Lecture-03

CE-430 (2 Credit Hours)

Foundation Engineering
7th Semester (Fall 2023)

Introduction
Instructor:

Dr Muhammad Adeel Arshad

Courtesy:
Dr Irshad Ahmad
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar 1
 Methods of Bearing Capacity Determination

1) Analytic method i.e. through bearing capacity equations like using

Terzaghi equation, Meyerhof equation, Hansen equation etc.
2) Correlation with field test data e.g. Standard Penetration Test (SPT),
Cone Penetration Test (CPT) etc.
3) On-site determination of bearing capacity e.g. plate load test (PLT),
pile load test.
4) Presumptive bearing capacity (recommended bearing capacity in
various codes)
We will discuss only Analytical Methods (1) in this chapter. Methods
(2), (3) and (4) will be discussed in chapter-3.

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 Limit Equilibrium Method

The limit equilibrium method is by far the most used analysis for the stability of
geotechnical structures. The steps in calculating a limit equilibrium solution are as follows:
1. Draw an arbitrary collapse mechanism of slip surfaces; this may consist of any
combination of straight lines or curves arranged to give a mechanism.
2. Calculate the statical equilibrium of the components of the mechanism by resolving
forces or moments and hence calculate the external forces or the strength mobilized
in the soil (whichever is unknown).
3. Examine the statical equilibrium of other mechanisms and so find the critical
mechanism for which the loading is the limit equilibrium load.

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 Bearing Capacity using LEM
for (i) u=0 Soil , (ii) Strip Footing, (iii) Circular slip surface

Clockwise Moment about O Pult =qult  B

𝐵 𝑞= 𝐷 GL
𝑀𝑠𝑡 = 𝑞𝐵 + 𝐵 𝐵 qult
2 D O
Anticlockwise moment about O
B B
𝐵
𝑀𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡 = 𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝐵
2

𝑀𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡 = 𝑀𝑠𝑡

𝐵 𝐵 Failure Plane, =cu

𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝐵 = 𝑞𝐵 + 𝐵𝐵
2 2
 = 𝑐𝑢 + 𝑡𝑎𝑛
2 2
𝐵 𝐵
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡  = 𝑞 + 𝐵2
2 2 𝐴𝑠,  = 0
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡 = 𝑞 + 2cu 
 = 𝑐𝑢 + 𝑡𝑎𝑛0
For surface Footing D=0
𝑞 = 𝐷 = 0  = 𝑐𝑢
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡 = 2𝑐𝑢 
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

Terzaghi developed a general formula for ultimate bearing capacity of spread footing
foundations using the Limit Equilibrium method. He made the following
assumptions:
• The depth of the footing is less than or equal to its width (D, B).
• The foundation is rigid and has a rough bottom.
• The soil beneath the footing is a homogeneous semi-infinite mass.
• Strip foundation with a horizontal base and level ground surface under vertical
loads.
• The general shear mode of failure governs, and no consolidation of the soil occurs
(settlement is due only to shearing and lateral movement of the soil).
• The shear strength of the soil is described by  = c + σ tan φ
The collapse mechanism assumed by Terzaghi has been discussed earlier. Terzaghi
considered three zones in the soil. Immediately beneath the foundation is a (Elastic)
wedge zone that remains intact and moves downward with the foundation.
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

The movement of the wedge forces the soil aside and produces radial shear zone
and linear shear zone. The radial shear zone extends from each side of the wedge,
where it took the shape of the shear planes to be logarithmic spirals. The outer
portion is the linear shear or Passive zone in which the soil shears along planar
surfaces. Since Terzaghi neglected the shear strength of soils between the ground
surface and a depth D, the shear surface stops at this depth and the overlying soil
has been replaced with the surcharge pressure q= D· This approach is
conservative and is part of the reason for limiting the method to relatively shallow
foundations (D ~B).
Terzaghi developed his theory for continuous foundations (i.e., those with a very
large L/B ratio). This is the simplest case because it is a two-dimensional problem.
He then extended it to square and round foundations by adding empirical
coefficients (shape factors) obtained from model tests.

