BC18

Net Bearing Capacity & Design Considerations:

o The bearing capacity (Qu) calculated using the foregoing
equations is that of the soil at the depth of the footing.
o The load applied at the depth of the footing includes the
structural load (Qs), the weight of the footing itself (Wf), and
the weight of any soil immediately above the footing (Ws).
Since the unit weight of a typical concrete footing is not too
different from soil, the weight terms are often grouped
together approximately as follows:
W = (Wf + Ws) soilDfA = qA
where A = footing area
q = unfactored surcharge at the footing depth (Df) for a soil of unit weight soil
o The net load capacity (Qnet) then is the ultimate capacity less the weight load.
Qnet = Qu - W = (Qu - qA)
o The allowable load capacity (Qa) is the net capacity divided by a factor of safety:
s
u net
a
Q
FS
qA Q
FS
Q
Q

and
s
u net
a
q
FS
q q
FS
q
q

(FS = 3 typical)
o For design purposes :
[ ] qA ) FS ( Q Q
s u
+
and
[ ] q ) FS ( q q
s u
+
(Note that the structural load is factored while the weight load is not.)
o Since the footing dimensions affect the shape, depth, and eccentricity factors, sizing a
footing is a generally an iterative procedure. The process is simplified for a square footing.
o Design of a footing should include the possibility of a change in the groundwater depth.
o Footings in close proximity will induce overlapping
stress changes in the soil (recall pressure bulb
concept). Look at potential for differential
settlement due to increased stresses. Footings
may tilt or deflect, causing damage to footing
and/or structure. If the anticipated settlement is too
great then use strap or mat footings.
o BC of layered soils has many considerations:
BC depth of influence 2B, layers below 2B only affect settlement
Layered profiles without strong differences in soil properties can be
approximated using weighted average of properties and general BC
equation.
Weak soil over strong soil will be controlled by soft soil properties and
failure at interface.
Strong soil over weak soil may be controlled by punching through
strong soil or by "squeeze out" of soft soil.
2
1
2B
W
f
W
s
Q
s
Q
a
D
f
W
s
BC19
CBEAR program (and others) will help with layered analyses.
BC20
Presumptive Bearing:
Refer to local building codes.
Chart below from ASCE reprint of COE manual quotation of Navy NAVFAC DM7.2:
C
h
o
i
c
e
of Design Soil Parameters: drained vs. undrained
qu= (qc + qq + q

) = cNccscdci + qNqqsqdqi +

BN

s
d
i
1. Sands: effective stress analysis w/ c', ', ' or m - cannot load fast enough to induce
pore pressures
2. Partially Saturated Clays: total stress analysis, c, , m - no excess pore pressure
3. Saturated Clays:
a. long term - effective stress analysis, c', ', '
seldom controls design, get increase in strength
b. short term - total stress analysis, cu, = 0 N

= 0, use sat with Nq term

usually controls design
BC21
BC Soil Parameters: Need c, cu (= su), , u, to use in BC formulae
o Evaluate from field samples in lab: triaxial tests, direct shear tests, unconfined compression
o Educated guess for clays: correlations between plasticity or liquidity index vs. cu
Educated guess for sands: correlations between relative density / unit weight vs. as f()
o Guess based on local experience, water content, previous tests (nice, warm fuzzy feeling)
o Evaluate from SPT:
Bowles tables (1996) for cu and vs. N (see insitu notes, very approximate)
Wolff (1989), see Das:
2
1 1
N 00054 . 0 N 3 . 0 1 . 27 +
where N1 = CN Nfield and Nfield N55
Schmertmann (1975), Kulhway & Mayne (1990), see Das:
34 . 0
field
' 3 . 20 2 . 12
N
tan
1
]
1

+
where = overburden pressure in bars and Nfield N55
o Evaluate from Cone Penetrometer (CPT): based on cone tip bearing pressure, qc
Schmertmann (1975):
k
o c
u u
N
p q
s c


where po = z = total stress at depth of test
Nk = CPT Bearing Factor = 10-20, typically use 15
Nk lower with higher sensitivity =
( )
( )
remolded u
d undisturbe u
t
s
s
S
see Bowles chart (insitu notes, after Lunne & Eide, 1976)
for Nk from the plasticity index, Ip = (LL PL)
Schmertmann (1975), Kulhway & Mayne (1990), see Das and chart in insitu notes:

,
_

+
'
q
log 38 . 0 1 . 0 tan
c
where = effective overburden pressure
o Vane Shear Test (VST) for direct measurement of cu
o Iowa Borehole Shear Test (IBST) direct measurement of cu and
o Marchetti Dilatometer (DMT) for estimate of cu based on initial, lateral lift-off pressure,
and based on thrust and initial lateral lift-off pressure
o Pressuremeter Test (PMT) for cu based on limit pressure pL and shear modulus G

P
ho L
u u
N
p
s c


where ho = total horizontal stress at depth of test
u
P
c
G
ln 1 N +
(iterative solution for cu)
BC22
BC Based on Insitu Tests:
o Some insitu tests allow direct correlation to bearing capacity, potentially superior
o SPT is a calibrated method developed by Meyerhof (1974) and modified by Bowles (1996)
and uses chart below. N used in equations is an average over range of 0.5B above footing
to 2B below footing. Method includes a factor for depth (D/B). For B in feet:
Method is is based on a settlement of 25 mm.
If the allowable capacity qa is desired at a different settlement, then a a
q
mm 25
mm ,
ksf , ' q
,
_

o Das (1998) presents a conservative SPT method from Peck, Hansen and Thornburn (1974)
ft 4 B if K
ft , B
1 ft , B
4
N
ksf , q
D
55
a
>
,
_

,
_

ft 4 B if K
5 . 2
N
ksf , q
d
55
a

,
_

mats for K
4
N
ksf , q
d
55
a

,
_

33 . 1
B
D
33 . 0 1 K where
f
d

,
_

+
This chart for SI
units and D/B =0
BC23
o Three CPT methods from Schmertmanns (1975, 1978) work at UF
First calculate the average c
q
in kgf/cm
2
over the depth range 0-1.5B below the footing.
(Bowles would calculate c
q
over the depth range 0.5B-1.1B)
(1 bar = 1.019 kgf/cm
2
= 100 kPa = 1.044 tsf)
Method 1: Calculate c q
q 25 . 1 N N

Method 2: Back figure from N

or Nq above and use with general BC equation

Method 3: Equations based on work by Awkati (unpublished but oft repeated, 1970)
valid for Df 1.5 ft + B/2 if B < 3 ft and Df 4 ft if B 3 ft
cohesionless soils: footing strip ) kgf/cm , q 300 ( 0052 . 0 28 q
1.5 2
c u

(sands)
footing square ) kgf/cm , q 300 ( 0090 . 0 48 q
1.5 2
c u

cohesive soils (clays): footing strip kgf/cm , q 28 . 0 2 q
2
c u
+
footing square kgf/cm , q 34 . 0 5 q
2
c u
+