BC14

Eccentric Loading: i.e. load not at footing center overturning moment

o Overturning moment equivalent to
eccentric load at distance e from
footing centerline
o Consider footing of width B and length L
o Examine pressure distribution under footing
o Assume footing is rigid and that soil has
linear behavior. Use beam analogy.
o Separate flexural and uniform load components
BL
Q
A
Q
q
uniform

2 3
flex
LB
Qe 6
) 12 / LB (
) 2 / B )( Qe (
I
Mc
q
o Sum the components:
1
]
1

1
]
1

+
t t
B
e 6
1
BL
Q
q and
B
e 6
1
BL
Q
q
LB
Qe 6
BL
Q
q q q
min max
2
flex uniform
this equation is valid for e B/6 at which point qmin = 0
(To prevent tipping, most designers maintain e B/6.)
o If (e > B/6) then part of overall pressure diagram is in tension.
Since soil doesnt withstand sustained tension, the pressure
distribution becomes triangular and the footing begins to
lift at the heel. Since the load Q must act through the
centroid of the pressure diagram:
( )
0 q and
L 2e - B 3
4Q
L e -
2
B
3
2Q

2
xL
Q
q
e
2
B

3
x
and q
2
xL
Q
min max
max

,
_

,
_

,
_

,
_

,
_

o Can design footing for qmax using this approach but the soil does not behave linearly, failure
at the toe will redistribute the load, the footing is not rigid, the column connection carrying
moment is not rigid, and therefore the actual pressure distribution varies from the above.
Q
Q
M
e
=
B
e
B/2
x
BC15
o Meyerhof (1953) proposed an approximation to the above analysis using an effective area
for the footing based on an effective width, B, or an effective length, L, (depending on
the direction of the eccentricity). The analysis shown here is for 1-D eccentricity (eL or eB).
Analysis Procedure:
1. Calculate X = B - 2eB and Y = L 2eL
2. Assign X and Y to B and L.
B is the shortest dimension and L is the longest.
3. Note that emax = 0.5 because this will give B (or L) = 0.
Usual design limit is e B/6 (or e L/6) to keep resultant in center 1/3 of footing
(best approximation by this method).
4. Use BC equation as follows: qu= cNccscdci + qNqqsqdqi + BN

s
d
i
use B = B with N

term
use B and L for calculation of shape factors cs, qs,
s
use actual B for calculation of depth factors cd, qd,
d
Example: B = 4, L = 6
eL X Y B L
0.5 4 5 4 5
1 4 4 4 4
2 4 2 2 4
Q
e
B
B
L = L
2e
B
B = B-2e
Q
e
L
L
B = B
2e
L
L = L - 2e
effective area, A = BL
BC16
5. Use the effective area to calculate the bearing capacity Qu = quA = quBL
The concept of effective area can be applied to circular footings and 2-D eccentricity.
These problems are solved for effective dimensions so that the resultant load acts at the
centroid of the effective area. (This is true of the above 1-D problems which are much
easier to calculate.) For clays ( 0) the bearing capacity decreases linearly with e.
For sands (c 0) the effect is parabolic. See next page.
BC17
Combined Eccentricity and Inclination (Perloff and Baron, 1976)
o The charts below show the effects of eccentricity and inclination for sand and clay:
o These effects may reinforce
(lower capacity) or
compensate (higher capacity)
when added together
depending on the application.
o P&B suggest for case a) that
effects are essentially correct
using standard effective area
procedure. For case b) they
recommend:
1. Calculate Que for eccentric
load without inclination.
2. Calculate Qui for inclined
load without eccentricity.
3. Calculate Qu without
inclination or eccentricity.
4. Multiply Qu by ratio of (Qi/Qe) or (Qe/Qi), whichever is smaller.
5. Example: Qu = 1000 kN, Qe = 900 kN, Qi = 800 kN
kN 889
900
800
) 1000 ( ' Q
u

,
_

BC18
Eccentric Load Example 1
5 x 5 footing, Df = 4, Q = 75 kips, e = 0.6,
cu = 2 ksf, = 0, = 130 pcf, deep GWT, FS = 3
X = 5 2(0.6) = 3.8 Y = 5
B = 3.8 L = 5
qu= cNccscdci + qNqqsqdqi + BN

s
d
i
Nc = 5.14, Nq = 1.0, N

= 0
q = Df = 130 psf (4) = 520 psf = 0.52 ksf

cs
152 . 1
' 0 . 5
' 8 . 3
20 . 0 1

,
_

+

qs
= 1.0

cd
16 . 1
' 0 . 5
' 0 . 4
20 . 0 1

,
_

+

qd
= 1.0
qu = 2 ksf(5.14)(1.152)(1.16)(1.0) + 0.52 ksf(1.0)(1.0)(1.0)
= 14.26 ksf
Q
u
= 14.26 ksf (5.0)(3.8) = 271 k
k 86
3.0
) )(5' ksf(5' 0.52 k 271
Q
a

Eccentric Load Example 2
4 x 5 footing, Df = 4, Q = 75 kips, eL = 0.6,
cu = 0 ksf, = 38, = 130 pcf, deep GWT, FS = 3
X = 4' Y = 5 2(0.6) = 3.8
B = 3.8 L = 4
qu= cNccscdci + qNqqsqdqi + BN

s
d
i
Nq = 48.93, N

= 64.07
q = Df = 130 psf (4) = 520 psf = 0.52 ksf

qs
=
s

399 . 1
2
38
45 tan
' 0 . 4
' 8 . 3
10 . 0 1
2

,
_

,
_

qd
=
d

205 . 1
2
38
45 tan
' 0 . 4
' 0 . 4
10 . 0 1

,
_

,
_

+
qu = 0.52 ksf(48.93)(1.399)(1.205)(1.0) + (130 pcf)(3.8)(64.07) (1.399)(1.205)(1.0)/1000
= 69.57 ksf
Q
u
= 69.57ksf (4.0)(3.8) = 1,057 k
k 349
3.0
) )(5' ksf(4' 0.52 k 1,057
Q
a

75 k
e = 0.6
5
5
1.2 3.8
4
75 k
e
L
= 0.6
5
4
1.2 3.8
4