23- Introduction to foundations –

Bearing capacity of shallow foundations

Sérgio Lourenço, HKU

Foundation design

Foundation failure in silos (Canada)

UC Davis

Earthquake-induced liquefaction of foundation, Turkey

2
Foundation design
 Foundations must have an adequate factor of safety
against collapse.
 The settlements must not give rise to unacceptable
damage or interfere with the performance of the
structure.
 In any foundation design the engineer must be aware of
two things, namely:
 Ultimate failure due to inadequate bearing capacity in the soil
 Serviceability failure due to excessive settlement

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Ultimate bearing capacity
 Failure mode dependent on Relative Density;
 We design for the general shear case.
General
shear
failure

Local
shear
failure

Punching
shear

Andrew Harris

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Ultimate bearing capacity
 The ultimate bearing capacity (qu) is the value of
bearing stress which causes a sudden catastrophic
settlement of the foundation i.e. when general shear
failure occurs.

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Allowable bearing capacity
 The allowable bearing capacity (qa) is the maximum
pressure which can be applied to the foundation such that
it is safe against instability and does not exceed the
permissible settlement. The allowable bearing pressure is
normally calculated from the ultimate bearing capacity
using a factor of safety (FOS).

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Allowable bearing capacity
 Factor of safety for allowable bearing capacity (qa)
𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢
𝑞𝑞𝑎𝑎 =
𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹

 Factor of safety (FOS) depends on:

 Soil type
 Structure type
 Soil variability
 Extent of site characterization (uncertainty)
 Assume a factor of safety F = 3, unless otherwise
specified for bearing capacity problems.

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Bearing capacity equation
 Assumptions Foundation D
 D ≤B B
 homogenous and isotropic τ = c’ + σ’tan(φ’)
 level ground
 rigid foundation
 full adhesion between soil and base of footing
 general shear failure develops

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Bearing capacity equation

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Bearing capacity equation
 Terzaghi (1943) expressed the bearing capacity of a foundation
in terms of bearing capacity factors Nc, Nq and Nγ. He gave the
following equation for the ultimate bearing capacity, qu:
𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢 = 𝑐𝑐𝑁𝑁𝑐𝑐 + 𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 + 0.5𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝛾𝛾

 There are three bearing capacity factors Nc, Nq and Nγ.

 The Nc term represents the contribution from the shear
strength (soil cohesion)
 The Nq term relates to the contribution due to the surcharge
pressure
 The Nγ term relates to the contribution from the self weight
of the soil
 The above equation applies to a strip footing.
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 Bearing capacity factors

N q = e πtanφ tan 2 (45 + φ / 2)

店
N c = (N q - 1) cot φ

N γ = 1.8( N q - 1 ) tanφ Brinch Hansen (1968)

N γ = (N q - 1) tan (1.4 φ) Meywerhof (1963)

。
Bearing capacity chart
 Bearing capacity factors depend on friction angle

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Bearing capacity equation
 Shape effect
 The shape of footing influences the bearing capacity:
 Strip footing

!
𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢 = 𝑐𝑐𝑁𝑁𝑐𝑐 + 𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 + 0.5𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝛾𝛾
 Circular footing
𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢 = 1.3𝑐𝑐𝑁𝑁𝑐𝑐 + 𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 + 0.3𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝛾𝛾

 Square footing
𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢 = 1.3𝑐𝑐𝑁𝑁𝑐𝑐 + 𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝑞𝑞 + 0.4𝛾𝛾𝛾𝛾𝑁𝑁𝛾𝛾

aema
,

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Groundwater (unit weight)
 Where the depth of the water
table below the footing (dw) is 3 D
greater than the foundation width B
B the effect of the water table can 2 B
be ignored (case 1).
 A correction should be applied to 1
the unit weight where the water
table is within a distance B below 1: For γ = γb
dw>=B
the footing (case 2). 2: For dw
γ = ( 0.5 + ) γ sat
 For footings at or below the water 0<dw<B B tan(45 + φ / 2)
table the self weight of the soil for 3: For γ’ = γsat - γw
use in the Nγ and Nq term will be dw<=0
the submerged unit weight (γ')
rather than the bulk unit weight
(γb) (case 3).

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Exercise 1
A strip foundation is 1.5 m wide and is founded at a depth of 1.5
m in a deep layer of sand of unit weight 18.5 kN/m3. Determine
the ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation if the soil
strength parameters are c′ = 0 kPa and φ′ = (i) 35°, (ii) 30°.

(i) From the chart, for φ′ = 35°, Nc = 47.8, Nq = 41.4, Nγ = 42.4.

r 18 5
=

For a strip footing:

.

11 5
qu = c′Nc + γ zNq + 0.5γ BNγ
.

= 18.5 × 1.5 × 41.4 + 0.5 × 18.5 × 1.5 × 142.4

.
5 = 1737 kPa

(ii) From the chart: for φ′ = 30°, Nc = 37.2, Nq = 22.5, Nγ = 19.7.

qu = 18.5 × 1.5 × 22.5 + 0.5 × 18.5 × 1.5 × 19.7 = 898 kPa
The ultimate bearing capacity is reduced by 48 percent when the
value of φ′ is reduced by 15 percent.

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Exercise 2
A light industrial factory is being constructed at the edge of an estuary
on an extensive thickness of River Terrace Deposits comprising gravely
sand. A site investigation has recorded a minimum depth to water
table of 4.0 metres below ground surface and in addition an angle of
friction for the granular deposits of φ’ = 35° has been determined
from Standard Penetration Tests results.

 Calculate the required dimensions for a spread (or raft) foundation

to support a load of 2400 kN from an external column for the
factory. Local building regulations require a minimum depth of
foundation of 1 metre below ground surface. Take the soil bulk unit
weight to be 18 kN/m3 above the water table and 20 kN/m3 below.
Use a factor of safety of 2.5 and use the following expression with
accompanying bearing capacity charts.
5 I) - gravelySnnd
.

2 些
qu = 0.4 γBNγ + 1.3cNc + γDNq
.

4
7 了
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Exercise 2
For c = 0 kPa, Ultimate bearing capacity qu = 0.4 γBNγ + γ DNq
For φ‘ = 35 °, Nγ = 40 and Nq = 33 from bearing capacity charts

Consider B = 2.5m, depth of water table = 4.0m (dw>=B)

qu = 0.4x40x18 B + 18x1x33
qu = 288B + 594 kN/m2

qu = 720 + 594 = 1314 kN/m2

Let Factor of Safety = 2.5

Then qa = 1314/2.5 = 526 kN/m2 TAra

And allowable load = 526 x 2.52 = 3288 kN allowable load >> 2400 kN – not
economical, reduce area of spread foundation

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Exercise 2
Consider B = 2.25m

qu = 648 + 594 = 1242 kN/m2

Let Factor of Safety = 2.5

Then qa = 1242/2.5 = 497 kN/m2

And allowable load = 497 x 2.252 = 2516 kN allowable load
~ 2400 kN

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