CIVE 2004

Lecture 8 Shallow Foundations

Principles of Foundation Design

Evaluation of the ability of ground to support structural loads. Designing the proper structural element (foundation) to transmit the loads into the ground. The design should be economical, with due safety against failure and without unacceptable movement either during or after construction.

Types of Foundations
Shallow foundations (also called spread footings) are located near the ground surface. The founding depth, D, is less than the width, B, of the footing and less than 3m. They include pads, strip footings and rafts. Pad foundations are used to support individual point loads such as that from a column. They may be square, rectangular or circular.

Types of Foundations
Strip foundations are used to support line loads, either from a load-bearing wall, or from a line of columns which are so close to each other that individual pad foundations are not appropriate. Raft foundations are used to spread the loads from a structure over a large area, normally over the entire footprint of a building. They are used when column and/or other structural loads are close together. A raft foundation normally consists of a concrete slab but it may be stiffened by ribs or beams incorporated into the foundation.

Types of Foundations
Deep foundations When the soil immediately below a given structure is weak, the load of the structure may be transmitted to a greater depth. They include piles, pile walls, diaphragm walls and caissons.

Requirements of a satisfactory foundation

3 main design criteria: Adequate depth: foundation structure must be located at a depth which will not be subjected to any future influence which could adversely affect its performance. Adequate factor of safety against shear failure (ultimate limit state). Limiting settlement: foundation must not settle or deflect excessively so as to damage the structure or adversely affect its serviceability (serviceability limit state).

Modes of bearing capacity failure

Failure mode depends generally on the size and shape of the foundation, the relative density/compressibility of the soil, drained or undrained behaviour and the relative stiffnesses of the soil and footing/structure. Shear failure can take place in three different modes (Whitlow P 456 & 457):

General shear occurs in dense or overconsolidated soils of low compressiblity. At failure, a plastic yield surface develops under the footing, extending outward and upward to the ground surface. Catastrophic collapse and/or rotation of the foundation occurs.

General Shear Failure

qu or qf = ultimate bearing capacity, the bearing pressure at which the ground fails in shear.

Local Shear Failure

Local shear failure occurs in medium dense or moderately compressible soils. Local yielding causes some bulging of the soil but shear planes do not extend to the ground surface. There is very little tilting of the foundation.

Local Shear Failure

qu, is referred to as the first failure pressure. qu or qf is the ultimate bearing capacity.

Punching Shear Failure

Punching shear failure occurs in soft or loose soils of high compressibility. Failure takes place by small sudden vertical movements of the foundation. There is no visible collapse nor substantial tilting. qu or qf is the ultimate bearing capacity.

Definitions
Ultimate bearing capacity, qf, - bearing pressure at which the soil fails in shear. Safe bearing capacity, qs, - bearing pressure that the soil will safely support following the application of a factor of safety. Allowable bearing capacity, qa, - bearing pressure that the soil will safely support and satisfies a limiting settlement.

Definitions
Gross bearing pressure, q, - total pressure applied by the foundation at founding level. Net bearing pressure, qn, - net increase in pressure at foundation level. It is the pressure that causes shear failure and settlement. In terms of total stress, qn = q so where so is the overburden pressure In terms of effective stress, q'n = q s'o where s'o is the effective overburden pressure

Definitions
Factor of safety is a factor applied to the net ultimate bearing capacity to obtain a safe net bearing pressure.

Total/undrained stress case:

qnf qf so F qn q so

qnf qf s ' o Effective/drained stress case: F qn q s ' o

Definitions
Design bearing capacity or gross safe bearing capacity =

qnf qs so F
so = s'o, for effective stress cases

Ultimate bearing capacity

Terzaghis general equation for a strip foundation of width B: Gross ultimate bearing capacity

1 qf cNc soNq BN 2
Net ultimate bearing capacity

1 qf cNc soNq BN so 2

Terzaghi bearing capacity factors

Other bearing capacity factors

Whitlow: Table 11.2

Ultimate bearing capacity

Effect of foundation shape: shape factors (Whitlow Table 11.3) Effect of depth: depth factors Effect of groundwater table (Whitlow worked example 11.3) Effect of load inclination Effect of eccentric loading Effect of ground surface inclination