GLE/CEE 330: Soil Mechanics

Bearing Capacity of
Shallow Footings

Geological Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison
 Learning Objectives

• Discuss failure mechanisms

• Describe limit equilibrium analysis approach

• Learn basic design approach for shallow

footings (strength limit state)
 Foundation Design Philosophy
Limit State = “condition beyond which a
component/member of a foundation or other structure
ceases to satisfy the provisions for which the
component/member was designed”

• Strength Limit State (bearing capacity analysis)

• Service Limit State (settlement analysis)
• Extreme Event Limit State
• Fatigue Limit State
 Failure of Shallow Footings

• Dense soil
• “Brittle” response

General Shear Failure

Local Shear Failure

• Loose soil
• “Ductile” response

Punching Failure
(Coduto)
Practice is to check general shear case
Then do settlement analysis
(implicitly checks local and punching)

(Coduto)
 Limit Equilibrium Approach

1) Select plausible failure mechanism (failure surface)

2) Determine forces on failure surface
3) Use static equilibrium to determine failure load
Strip Footing on Saturated Clay
Semi-circular failure surface
(Undrained Analysis)

For refined geometry:

 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation
Embedment depth (Df): accounts for frost,
Shallow Footing (B X L) environmental effects, etc., provides surcharge

General Shear Failure Surface

1
Ultimate Bearing Capacity qult  cN c  qN q  B N 
2
More general form… (Vesic, 1973)

1
qult  c' N c f c  qN q f q  B N  f 
2

qult = ultimate bearing capacity (stress)

c’ = cohesion (or su for undrained load andf = 0; short term analysis for clay)
q = overburden stress (q = Df)
B = footing width (or diameter)
 = total unit weight of soil (need to correct for water table)
Nc, Nq, Nf = “Bearing capacity factors” = f(f)
fc, fq, f = correction factors (shape, depth, load inclination, slope, etc…)
 Bearing Capacity Factors (Vesic, 1973)

 f
N q  tan 2  45  e tanf
 2
N c  N q  1cot f
N  2N q  1 tan f
 Correction Factors
Shape Depth Inclination

f q  Fqs Fqd Fqi 

f c  Fcs Fcd Fci 
f  Fs Fd Fi 

P b

Df

L
B
 Ultimate, Net, and Allowable Capacity
1
qult  cN c f c  qN q f q  B N  f 
2
qnet  qult  D f Subtract pressure from excavated soil above footing
qnet
qall  F.S. = factor of safety (F.S. = 2 – 4)
F .S .
Pall  qall A
 Effect of Water Table
Case 1 (Shallow water table):
If Dw < Df, then use ’ in 1/2BN term , where (’ =  – w)
If Dw = 0, then use ’ in qNq term and 1/2BN term

Case 2 (Intermediate Water Table):

If Df < Dw < Df + B, then use “average ” in 1/2BN term

  Dw  D f 
 avg     w 1   
  B 
Case 3: (Deep Water Table):
If Dw > Df +B, then no effect

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

 Example: Sand
P Find Pall for FS = 3.0

0
1
qult  cN c f c  qN q f q  B N  f 
Df = 5’ 2
L = 10’
Check water table:
B = 6’ Sand (c = 0) Dw (13) > Df + B (11) so no effect
Dw = 13’  = 110 pcf
From Vesic (1973): for f = 33 deg.
f = 33
Nq = 26.1
N = 35.2
Correction factors:
Pall  qall A B
Fqs  1  tan f  1.39
L
qnet
qall   Df
Fqd  1  2 tan f 1  sin f  
2 
  1.22
FS  B 
qnet  qult  D f B
Fs  1  0.4  0.76
L
Fd  1
 P
Find Pall for FS = 3.0

0
1
Df = 5’ qult  cN c f c  qN q f q  B N  f 
L = 10’
2
1
B = 6’ qult  D f N q Fqs Fqd  BN  Fs Fd
Dw = 13’ Sand (c = 0) 2
 = 110 pcf qult  110526.11.391.22
f = 33 1
  611035.2 0.761
2
qult  24334  8826  33160 psf
qnet  33160  1105  32610
qnet 32610
qall    10870
FS 3
Pall  qall A  10870 psf 6'10'  652 kips
 Example: Clay
P

Dw = 0 • Find Pall for FS = 3.0

• Assume undrained (rapid) loading (f = 0, su)
Df = 6’ • This is the critical case (weakest soil)
L = 10’
B = 6’
Clay
 = 100 pcf t

Results from UU tests on Clay:

Test s3f (psi) s1f (psi) Undrained Shear Strength
su = 8.7 psi = 1250 psf
A 10 27
B 20 38
s (psi)
C 40 57
 1
P qult  su N c f c  qN q f q  B N  f 
2
Dw = 0 From Vesic (1973), for f = 0:
Nq = 1.0
Nc = 5.14
Df = 6’
N = 0
L = 10’
B = 6’ No need to check water table (N = 0)

Clay Correction Factors:

 = 100 pcf
 Df 
Fcd  1  0.4   1.4
 B 
0
2 Df 
Fqd  1  2 tan f 1  sin f     1.0
 B 
B  Nq 
Fcs  1     1.2
L  Nc 
B 0
Fqs  1  tan f  1
L
 P

Dw = 0 0
1
Df = 6’
qult  su N c f c  qN q f q B N  f 
2
qult  12505.14 1.4 1.2  1006 11
L = 10’
B = 6’
qult  11394 psf
Clay
 = 100 pcf qnet  11394  1006   10794 psf
qnet 10794
qall    3598 psf
FS 3
Pall  qall A  35986 10  216 kips