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 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

Collapse Mechanism assumed by Terzaghi (Only right side of the slip lines/failure
mechanism is shown in the figure. Failure mechanism is symmetrical)
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)
The free body diagram of elastic wedge is shown as
B
 = 𝑐 + 𝑡𝑎𝑛
qult
𝑇 = 𝐶 + 𝑁𝑡𝑎𝑛
𝐹𝑦 = 0 A B
𝑞𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝐵 + 𝑊 = +2𝐶𝑠𝑖𝑛 + 2𝑃𝑝
 
C

𝑡𝑎𝑛
𝐶 = 𝑐𝐽𝐵 [𝑐 = 𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙]

𝐵
2
𝐵

𝐻=
𝐶 = 𝑐
W
2𝑐𝑜𝑠

𝑊 = 
𝐵𝐻
2

𝐵 𝐵 J
𝑊= ( 𝑡𝑎𝑛) Pp Pp=Passive force
2 2
(Resultant of Normal
𝐵 2 & Frictional Force)
𝑊= 𝑡𝑎𝑛
4
Contribution to Pp is due to the self weight of the soil , soil cohesion c, and surcharge q=D. Therefore, Pp is divided
respectively into Pp, Ppc, and Ppq.
Pp = Pp + Ppc + Ppq
However finding all three components of Pp simultaneously is an indeterminate problem. To remedy this difficulty, we split
the problem into three pieces.
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 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

The three separate problems are defined as follows:

Problem 1: Evaluate Ppc by assuming the soil has cohesion and friction but is weightless and has
no surcharge.
Pp=Ppc , Pp=0, Ppq=0
Problem 2: Evaluate Ppq by assuming the soil has surcharge and friction but has no cohesion and
is weightless.
Pp=Ppq , Pp=0, Ppc=0
Problem 3: Evaluate Pp by assuming the soil has weight and friction but no cohesion and no
surcharge.
Pp=Pp , Ppq=0, Ppc=0
This method of superposition introduces errors but the simplification is conservative and does not
seem to introduce major error.
After evaluating these components of Pp (not done here), and putting their values in the above
equation of equilibrium, the Terzaghi bearing capacity equation is obtained.

qult=cNc + qNq + 0.5 BN For Strip Footing

(I) (II) (III)
Nc, Nq and Nr are bearing capacity factors or coefficients due to cohesion, surcharge and soil
weight respectively. They depend on the value of  and on the shape of the failure zone as
assumed by the different researchers. 9
 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

(I) Term: Contribution of cohesion

(II) Term: Contribution of surcharge
(III) Term: Contribution of soil weight below foundation base

Terzaghi used shape factors to make the formula applicable to other shapes of
foundations using the shape factors sc and s.

qult = cNcsc + qNq + 0.5 BNs

 Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

For
Nc=18 =20

Nq=7.5

Nq=5

Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity factors (Nc, Nq, N)

Terzaghi’s Bearing Capacity Equation (1943)

For
=20
 Example-1
Compute the Ultimate bearing pressure using the Terzaghi equation for the square
footing of width B=1.5m shown in figure below.

Solution:

D=1.2 m
Terzaghi BC Equation is

1 B=1.5 m
𝑞𝑢 = 𝑐𝑁𝑐 𝑠𝑐 + 𝐷𝑁𝑞 + 𝐵𝑁𝑠
2 =17.3 kN/m3
BC factors for =20
=20
c=20 kPa
𝑁𝑐 = 17.7 , 𝑁𝑞 = 7.4 , 𝑁 = 5

𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝑠𝑐 = 1.3 , 𝑠 = 0.8

1
𝑞𝑢 = 2017.71.3 + 17.31.27.4 + 17.31.550.8
2
𝑞𝑢 = 460.2 + 153.6 + 51.9

𝑞𝑢 = 665 𝑘𝑃𝑎
 Bearing Capacity Analysis

Analysis Types

Undrained Analysis Drained Analysis

cu , u ,  c ,  , 
No effect of Water Effect of Water Table
Table
 Effects of Water Table on Bearing Capacity of Soil (considered
only in effective stress analysis)
Effective unit weight of the soil is used in the bearing capacity equations for computing the
ultimate bearing capacity. The effective unit weight of soil should be used in accordance
with the table given below.

