Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

SCE5331

Geotechnical and Foundation

Engineering
Dr. Hong Chengyu, Joey
Office: 301, Tel: 2176-1545
Email: cyhong@vtc.edu.hk
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TOPICS & SYLLABUS:

Topic 1: Review of Soil Mechanics

Topic 2: Shallow Foundations

Topic 3: Lateral Earth Pressure and Retaining Walls

Topic 4: Pile Foundations

Topic 5: Subsoil Exploration
Topic 6: Slope Stability
Textbook:
Braja M. Das. (2007). Principles of Foundation
Engineering, 6th Edition, ISBN 0-495-08246-5.
Reference book:
Foundation Design and Construction (2006), GEO
Publication No. 1/2006, 376 p.
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2.1 Bearing
Capacity of Shallow
Foundation

2.3 Primary
2.2 Settlement Consolidation
Settlement and Creep
of Shallow
Settlement
Foundation

Stresses From Elastic

Theory
Types of Foundation
Settlement
General Concept
Elastic Settlement
Terzaghis Bearing Capacity
Based on the Theory
Theory
of Elasticity
Factor of Safety
Elastic Settlement of
Modification of Bearing
Foundations on
Capacity Equations for Water
Saturated Clay
Table
Range of Material
The General Bearing Capacity
Parameters for
Equation
Computing Elastic
Settlement
Eccentrically Loaded
Foundations

Primary Consolidation Settlement

Relationships
Three-Dimensional Effect on
Primary Consolidation Settlement
Vertical Stress Increase in a Soil
Mass Caused by Foundation Load
Allowable Bearing Pressure in
Sand Based on Settlement
Consideration
Field Load Test
Tolerable Settlement of Buildings

2.3 Primary Consolidation Settlement and Creep Settlement

Primary Consolidation Settlement Relationships
Three-Dimensional Effect on Primary Consolidation Settlement
Vertical Stress Increase in a Soil Mass Caused by Foundation Load
Allowable Bearing Pressure in Sand Based on Settlement Consideration
Field Load Test

Tolerable Settlement of Buildings

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3.14 Primary Consolidation Settlement Relationships

(One-Dimensional Straining Vertical Compression Only)

Scoed settlement in oedometer condition

Hc

S c ( p ) z dz

if z constant

zH c

e
z vertical strain
1 eo
e void ratio; eo initial e
(a) z mv z'
(b) z f ( z' , c' , o' , Cc , Cs )
1
'
av
( t' 4 m' b' )
6
1
( t' b' ) m'
2

For normally consolidat ed clay Area (ii )

with
'
0

Sc( p )

'
av

o'

:
'
c

(i )

'
Cc
0' av
z Hc
log
Hc
'
1 e0
0

'
with 0' av
c' :

Sc( p )

Cs

log
1 e0
0'

'
av

c'

z'

(ii )

Cs or Ce

For over consolidat ed clay Area (i )

'
0

z'

Cc
Hc

For over consolidated clay Areas (i ) (ii )

with o' c' 0' av' :
Sc( p )

Cs
c'
Cc
0' av'

log ' H c
log
H
'
1 e0
0
1 e0
c

where C c compression index

Cs Ce swelling / elastic index

c' preconsolidation pressure

initial verticial effective stress
'
o

z' o' z'

Scoed settlement in oedometer condition

6

3.15 Three-Dimensional Effect on Primary

Consolidation Settlement

u (3) A[ (1) 7(3) ]

B: diameter of a circular
foundation or width of a
continuous foundation.

S c KScoed
S coed settlement in oedometer condition
K settlement ratio from Figure 3.22

Primary Consolidation Settlement and Creep Settlement

Primary Consolidation Settlement Relationships
Three-Dimensional Effect on Primary Consolidation Settlement
Vertical Stress Increase in a Soil Mass Caused by Foundation Load
(Self review)
Allowable Bearing Pressure in Sand Based on Settlement Consideration
Field Load Test

Tolerable Settlement of Buildings

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3.16 Vertical Stress Increase in a Soil Mass Caused by

Foundation Load (for Consolidation Settlement Calculation)

Self review
Stress due to a Concentrated Load
Boussinesg (1885) equation is
Vertical stress increase :
3P

5/ 2
2
r
2
2z 1
z
where r x 2 y 2

15

Stress due to a Circularly Loaded Area

Vertical stress increase below centre :

1
q0 1
3/ 2
2
B
1 2 z

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Stress below a Rectangular Area

The vertical stress increase
below the corner :
3q0 (dxdy ) z 3

q0 I
y 0 x 0 2 ( x 2 y 2 z 2 ) 5 / 2
I influence factor f(m, n)

B
L
m ,n
z
z
Use Table 3.8

17

Table 3.8 Variation of Influence Value I

18

Table 3.8 Variation of Influence Value I

19

Below any point

say O

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21

Calculate stress increase

below the centre of a
rectangular area

I
qo
Iq o
I

from Fig .3.28

Same as Table 3.8

22

qo B L

( B z )( L z )

Calculate the average stress

increase of a soil layer

1
av' ( t' 4 m' b' ) (5.84)
6

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Example:
A flexible rectangular area measures 1.5m3m in plan. It supports a
load of 100kN/m2. Determine the vertical stress increase due to the
load at a depth of 3.75 m below the center of the rectangular area.

