SHALLOW

FOUNDATION DESIGN :
Design of Isolated Footing
SHALLOW FOUNDATION
 Soil layer is suitable for supporting a structure at a relatively shallow depth.
If the soil conditions immediately below the structure are sufficiently strong and capable of
supporting the required load, then shallow spread footings can be used to transmit the load. On
the other hand, if the soil conditions are weak, then piles or piers are used to carry the loads
into deeper, more suitable soil.
Shallow foundations are foundations
where the depth of the footing is
generally less than the width (B) of
the footing. Deep foundations are
foundations where the depth of the
footing is greater than the width (B) of
the footing.
SHALLOW FOUNDATION
Design Considerations:
 Must not settle excessively.
 Must be placed at depth sufficient to prevent damage from surface environmental effects (frost,
swelling and shrinkage, erosion and scour).
 Must not cause failure of supporting soil (Bearing Capacity criteria).
Advantages of using shallow foundation
 Cost (affordable)
 Construction Procedure (simple)
 Materials (mostly concrete)
 Labor (does not need expertise)
SHALLOW FOUNDATION
Disadvantages of using shallow foundation
 Settlement
 Irregular ground surface (slope, retaining wall)
 Foundation subjected to pullout, torsion, moment.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
PROBLEM:
A reinforced concrete square column is supported by a square isolated footing (spread footing).
The footing is of plain concrete, and concentrically loaded. Design the footing in accordance
with the requirements of ACI 318M-08 and using the following available data:
Net allowable pressure, net = 150 kPa
Column loads (unfactored) : D = 150 kN ; L = 100 kN
Column diameter = 300mm
Column steel: 6-25mmØ bars with = 420 MPa ; = 200000 Mpa
Column concrete : = 28 MPa
Footing concrete : = 21 MPa
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
Step 1: Find footing base dimensions (ACI Section 22.7.2).
The greatest combination of the given loads is
D + L = 150 kN + 100 kN = 250 kN
Footing base area = 1.67 sq.m.
The footing base area is square, hence B = L = = 1.29 m
Try square footing 1.30 m x 1.30 m, and check the net
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
Net
Net 148 kPa < net (OK)
Use 1.30m x 1.30m square footing.
Step 2: Compute the design factored net load and factored net soil pressure
The set of factored load combinations are the following:
U = 1.4D = 1.4(150) = 210 kN
U = 1.4D + 1.6L = (1.2x150) + (1.6x100) = 340 kN
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
The designed factored net load is the greater of the two values.
Use: D = 340 kN
Design factored net soil pressure = net
=201.2 kPa

Note: This factored net

soil pressure, strictly, is
the
net effective foundation pr
essure
net q’, but factored
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
Step 3: Find footing thickness h.
A. Considering bending. The critical section for the maximum bending moment is located at the
face of the equivalent square column, as shown in the scheme below.
The side of an equivalent square column is w’ =
Use effective footing thickness = h’ = h – 0.05m
The applied factored bending moment per meter of the critical
section is
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
==
=
== 1 x w = 0.26
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
When load factor combinations are used, the strength reduction factor Ø shall be 0.6 for
flexure, compression, shear, and bearing.

> = 200 mm (OK)

DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
SOLUTION:
B. Considering two-way shear. The critical section for two-way shear is located a distance h’/2
from faces of the equivalent square column as shown in the scheme below.

For columns of small cross-section, the soil reaction on the

shear block is small and is usually neglected. Hence, use
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Where corresponds to the ratio of long side to short side of concentrated load or reaction area.

h = 267 + 50 = 317 mm < h required by bending moment

DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
C. Considering one-way shear. The critical section for one-way shear is located a distance h from
face of the equivalent square column, as shown in the scheme below.
ØVn ≥ Vu

Let Ø Vn = Vu

Use footing thickness h = 450 mm

DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Step 4. Check column bearing on the footing
ØBn ≥ Bu
Bu = factored bearing load = 1.2D+1.6L = 340 kN
(a) Top surface of the footing. The supporting surface is wider on all sides than the loaded area
Diameter of the lower base area of the frustum, shown in the scheme below, is
0.3+2(0.5) =1.3m
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING

Therefore, vertical compression reinforcement or dowels through the supporting surface at the
interface is theoretically not required.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
(b) Base of the column. The allowable bearing strength of the column base at the interface is

Therefore, dowels through the column base at the interface are theoretically not required.
Step 5. Design dowels to satisfy the minimum area of reinforcement across interface

where Ag is the gross area of the supported member

DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Assume using (arbitrarily) six No. 20 dowel bars:

Use six No. 20 dowels (fy = 420 MPa).

DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Step 6. Find the embedment length of dowels in both the footing and the column.
Dowels shall not be larger than a No. 36 bar and shall extend into supported member a distance
not less than the larger of , of the longitudinal bars (No. 57 and smaller but larger than dowels)
and compression lap splice length of the dowels, whichever is greater, and into the footing a
distance not less than of the dowels. Also, according to ACI Section 12.16.2, when bars of
different size are lap spliced in compression, splice length shall be the larger of of larger bar and
compression lap splice length of smaller bar.
(a) Embedment length of dowels in the footing:
According to ACI Section 12.3.2,
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
or

Use the embedment length of dowels in the footing = 440 mm.

Note: One may use a smaller length as permitted by ACI Section 12.3.3, but not less than 200
mm.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
(b) Embedment length of dowels in the column:

Use = 476 mm.

According to ACI Section 12.16.I, for fy ≤ 420 MPa and fc ≥ 21 MPa, compression lap splice length shall be
0.071fydb, but not less than 300 mm.
Lap splice length = 0.071 × 420 × 20 = 596 mm> ( = 476 mm). Use the embedment length of dowels in the
column = 600 mm
Note: One (arbitrarily) may use a larger length.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Step 7. Decide whether shrinkage and temperature (S and T) steel is required for this plain
concrete footing.

The ACI Section 2.2

defines plain
concrete as structural
concrete with no
reinforcement or
with less
reinforcement than
the minimum amount
specified for
reinforced concrete.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
As =0.0018 bh=0.0018 × 1.30 × 0.45 = 1.053 × = 1053
An amount of As = 1000 will be sufficient
Try five No. 16 bars:

Using 75 mm minimum concrete cover (ACI Section 7.7.1) at each side, center to center bar
spacing will be 283 mm. Check concrete cover provided at each side:
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
The center to center bar spacing of 283 mm also satisfies the maximum spacing requirement of
ACI Section 7.12.2.2.
Use five No. 16 bars @ 283 mm c.c. both ways, distributed near the top of the footing.
Step 8. Decide whether the footing should be sloped or stepped so that some economy may
be achieved.

The minimum thickness

required by ACI Section
22.7.4 is 200mm
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
Assume a sloped footing is desired. One can check the footing thickness and determine the
material savings as follows:
Let the footing thickness at its edges = 200 mm, which is the minimum thickness required by ACI
Section 22.7.4. Leave a 100 mm around the column to obtain a shoulder of square perimeter,
since the column must be formed after the footing has been poured. In sloped or stepped
footings, angle of slope or depth and location of steps shall be such that design requirements
are satisfied at every section (ACI Section 15.9.1). With this slope, the depth furnished at critical
section for two-way shear, that is at location (h /2) = 0.2 m from face of the equivalent square
column, is
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
The applied factored bending moment at this location is

Let ØMn =Mu

h = 0.23 m; hence, the depth required for bending is

h=0.23 + 0.05 = 0.28m < 0.39m (OK)
The sloped footing is satisfactory.
DESIGN A SQUARE FOOTING
The material savings is calculated
(approximately) as follows:

Step 9. Draw a final design sketch.

RECTANGULAR FOOTING
PROBLEM:
Design one isolated footing for the column 300 mm x 450 mm, having 20 bars of 20 mm
diameter ( = 4021 ), carrying Pu = 1620 kN and Mu = 170 kN-m using M25 and Fe 415. Assume
that the moment is reversible. The safe bearing capacity of the soil is 200 kN/sq.m. at a depth of
1 meter from ground level. Use M25 and Fe 415 for the footing.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
SOLUTION:
Step 1: Size of the footing
Given Pu = 1620 kN and Mu = 170 kN-m. The footing should be symmetric with respect to the
column as the moment is reversible.
Assuming the weights of footing and backfill as 15% of Pu, the eccentricity of load Pu at the base
is e = Mu/P(1.15) = 170(106 )/1620(1.15)(103 ) = 91.25 mm.
This eccentricity may be taken as < L/6 of the footing.
The factored bearing pressure is 200(1.5) = 300 kN/sq.m.. For the footing of length L and width
B, we, therefore, have:
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
For the economic proportion, let us keep equal projection beyond the face of the column in the
two directions. This gives

