hard state.
o Tilting of the structure
2. Local Shear Failure
o Involves rupture of the soil only immediately below the footing.
o Occurs in medium dense or firm state of soil.
3. Punching Shear Failure
o Does not develop the distinct shear surfaces associated with a general shear failure. For
punching shear, the soil outside the loaded area remains relatively uninvolved and there is
minimal movement of soil on both sides of the footing.
o The process of deformation of the footing involves compression of soil directly below the
Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation

Ultimate Bearing Capacity (General Shear Failure)

1. Strip footing

2. Square footing

3. Rectangular footing

4. Circular footing

Allowable Bearing-Capacity Allowable Net Bearing-Capacity

Bearing-Capacity Factors (if table is not given:)
Local Shear Failure

1. Strip footing

2. Square footing

3. Rectangular footing

4. Circular footing

Allowable Bearing-Capacity Allowable Net Bearing-Capacity

Four different conditions can arise regarding the location of the
groundwater table with respect to the bottom of the foundation.
CASE 1: If the groundwater table is located at a distance d above the bottom of the foundation,
the magnitude of q in the second term of the bearing-capacity equation should be calculated
as:
CASE 2: If the groundwater table coincides with the bottom of the foundation, the magnitude of q is equal to
YDf. However, the unit weight Y, in the third term of the bearing-capacity equations should be replaced by
Y’.
CASE 3: When the groundwater table is at a depth d below the bottom of the foundation, q = YDf. The
magnitude of Y in the third term of the bearing-capacity equations should be replaced by Yav.
Example 1) A square footing has a dimension of 1.2m has its bottom 1.0 m below
the ground surface. Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation is
Y=18.11kN/m^3, c=15.75kPa, Ysat=19.28kN/m^3 and the water table is: (Nc=35,
Nq=22, Ny=19))

1. 1.2 below the ground surface.

• (qult = 1214.54 kPa)
2. at the bottom of the footing.
• (qult = 1201.41 kPa)
3. 0.5 below the ground surface.
• (qult = 1106.37 kPa
Example 2) The figure shown is a square footing of 1.2m x 1.2m. The unit weight of soil is
17.3kN/m^3 and has a cohesion of 9.6kPa. Angle of internal friction is 28°. Assume no water
table exist below the foundation. Det. the following:
4. Ultimate bearing capacity assuming general shear failure in soil.
• (Ans: qult = 816.371 kPa)
5. Allowable bearing capacity using a factor of safe of 2.5.
• (Ans: qall = 326.548 kPa)
6. Gross allowable load that the footing can carry.
• (Ans: Pall = 470.230 kN)
Example 3) A footing is embedded to a site of sandy clay at a depth of 1.6m below natural grade
line (NGL). The soil has the following soil properties: cohesion is 10kPa, angle of internal friction
is 35°, Gs of soil solids is 2.75, e = 0.55 and water content is 5%. The water table is at great depth.
Consider Terzaghi’s general shear failure and a factor of safety of 3.5. for the angle of internal
friction of 35°, the bearing-capacity are Nc=57.75, Nq=41.44, Ny=45.41.

7. What will be the allowable load for a 1.2 m square footing?

• (P=971.47 kN)
8. What will be the allowable load for a 1.35m diameter circular footing?
• (P=940.25kN)
9. What will be the allowable load for a 1.3m wide wall footing per meter
length?
• (P=865.09 kN/m)
Example 4) A footing 3m square carries a total loading including its own weight of
2MN. The base of the footing is at a depth of 1.5m below the ground surface. The soil
has a unit weight of 17 and cohesion of 50 kPa. (Nc=8.02.Nq=1.94,Ny=0.24)

10. Determine gross foundation pressure

• ( = 222.22 kPa)
11. Determine net foundation pressure
• ( = 196.72 kPa)
12. Determine the factor of safety (both gross and net)
• (2.05,2.31)
Example 5) For a certain soil, the cohesion is 50 kPa; the unit weight is 19.2 .
Assuming local shear failure: (Nc’=7.5,Nq’=1.80,Ny’=0.48) for local shear failure
(Nc=9,Nq=2.50, Ny=1.20) for general shear failure.

13. Calculate the net ultimate bearing capacity for a strip footing of width 1.25 m
and depth of 4.5 m.
• ( = 324.86 kPa)
14. Calculate the safe bearing capacity on a footing 6 m long and 1.25 m wide and
a factor of safety of 2.5 and consider general shear failure. Use qs =
• ( = 335.012 kPa)
15. Calculate the safe load that the rectangular footing could carry
• (2512.59 kN)