4 d1
D
2 d2

45+/2
5 zw
H

𝐵 
𝐻 = tan 45 +
2 2
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 Example-2
A footing 2.5x2.5 m carries a pressure of 400 kN/m2 at a depth of 1m in a sand. The
saturated unit weight of the sand is 20 kN/m3 and unit weight above the water table
is 17kN/m3. The design shear strength parameters are c=0 kPa and =40.
Determine the factor of safety with respect to shear failure for the following case:
(a) The water table is 5 m below the ground level,
(b) The water table is 1 m below the ground level,
(c) The water table is at ground level and there is seepage vertically upwards under
a hydraulic gradient of 0.2.

q (gross) =400 kPa

D=1 m
2.5m

B=2.5 m

=17.3 kN/m3
2.5 m s=20 kN/m3
=40
c=0 kPa
 The water table is 5 m below the ground level
Solution
First find height “H” of wedge

𝐵 
𝐻= tan 45 +
2 2

2.5 40
𝐻= tan 45 + = 2.68 𝑚
2 2 GL
q (gross) `=400 kPa

D=1 m
𝑧𝑤 = 5 − 1 = 4 𝑚

𝐴𝑠 𝑧𝑤 > 𝐻

5m
𝑆𝑜 𝑛𝑜 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑊𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑠𝑒  = 17.3 𝑘𝑁/𝑚3 B=2.5 m
H
Terzaghi Bearing Capacity zw
1
𝑞𝑢 = 𝑐𝑁𝑐 𝑠𝑐 + 𝐷𝑁𝑞 + 𝐵𝑁 𝑠
2 =17.3 kN/m3 ,=40 ,c=0 kPa
𝑁𝑞 = 81.3 , 𝑁 = 100.4 (𝐹𝑜𝑟  = 40 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒)
1
𝑞𝑢 = 0 + 17.3181.3 + ( 17.32.5100.40.8)
2
𝑞𝑢 = 1406 + 1737 = 3143. 5𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑞𝑢
𝐹𝑂𝑆 =
𝑞𝑎𝑝𝑝

3143.5
𝐹𝑂𝑆 = = 7.8
400
 The water table is 1 m below the ground level

𝑘𝑁
2𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚  = 17.3
𝑚3
𝑘𝑁
3𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚  = 20 − 9.81 = 10.2
𝑚3

Terzaghi Bearing Capacity

1
𝑞𝑢 = 𝑐𝑁𝑐 𝑠𝑐 + 𝐷𝑁𝑞 + 𝐵𝑁 𝑠 GL
2
q (gross)` =400 kPa

D=1 m
𝑁𝑞 = 81.3 , 𝑁 = 100.4 (𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒)

1m
1
𝑞𝑢 = 0 + 17.3181.3 + ( 10.22.5100.40.8)
2
45+/2
𝑞𝑢 = 1406 + 1024 = 2430 𝑘𝑃𝑎

𝑞𝑢
𝐹𝑂𝑆 =
𝑞𝑎𝑝𝑝 =17.3 kN/m3 ,=40 ,c=0 kPa
2430
𝐹𝑂𝑆 = =6
400

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 The water table is at ground level and there is seepage vertically upwards
under a hydraulic gradient of 0.2.

In this case both 2nd and 3rd terms will be affected. In addition to submergence of soil due
to W.T, there will be further reduction in unit weight of soil due to vertical seepage.

 = sub - iw = 10.2 – 0.29.8 = 8.24 kN/m3.

Terzaghi Bearing Capacity GL

1
𝑞𝑢 = 𝑐𝑁𝑐 𝑠𝑐 + 𝐷𝑁𝑞 + 𝐵𝑁 𝑠 q (gross)` =400 kPa

D=1 m
2

𝑁𝑞 = 81.3 , 𝑁 = 100.4 (𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒)

1 B=2.5 m
𝑞𝑢 = 0 + 8.24181.3 + ( 8.242.5100.40.8)
2

𝑞𝑢 = 670 + 827.3 = 1497 𝑘𝑃𝑎

=17.3 kN/m3 ,=40 ,c=0 kPa
𝑞𝑢
𝐹𝑂𝑆 =
𝑞𝑎

1497
𝐹𝑂𝑆 = = 3.7
400

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