With L = 2.8 m and B = 2.65 m, we get the maximum and minimum pressures as
1620(1.15)/(2.85)(2.70) 170(6)/(2.7)(2.85)(2.85) = 242.105 ± 46.51 = 288.615 kN/m 2 and
195.595 kN/m2, respectively (see figure).
Both the values are less than 300 kN/m2. Hence, o.k.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
Step 2: Thickness of footing slab based on
one-way shear
The average soil pressure in the figure at the right is
{288.615 – (288.615 – 195.595)(1200 – d)/2850}
= 249.449 + 0.0326d.
The one-way shear force is
(2.7)(1.2 – 0.001d((249.449 + 0.0326d) kN.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
Assuming 0.15 per cent reinforcement in the footing slab, the shear strength of M 25 concrete =
0.29 N/mm2. Hence, the shear strength of the section = 2700(d)(0.29)(103) kN. From the
condition that shear strength has to be shear force, we have
2700(d)(0.29)(10-3) = (2.7)(1.2 – 0.001d)(249.449 + 0.0326d)
Solving, we get d = 576.6198.
Let us assume d = 600 mm
Step 3: Checking for two-way shear
At the critical section of the figure, the shear resistance is obtained
τ = (0.5 + 450/300)(0.25)(25)1/2
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
But the multiplying factor (0.5 + 450/300) 1.0, so we have τ = 0.25(25) 1/2 = 1.25 N/mm2. Hence,
the shear resistance = (1.25)(2){(300 + 600) + (450 + 600)}(600) = 2925 kN.
Actual shear force is determined on the basis of average soil pressure at the center line of the
cross-section which is (195.595 + 288.615)/2 = 242.105 kN/m 2
The actual shear force = = (242.105){(2.7)(2.85) – (0.3 + 0.6)(0.45 + 0.6)}
=1634.209 kN < shear resistance (= 2925 kN).

Hence, the depth of the footing With effective depth = 600 mm, the total
is governed by one-way shear. depth of footing = 600 + 50 (cover) + 16
(bar dia) + 8 (half bar dia) = 674 mm.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
Step 4: Gross bearing capacity
(i) Due to = 1620 kN: pressure = 1620/(2.7)(2.85) = 210.53 kN/m 2
(ii) Due to = 170 kNm: pressure = ± 170(6)/(2.7)(2.85)(2.85) = ±46.51 kN/m 2
(iii) Self weight of footing of depth 674 mm and soil of (1000 – 674) = 326 mm:
pressure = 0.674(25) + 0.326(18) = 22.718 kN/m2

Thus, the maximum and minimum pressures are = 210.53 + 22.718 ± 46.51
= 279.758 kN/m2 and 186.738 kN/m2 < 300 kN/m2. Hence, o.k.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
Step 5: Bending moment
(i) In the long direction (along the length = 2850 mm)
Bending moment = 249.45(2.7)(1.2)(0.6) + (288.615 – 249.45)(2.7)(1.2)(2)/(2)(3) = 527.23 kNm.
M/Bd2 = 527.23(106)/(2700)(616)(616) = 0.515 N/mm2 < 3.45 N/mm2 for M 25 concrete.
Thus, Ast = 0.15(2700)(616)/100 = 2494.8 mm2.
Provide 13 bars of 16 mm diameter (area = 2613 mm2)
spacing = (2700 – 100 – 16)/12 = 215.33 mm, say 210 mm c/c.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
(ii) In the short direction (B = 2700 mm)
The average pressure on soil between the edge and center of the footing = (288.615 + 242.105)/2 =
265.36 kN/m2.
Bending moment = (265.36)(1.2)(0.6)(2.85) kNm = 544.519 kNm
M/Ld2 = 544.519(106)/(2850)(600)(600) = 0.531
Area of steel = 0.15068(2850)(600)/100 = 2576.628 mm2.
Provide 13 bars of 16 mm diameter (area = 2613 mm2) @ 210 mm c/c
Step 6: Development length
Development length of 16 mm diameter bars (M 25 concrete) = 0.87(415)(16)/4(1.6)(1.4) = 644.73 mm.
Length available = 1200 – 50 – 8 = 1142 mm > 644.73 mm. Hence, o.k.
RECTANGULAR FOOTING
Step 7: Transfer of force at the base of the column
The required development length of 20 mm bars = 0.87(415)/4(1.4)(1.6) = 805.92 mm.
Length available = 600 mm < 805.92 mm.
The bars shall be given 90o bend and then shall be extended by 200 mm horizontally to give a
total length of 600 + 8(20) (bend value) + 200 = 960 mm > 805.92 mm
REFERENCES
318, A. C. (2014). Building Code Requirements. Farmington Hills, MI 48331: American Concrete
Institute.
Baban, T. M. (2016). Shallow Foundations Discussions and Problem Solving. West Sussex, P019
8SQ, United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.