Problems of Bearing Capacity Factors for Strip Footing Shallow Foundation by Limit Analysis

(CSE578 Soil Behaviour and Geotech. Engineering/CSE512 Advanced Geotech. Engineering)

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Question 1

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Draw the hodograph and derive the bearing capacity factors Nc and Nq for the following failure mechanism on clay
(assuming weightless).

Failure Mechanism Answer

(a) b Nc = π + 2
qu

Ke
Nq = 1

(b) b Nc = 6

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qu
Nq = 1

Kw
(c) b
qu Nc = 4 3
Nq = 1

60 30
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Question 2
Draw the hodograph and find the critical bearing capacity factors Nc and Nq for the following failure mechanism on clay
(assuming weightless).

Failure Mechanism Answer

(a) b Nc = 4 3
qu
db

Nq = 1

2 2
2

(b) b Nc = 6
e

qu
Nq = 1
est

(c) b
qu Nc = 4 2
gg

Nq = 1

2α 2α
2α 2α 2α
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 Problems of Bearing Capacity Factors for Strip Footing Shallow Foundation by Limit Analysis
(CSE578 Soil Behaviour and Geotech. Engineering/CSE512 Advanced Geotech. Engineering)

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Failure Mechanism Answer

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(d) b N c = 5.8951
q qu q
Nq = 1
α α
2α

Ke
α α

(e) N c = 6.8510
Nq = 1

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Kw
(f) Nc = 4 2
Nq = 1
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(g) b
qu Nc = 4 2
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Nq = 1
α α
θ θ

(h) Nc = 4 2
Nq = 1
db

(i) b 3π
qu Nc = +1
e

2
Nq = 1
α α
est

(j) 3π
Nc = +1
gg

2
Nq = 1
Su

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 Problems of Bearing Capacity Factors for Strip Footing Shallow Foundation by Limit Analysis
(CSE578 Soil Behaviour and Geotech. Engineering/CSE512 Advanced Geotech. Engineering)

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Failure Mechanism Answer

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(k) Nc = π + 2
Nq = 1

Ke
(m) Nc = π + 2
Nq = 1

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(n) N c = 5.5202

Kw
Nq = 1

Hint: Use rotational mechanism instead of translational mechanism.

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Question 3
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Draw the hodograph (velocity diagram) and derive the bearing capacity factors Nc, Nq and Nγ for the following failure
mechanism on a cohesive c–φ soil.

Failure Mechanism
(a)
e db

(b) b
qu
est

2α 2α
2α 2α 2α
gg

(c) b
qu

2
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 Problems of Bearing Capacity Factors for Strip Footing Shallow Foundation by Limit Analysis
(CSE578 Soil Behaviour and Geotech. Engineering/CSE512 Advanced Geotech. Engineering)

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Failure Mechanism

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(d)

3
b

Ke
4

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Hint: Use rotational mechanism instead of translational mechanism.

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Answer
(a) cos φ  1 tan α1 sin (α1 + α 2 ) tan α1 cos (α1 − 2φ ) 
Nc =  + + 
sin (α1 − φ )  cos α1 cos (α 2 + 2φ ) sin α 2 cos (α 2 + 2φ ) 
tan α1 sin (α 2 + φ ) cos (α1 − 2φ )
Nq =
tan α 2 sin (α1 − φ ) cos (α 2 + 2φ )
Nγ = tan α1 ( N q − 1)
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(b) cos φ  cos φ sin (α + φ ) sin (α + φ ) cos (α − 2φ ) 
Nc =  + 2 sin (α + φ ) + + 
cos (α + 2φ )  sin α tan α sin ( 2α − 2φ ) sin α sin ( 2α − 2φ ) 
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sin (α + φ ) cos (α − 2φ )
Nq =
sin (α − φ ) cos (α + 2φ )

cot α  sin (α + φ )  cot (α − φ ) cos φ + 3sin φ  

Nγ =  − 1
2  cos (α + 2φ ) 
(c) cos φ  cos φ sin (α + φ ) cos α sin (α + φ ) cos 2φ 
Nc =  + sin (α + φ ) + + 
db

cos (α + 2φ )  sin α tan α sin (α − 2φ ) sin α sin (α − 2φ ) 

sin (α + φ ) cos (α − φ ) cos 2φ
Nq =
cos (α + 2φ ) sin (α − 2φ )
cot α  sin (α + φ ) sin φ 
Nγ =  + N q − 1
2  cos (α + 2φ ) 
e

(d) sin θ 0
= e( 1 0 )
est

θ −θ tan φ
Obtain θ1 from equation:
sin θ1
9  tan 2 θ 0  1
Nq =  −
8  tan 2 θ1  8
N c = cot φ ( N q − 1)
gg

9   ( 3tan φ cosθ + sin θ ) − e3(θ1 −θ 0 ) tan φ ⋅ ( 3tan φ cosθ + sin θ )  2 (θ −θ ) tan φ 


  + 12 sin θ0 cos θ 0 − cos θ1 ⋅ e 1 0 
0 0 1 1 2 2
Nγ = 3
8cos θ0   1 + 9 tan φ 2 
  
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 Problems of Bearing Capacity Factors for Strip Footing Shallow Foundation by Limit Analysis
(CSE578 Soil Behaviour and Geotech. Engineering/CSE512 Advanced Geotech. Engineering)

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Question 4

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Derive the bearing capacity factors Nc, Nq and Nγ for the following logsprial failure mechanism on a cohesive c–φ soil:
(a) by translational mechanism;
(b) by rotational mechanism.

Discuss any difference and explain why.

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Answer:
(a) N q = e 2π tan φ
N c = cot φ ( N q − 1)

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3 tan φ (1 + e3π tan φ )
Nγ =
1 + 9 tan 2 φ

(b) N q = e 2π tan φ

Kw
N c = cot φ ( N q − 1)
4 tan φ (1 + e3π tan φ )
Nγ =
1 + 9 tan 2 φ
4
Nγ (Rotational) = Nγ (Translational)
3
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References:
(1) Chen, W.F., Limit Analysis and Soil Plasticity, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, 1975
(2) Huang, A.B. and Yu, H.S., Foundation Engineering Analysis and Design, CRC Press, 2018
e db
est
gg
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