0

0.0

10 12 t/sq.m. 15

20

23

25

30

35

40

20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
120.0
140.0
160.0
180.0
200.0
220.0
240.0
260.0
280.0

Now if one want to decided the modulus of

subgrade reaction (slope of the initial tangent line)
then it is quite clear that the values are very
different and the modulus calculated from plate
load test can not be used for footing /raft of width
3m since the value willl be quite low for the actual
footing.
Evanthough the applicability of plate load test is
very low for actual conditions since the pressure
bulb for actual situations will be quite large
compared to the bulb formed by plate which is well
documented and i need not elaborate it here.

0.6M WIDE PLATE

3m wide footing

45

0
0.0

10 12 t/sq.m. 15

40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0

140.0
160.0
180.0
200.0
220.0
240.0
260.0
280.0

23

25

30

35

40

0.6M WIDE PLATE

3m wide footing

20.0

120.0

20

The curve on which one should work is calculated

here. There are two way to look at which this graph.
One way is to draw tangent lines which was drawn in
earlier slide and second is to directly go to the
allowable settlement and read the allowable bearing
pressure. The later makes more sense since you might
have diffrent allowable settlement limits based on
type of sthe structure you have and catagory of the
structure.
With first approach, for FOS = 2.5 the allowable
bearing pressure is 9 what we got in earlier slide
however as per second one we get 12 t/sq.m. i.e.
some improved one. The first approach does not say
anything about allowable settlement limit where as in
second approach one has flexibility over selection of
the settlement limit.

45

0.6M WIDE PLATE

0

10

15

Applied pressure (t/sq.m.)

20
25

30

35

40

0.000
0.6M WIDE PLATE
5.000

10.000

15.000

Settlement (mm)

20.000

25.000

30.000

It is usual trend that the safe bearing

pressure is taken as 22.5 t/sq.m. as
illustrated in the plot which Mr. Picajol
tried also. Some engineers of the opinion
that FOS shall be applied to it so if we take
FOS = 2.5 then net safe bearing pressure
will be = 22.5/2.5 = 9 t/sq.m. I just want to
say that the procedure is not correct. one
should predict the load settlement curve
for the footing widht and then try to
pedict the allowable bearing pressure for
acceptable settlement.

35.000

40.000

45.000

50.000

Though as per code procedure, numerically correct

however, the soil does not look to me so bad. For sand
the acceptable settlement value is 40mm (min) and its
just scale at which plot is drawn which allows you to
draw two tengent lines. Based on scaling relation given i
have tried to predict the load settlement curve for the
3m wide footing based on 0.6m wide plate load test.

45

10

0.0

50.0

100.0
0.6M WIDE PLATE
150.0

1.5m wide footing

2m wide footing

200.0

2.5m wide footing

3m wide footing

250.0

3.5m wide footing

4m wide footing

300.0

5m wide footing
6m wide footing

350.0

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Width of Plate

0.6 m

Load ( t/m2)
0
5
10
20
25
30
35
40

Settlement (mm)
0.000
2.360
5.393
13.399
18.708
25.028
33.202
45.169

For Sandy Stratum

1.5
0
11.65
26.63
66.17
92.38
123.60
163.96
223.05

If stratum is clay then it is directly proportional to the footing size.

Settlement of Footing variou

2.5
0

2
0
12.69
29.00
72.05
100.59
134.58
178.53
242.87

13.38
30.57
75.96
106.05
141.88
188.22
256.06

Settlement of Footing various widths (m)

3
3.5
0
0
13.87
14.23
31.70
32.54
78.74
80.83
109.95
112.86
147.09
150.99
195.13
200.30
265.45
272.48

4
0
14.52
33.19
82.45
115.12
154.01
204.31
277.94

5
0
14.93
34.13
84.80
118.40
158.40
210.13
285.87

6
0
15.22
34.79
86.42
120.67
161.43
214.15
291.34