BEARING

CAPACITY OF SOIL
By
M Firdaus, MT

www.dauspoli.co.cc
 CONCEPT
• Foundation width (B) lied on the ground covered with sand layer. If
foundation receives uniform load (q) per square, the foundation will be in
under displacement condition.

• Foundation displacement will be increased as the load is increased. If the

value of q equal to value of qu is achieved, the failure of subgrade end
bearing will happen even though there is no additional load (q).
Types of subgrade end bearing failure
 Analisis Terzaghi
• Developing plastic failure theory for strapp footing analysis;
Ratio value of length (L) compared to foundation width (B) is
more than 5, and shallow foundation is depth value (Df)
which is equal or less than the width value (B).
• (General Shear failure):
1 . .B.N 
strapp : qu  c.N c  q.N q (B-width)
2
q  0,4. .B.N 
square : qu  1,3.c.N c  q.N(B-minimum)
circle q  0,3. .diametre)
: qu  1,3.c.N c  q.N(B-circle B.N 

• (local shear failure) by changing the value c = c’ = 2/3.c and

tanφ’ = 2/3. tanφ, as the follows:
' 1 . .B.N  '
strapp : qu  c'.N c ' q.N q (B-width)
2
0,4. .B.N  '
square : qu  1,3.c'.N c ' q.N q '(B-minimum)
circle 0,3. .B.N diametre)
: qu  1,3.c'.N c ' q.N q '(B-circle '
Terzaghi’s Table for Subgrade End
Bearing Coefficient
 Graphic of Subgrade End Bearing
Coefficient in Semi-Logarithm Scale
 Foundation on Ground with Several
Layers
q  Df 1 . 1  Df 2 . 2
0,8 Lap1 :  1  14,70

1,00 Lap 2 :  2  15,68  0,80.14,70  1.15,68

1,20 2,3 q  27,44kN / m 2
Lap3 :  3  17,68;   25; c  14,7
Parameter ø,c & γ which is used in
1,10
Lap4 :   16,66kN / m ;   30; c  4,90
4
3 Terzaghi formula; the average value taken for
measurement is the same as foundation
width value.
The value below foundation taken is 2,3 m, and so

 rt 
 h . i i

1 , 2 . 25   1 ,1 . 30 
 27 , 39 
 h i (1 , 20  1 ,1 )

c rt 
 h .c i i

1, 2 .14 ,7  1,1 .4,90
 10 ,01 kN / m 2
h i (1, 20  1,10 )
  
 h .
i i

1,2.17,64  1,1.16,66
 17,17 kN / m 2
h
rt
i (1,20  1,10)

N c  30,88
For : ø = 27,39⁰ → interpolated, show the result :
N q  17,38
N   14,40

For square footing : ultnt  1,3.c.Nc  q( N q  1)  0,4.B. .N

ultnt  1,3.10,01.30,88  27,44(17,38  1)  0,40.2,3.17,17.14,40

ultnt  401,84  449,47  227,47
ultnt  1078,78 kN / m 2
allnt  1078,78  359,59 kN / m2
3
 brutto  359,59  27,44  387,03 kN / m 2
FOUNDATION ON MULTIPLE SOIL LAYER WITH
UNDER POSITION OF GROUND WATER LEVEL

Df1 Lap 1 :  1

Df2
Lap 2 :  2   '
q  Df 1 . 1  Df 2 . '

 '

Square :

ultnt  1,3.c.N c  q( N q  1)  0,4.B. ' .N  General Shear

' '
ult nt  1,3.c ' .N c  q( N q  1)  0,4.B. ' .N 
'
 Local Shear 
 CIRCLE FOUNDATION WITH GROUND WATER
LEVEL UNDER THE BASE OF FOUNDATION

Where : ø; c & γ used from averaging.

