Bearing Capacity
of Layered Soils
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• With reference to the
figure shown for a
continuous footing,
Meyerhof and Hanna
(1978) treated this case
of a stronger layer over a
weaker layer semi-
analytically.
• The mode of failure
depends on the relative
thickness, H/B, below the
foundation
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• For small values of H/B, punching-type shear failure takes
place in the upper layer followed by a general shear failure
in the lower layer.
• Since the problem – strip foundation – is considered as a
plane-strain problem, a unit length is considered so that
for limit equilibrium
– qb: bearing capacity of the bottom layer
– Ca= caH: adhesion force
– Pp: passive resistance
(See figure above)
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• qb is determined in the usual way at the depth of Df+H for
general shear failure:
• The passive resistance can be expressed as
• Inserting these expressions in the equilibrium equation,
one obtains the b.c. equation sought:
where Ks is the punching shear coefficient given by
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• The punching shear
coefficient is provided in the
graph as a function of q2/q1
and φ1.
– q1 and q2 are the bearing
capacities of the two layers
obtained in the usual manner
assuming each soil was deep
and uniform in the respective
cases
• qt=q1: upper bound
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• The adhesion, ca, is obtained
as a fraction of the soil
cohesion of the top layer and
as a function of the ratio of
the two limiting bearing
capacities.
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• For a large H/B, the
failure surface is
entirely in the upper
layer so that the
bearing capacity is
dependent only on this
layer properties (see
figure).
• This case gives the
upper bound, qt,
indicated above:
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• Going back to the case of small H/B for rectangular
foundations, the equation is modified to include shape and
depth factors; i.e.
– where
– Meyerhof’s and/or Hansen’s shape factors,λ, can be used in the
above equations using the respective friction angles.
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
1. Stronger Soil overlying a Weak soil
• The qualitative
variation of qult is as
shown: it increases
with increasing H?B
and is bounded by
the two values.
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
2. weaker Soil overlying a strong soil
• Meyerhof and Hanna
(1978) also treated this
case in a semi-analytical
manner.
• In the case of relatively
small H/B (left), the slip
surface passes through
both layers, and its shape
is different from the case
of large H/B (right), which
is the classic half-space
case.
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
2. weaker Soil overlying a strong soil
• For the case of small H/B, the ultimate bearing
capacity is given by
• where
Bearing Capacity of Layered Soils:
2. weaker Soil overlying a strong soil
• D is the maximum depth
of failure surface in the
top (weaker) layer
• Based on model tests,
Meyerhof and Hanna
suggested
• The qualitative variation
of qult is as shown: it
decreases with increasing
H/B and bounded by the
two values
Particular Cases and Examples
• Recommended reference:
– Das, B. M.; Shallow Foundations: Bearing Capacity and
Settlement, CRC Press, 2009
– Baban, T. M.; Shallow Foundations: Discussions and
Problem Solving, Wiley Blackwell, 2016
Bearing Capacity of Foundations on rocks
• Recommended reference:
– Bowles, J. E.; Foundation Analysis and Design, McGraw-
Hill,1997
– Baban, T. M.; Shallow Foundations: Discussions and
Problem Solving, Wiley Blackwell, 2016
Bearing Capacity of Foundations in Slopes
• Recommended reference:
– Das, B. M.; Shallow Foundations: Bearing Capacity and
Settlement, CRC Press, 2009
– Baban, T. M.; Shallow Foundations: Discussions and
Problem Solving, Wiley Blackwell, 2016