Solution 1: using Table 3.8

13.12kPa

Solution 2: using 2:1 method

12.6kPa
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For a OC soil, c=60kPa, what is Sc ?

16.5

eo
Cc

3.30

What is immediate
settlement for the
clay layer, Se ?
25

(5.84)

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For normally consolidat ed clay Area (ii )

'
with 0' av
c' :

Sc( p )

'
Cc
0' av
z Hc
log
Hc
'
1 e0
0

27

28

S c KScoed
S coed settlement in oedometer condition
K settlement ratio from Figure 3.22

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For each layer Hj, if mv and are constant with depth z, then:
Scj v H j mv ' H j

In case of normally consolidated clay, using Cc:

Cc
1'
Scj v H j
log ' H j
1 e0
0
For multi-layer Hj (j=1,2,3, n),
summation of settlements in all layers :
called

j n

sc

cj

j 1

30

St U v S c
Uv

U v average degree
of consolidat ion

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Settlement due to Secondary (Creep) Consolidation

e
e
C Ce

log t2 log t1 log( t2 / t1 )

Ce
C
1 ep

Sc ( s )

Ce
t2
zH
log H
1 ep
t1

t2
C log H
t1

32

For Hong Kong Marine

Clays:
C = (0.3% to 1%) w (in %)

33

Why a clayey soil creeps?

Creep is due to
viscous adsorbed water (double layers) on clay particles
viscous re-arrangement/sliding/deformation of clay
particles/plates
viscous deformation of clay plates
Adsorbed water is NOT free water
Adsorbed water is NOT free to flow under gravity.
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Creep movement !

Under
effective
stress

36

 Creep always exists under the action of effective stresses

(loading), independent of the excess pore water (or pore
pressure).
Therefore, creep has nothing to do with the primary
consolidation.
Creep exists during and after primary consolidation.
Creep rate depends on stress/strain state:
Creep rate is large in a normally consolidated state.
Creep rate is small in a over-consolidated state.
37

Example 3.11:
a. Determine the primary consolidation settlement of a foundation with 1.5m 3m
in plan.
b. Assume the pore water pressure parameter A for the clay is 0.6, estimate the
consolidation settlement considering the 3D effect.
c. Assume that the primary consolidation settlement is completed in 3 years. Also let
C=0.006. Estimate the secondary consolidation settlement at the end of 10 years.

39

3.17 Allowable Bearing Pressure in Sand Based on

Settlement Consideration
Meyerhof (1956) proposed a correlation for the net allowable bearing
pressure for foundations with SPT (N1)60.
Original Meyerhof method, for 25mm estimated maximum settlement:

qnet ( all) qall D f

qnet ( all) (kN / m 2 ) 11.98 N 60

( for B(in meter ) 1.22m)

3.28B 1
qnet ( all) (kN / m ) 7.99 N 60

3.28B
2

( for B(m) 1.22m)

Researchers observed Meyerhofs results are rather conservative.

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Example 3.12:
A shallow foundation measuring 1.75m 1.75m is to be constructed over a layer of sand.
Given Df = 1m; N60 is generally increasing with depth, the average value of N60 is 10. The
estimated elastic settlement of the foundation is 14.7mm. Use Meyerhofs method
(modified form by Bowles) to calculate the allowable bearing pressure of the sand.

qnet(all) = 115.6 kPa

42

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

SPT N-Value:
Standard hammer weight is
622.72 N(62.3 kg or 140 lb)
Hammer drop height is
762 mm (or 30 in)
Number of blows for spoon
penetration of three 152.4mm
(6 in) is recorded
The blow number of last 2
penetrations (2 x 152.4=304.8mm)
is the SPT N-Value:
(1) 152.4mm 4 blows
(2) 152.4mm 5 blows
(3) 152.4mm 7 blows

SPT N-Value=5+7=12

43

Es 0.8N

(in MPa )

44

Example 3.13:
A shallow square foundation for a column is to be constructed on sand. The foundation
must carry a net vertical mass of 102,000 kg. The standard penetration numbers (N60)
obtained from exploration are given in the figure. Assume that the depth of the foundation
will be 1.5m and the tolerable settlement is 25mm. Determine the size of the foundation.

Consider the non-homogeneous

nature of soil deposits:

Es

Depth (m)

N60

12

12

10

16

12

13

14

12

16

14

18

18

s (i )

(average )

z
45
z H or 5B ( whichever smaller )

3.18 Field Load Test

46

47

Plate load test simulates field loading conditions and predicts settlement on proposed
foundation. Bearing capacity and modulus of subgrade reaction.
48

For tests in clay :

qu ( F ) qu ( P ) (Independent of the size of the plate)
where
qu ( F ) ultimate bearing capacity of proposed foundation
qu ( P ) ultimate bearing capacity of test plate

For tests in sandy soils :

qu ( F ) qu ( P )

BF
BP

where
BF width of proposed foundation
BP width of test plate
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3.20 Tolerable Settlement of Buildings

gradient between
two successive points

angular distortion

ST(ij)
lij

(lij is distance between

points i and j)
relative deflection
from reference line ( A' E ' )

deflection ratio
L

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Prof. A.W. Skempton

In Hong Kong:
(a)25mm for important structures; (b) 50mm less important
(c) 100 mm for walk road, and (d) 200mm for gardens etc.

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