Heriot Watt University

School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society

D21FE: Foundation Engineering

Tutorial - immediate settlement - granular soils – SOLUTIONS

1. The following data exists for a proposed square footing, which is to be

cast into a deep deposit of silty sand.

Width, B = 2.0 m
Founding depth, d = 1.2 m
Depth to ground water table, dw = 1.5 m
Unit weight of sand, g = 20 kN/m3
Applied (gross) pressure = 250 kPa

SPT data for the 6 m of soil, below the founding depth (1.2 m) has
been averaged over 4 layers thus:

Layer thickness Average SPT N-

Layer (m) value
1 1.0 10
2 1.0 15
3 2.0 20
4 2.0 25

Using de Beer and Marten’s method, establish the likely immediate

settlement of the footing.
(24 mm)
Net pressure = p – gz = 250 – (20 x 1.2) = 226 kPa

Layer Thickness Depth to P01 at layer N Cr Cs

layer centre centre (= 400 x N)
(m) (m) (kPa) (kPa)
1 1.0 1.70 32.04 10 4000 187.3
2 1.0 2.70 42.23 15 6000 213.1
3 2.0 4.20 57.51 20 8000 208.6
4 2.0 6.20 77.89 25 10000 192.6

sDz dz/Cs
Layer B/z L/z Is 4Is = 4pIs ln(P0…) ´ (*)
(Fig 4.6) (*)
1 2.00 2.00 0.232 0.93 210.1 2.0228 0.0108
2 0.67 0.67 0.121 0.48 109.4 1.2785 0.0060
3 0.33 0.33 0.045 0.18 40.4 0.5325 0.0051
4 0.20 0.20 0.018 0.07 16.2 0.1888 0.0020
S0.0239

Total settlement = 0.0239 m = 23.9 mm

2. Elsewhere on the site as Question 1, the CPT test was used rather
than the SPT. If the same foundation and soil properties as Q1 apply,
determine the likely settlement if the CPT data for the 6 m of soil below
the bottom of the foundation was:

Layer thickness Average Cone

Layer (m) resistance, Cr (kPa)
1 1.0 3000
2 1.0 3500
3 2.0 9000
4 2.0 15000

(24.1 mm)
Net pressure = p – gz = 250 – (20 x 1.2) = 226 kPa

Layer Thickness Depth to P01 at layer

layer centre centre Cr Cs
(m) (m) (kPa) (kPa)
1 1.0 1.70 32.04 3000 177.9
2 1.0 2.70 42.23 3500 157.5
3 2.0 4.20 57.51 9000 297.3
4 2.0 6.20 77.89 15000 365.9

sDz dz/Cs
Layer B/z L/z Is 4Is = 4pIs ln(P0…) ´ (*)
(Fig 4.6) (*)
1 2.00 2.00 0.232 0.93 210.1 2.0228 0.0144
2 0.67 0.67 0.121 0.48 109.4 1.2785 0.0081
3 0.33 0.33 0.045 0.18 40.4 0.5325 0.0036
4 0.20 0.20 0.018 0.07 16.2 0.1888 0.0010
S0.0241

Total settlement = 0.0241 m = 24.1 mm

 3. Recalculate Questions 1 and 2 using Schmertmann’s method, if the
time assumed for creep is one year.

Remember: Schmertmann’s method only investigates as deep as 2B

so consider Layers 1, 2 and 3 only in your analysis.

(28 mm; 39 mm)

(Q1):

Effective overburden pressure at 0.5B (1 m) below the foundation, s'

= (20 ´ 2.2) – (9.81 ´ 0.7) = 37.1 kPa

Net pressure, Dp = p – gz = 250 – (20 x 1.2) = 226 kPa

Maximum strain influence factor value, Iz

%.'
"#
𝐼! = 0.5 + 0.1 )$# * = 0.75
!"

𝑰𝒛 𝚫𝒛𝒊
Layer Thickness Depth to layer centre N Cr (= 0.4 x N) Iz 𝒙𝑪𝒓
(m) (m) (MPa)
1 1.0 0.50 10 4 0.42 0.042
2 1.0 1.50 15 6 0.62 0.041
3 2.0 3.00 20 8 0.25 0.025
S0.109

At founding depth, s' = (1.2 ´ 20) = 24 kPa

$# ./
C1 = 1.0 − 0.5 ∆#! = 1 − ,0.5 × ..0
. = 0.95

C2 = 1 + 0.2 log10 10t = 1.2

r = 0.95 ´ 1.2 ´ 226 ´ 0.109 = 28.1 mm

(Q2): Dp and Iz are the same.

𝑰𝒛 𝚫𝒛𝒊
Layer Thickness Depth to layer centre Cr Iz 𝒙𝑪𝒓
(m) (m) (MPa)
1 1.0 0.50 3 0.42 0.056
2 1.0 1.50 3.5 0.62 0.071
3 2.0 3.00 9 0.25 0.022
S0.150

C1 and C2 same as Q1

r = 0.95 ´ 1.2 ´ 226 ´ 0.150 = 38.6 mm

 4. A long strip footing (25 m x 2 m) is to cast at a depth of 1.0 m into a
loose gravelly sand. The sand has saturated unit weight 19 kN/m3 and
the ground water table is coincident with the ground surface. The gross
pressure applied through the foundation will be 120 kPa.

CPT test data for the profile, extending from the base of the foundation
is:

Layer thickness Average Cone

Layer (m) resistance, Cr (MPa)
1 1.0 2.5
2 1.0 3.6
3 2.0 4.2
4 2.0 4.6
5 2.0 5.4

Use Steinbrenner’s method to determine the likely immediate

settlement of the foundation.

Hint: Since the foundation is long (L/B > 10), plane strain conditions
apply.

(23 mm)

Effective overburden pressure at B below the foundation, s' (3m)

= (19 ´ 3.0) – (9.81 ´ 3.0) = 27.6 kPa

Net pressure, Dp = p – gz = 120 – (9.19 x 1.0) = 110.8 kPa

Maximum strain influence factor value, Iz

%.'
"#
𝐼! = 0.5 + 0.1 )$# * = 0.70
!"

𝑰𝒛 𝚫𝒛𝒊
Layer Thickness Depth to layer centre Cr Iz 𝒙𝑪𝒓
(m) (m) (MPa)
1 1.0 0.50 2.5 0.33 0.037
2 1.0 1.50 3.6 0.58 0.046
3 2.0 3.00 4.2 0.58 0.079
4 2.0 5.00 4.6 0.35 0.044
5 2.0 7.00 5.4 0.12 0.012
S0.218

At founding depth, s' = (1.0 ´ 19) – (1.0 ´ 9.81) = 9.2 kPa

$# 1..
C1 = 1.0 − 0.5 ∆#! = 1 − ,0.5 × 22%.3
. = 0.96

C2 = 1 + 0.2 log10 10t = 1.0

r = 0.96 ´ 111 ´ 0.218 = 23.2 mm