Df1

1
 1.1,50   ' .2,50
 rt 
4m  ; c; 
2
1,50 (1,50  2,50)

   '; c; 
2,50 If ground water level under the foundation < B,
3 Ground water level have influences.

ult nt  1,3.crt .N c  q( N q  1)  0,3.B. rt .N   General Shear 

' ' '
ultnt  1,3.crt .N c  q( N q  1)  0,3.B. rt .N
'
 Local Shear
If depth of ground water level under the foundation >
B, ground water level denied
 Safety Factor
• Safety factor used for calculate of allowable bearing capacity
(qijin) of foundation
• General condition, SF taken around 2 – 3 and critical condition
actually taken around 3 - 4
• Allowable bearing capacity (qijin) = qu/SF

• qall = qu/SF = W( D L)  WF ,WAs =/ A  / SF load area

found.
• qnet = qijin netto = (qu – q)/SF , where q = γ.Df
• qijin netto = W(D+L)/A
 Example
Strapp footing with soil characteristics : γ = 18 kN/m3, φ = 28°dan c =
15 kN/m2. Determine the allowable bearing capacity (qall) :

a) General shear failure condition:

From terzaghi bearing capacity table for φ = 28°  Nc = 32, Nγ= 16, Nq =
18. q = γ.Df= 18 . 0,80 = 14,4 kN/m2, use formula :
qu  15.32  14,4.18  0,5.18.1,0.16  883,2 kN / m 2
qall  883,2 / 4  220,8 kN / m 2
b) Local shear failure condition:
local shear : c’ = 2/3.c = 10 kN/m2
for φ = 28°  Nc’ = 18; Nγ’= 4,5; Nq’ = 7.
q = γ.Df = 14,4 kN/m2, use formula :
qu  10.18  14,4.7  0,5.18.1,0.4,5  321,5 kN / m 2
qall  321,5 / 4  80,3 kN / m 2
Meyerhof Analysis, Debeer & Vesic

Zona I is an active area (rankine), zona II is area of radial shear, and zona III is a
pasive area (rankine)

Bearing capasity of stapp footing : qu = qc + qq + qγ

Bearing capacity table, vesic
 bearing capacity soil formula besides
strapp footing type
qu  c.sc .d c .ic .N c  q.sq .d q .iq .N q  s .d .i . .B.N 
Where : sc, sq, sγ : shape factor
dc, dq, dγ : depth factor
ic, i q, i γ : tilt factor

a) Shape factor
1. Strapp footing (B : wide; L : length)
 B  N  B B
sc  1    q  ; sq  1    tan   ; s  1  0,4 
 L  N c  L L

2. Square and circle footing

 Nq 
sc  1    ; sq  1   tan   ; s  0,6
 Nc 
b) Depth factor
1) Ratio Df/B ≤ 1
1  dq  Df 
dc  dq  ; d q  1  2 tan  (1  sin  ) 
2
 ; d   1
N q tan   B 
 Df 
d  1  0,4 
 B 
if φ = 0,

2) Ratio Df/B > 11  d q  Df 

dc  dq  ; d q  1  2 tan  (1  sin  ) 
2
 ; d   1
N q tan   B 
 Df 
d   1  0,4 tan 1

 B 

If φ = 0,
c) Tilt factor
2
  
ic  iq  1  
 90 
2
  
i  1  
  
α is a resultant of angle of force where work straight vertically
 Example
Calculate allowable bearing capacity of square footing with 1,2
m wide for factor safety (SF) = 3
Soil characteristics :
γ = 17 kN/m3
φ = 20°
c = 20 kN/m2

Completion :

qu  c.sc .d c .ic .N c  q.sq .d q .iq .N q  0,5.s .d .i . .B.N 

a) Tilt factor
vertical load resultant, define ic = iq = iγ = 1, become :

qu  c.sc .d c .N c  q.sq .d q .N q  0,5.s .d  . .B.N 

b) Soil bearing capacity factor

φ = 20°, vesic table : Nc = 30,14; Nq = 18,40; Nγ = 22,40

c) Shape factor
square footing B = L = 1,2 m
sc  1  N q / N c  1,610
sq  1  tan   1,364
s  0,6
d) Depth factor
Df/B = 1,2/1,2 = 1 ≥ 1, use formula :
d q  1  2 tan  (1  sin  ) 2 .D f / B  1,315
d c  d q  (1  d q ) /( N q . tan  )  1,362
d  1
e) Uniform load (1,2 m depth of foundation)
q = 1,2.17 = 20,40 kN/m2
Ultimate bearing capacity :
qu  c.sc .d c .N c  q.sq .d q .N q  0,5.s .d  . .B.N 
qu   20.1,61.1,362.30,14   20,4.1,364.1,315.18,4    0,5.0,6.1.17.1,2.22,4 
qu  2132,188 kN / m 2
SF = 3, so qijin = qu/SF = 710,73 kN/m2
Allowable total load of foundation = A.qijin = 1023,45 kN