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Bearing capacity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Bearing capacity
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In geotechnical engineering, bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to support the loads applied to
the ground. The bearing capacity of soil is the maximum average contact pressure between the
foundation and the soil which should not produce shear failure in the soil. Ultimate bearing capacity
is the theoretical maximum pressure which can be supported without failure; allowable bearing
capacity is the ultimate bearing capacity multiplied by a factor of safety. Sometimes, on soft soil
sites, large settlements may occur under loaded foundations without actual shear failure occurring; in
such cases, the allowable bearing capacity is based on the maximum allowable settlement.
There are three modes of failure that limit bearing capacity: general shear failure, local shear failure,
and punching shear failure.

Contents

1 Introduction
2 General shear failure
3 Terzaghi's Bearing Capacity Theory
4 Factor of Safety
5 Meyerhofs's Bearing Capacity theory
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Introduction
A foundation is the part of a structure which transmits the weight of the structure to the ground. All
structures constructed on land are supported on foundations. A foundation is, therefore, a connecting
link between the structure proper and the ground which supports it.

General shear failure


The general shear failure case is the one normally analyzed. Prevention against other failure modes is
accounted for implicitly in settlement calculations.[1] There are many different methods for
computing when this failure will occur.

Terzaghi's Bearing Capacity Theory


Karl von Terzaghi was the first to present a comprehensive theory for the evaluation of the ultimate
bearing capacity of rough shallow foundations. This theory states that a foundation is shallow if its
depth is less than or equal to its width.[2] Later investigations, however, have suggested that
foundations with a depth, measured from the ground surface, equal to 3 to 4 times their width may be
defined as shallow foundations(Das, 2007).
Terzaghi developed a method for determining bearing capacity for the general shear failure case in

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Bearing capacity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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1943. The equations are given below.


For square foundations:

For continuous foundations:

For circular foundations:

where

for ' = 0
for ' > 0

c is the effective cohesion.


zD is the vertical effective stress at the depth the foundation is laid.
is the effective unit weight when saturated or the total unit weight when not fully saturated.
B is the width or the diameter of the foundation.
is the effective internal angle of friction.
Kp is obtained graphically. Simplifications have been made to eliminate the need for Kp. One
such was done by Coduto, given below, and it is accurate to within 10%.[1]

For foundations that exhibit the local shear failure mode in soils, Terzaghi suggested the following
modifications to the previous equations. The equations are given below.
For square foundations:

For continuous foundations:

For circular foundations:

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Bearing capacity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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, the modified bearing capacity factors, can be calculated by using the bearing
capacity factors equations(for
, respectively) by replacing the effective internal
angle of friction

by a value equal to

[2]

Factor of Safety
Calculating the gross allowable-load bearing capacity of shallow foundations requires the application
of a factor of safety(FS) to the gross ultimate bearing capacity, or:
[2]

Meyerhofs's Bearing Capacity theory


In 1951, Meyerhof published a bearing capacity theory which could be applied to rough shallow and
deep foundations.[3] The equation is given below:

Where:

= bearing capacity factors, B = width of the foundation

See also
Geotechnical engineering
Foundation (architecture)
Soil mechanics

References
1. ^ a b Coduto, Donald (2001), Foundation Design, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-589706-8
2. ^ a b c Das, Braja (2007), Principles of Foundation Engineering (6th ed.), Cengage Publisher Unknown
parameter |Place= ignored (|place= suggested) (help)
3. ^ Das, Braja (1999), Bearing Capacity and Settlement, CRC Press LLC Unknown parameter |Place=
ignored (|place= suggested) (help)

External links
Bearing Capacity of Soils (http://www.theconstructioncivil.org/bearing-capacity-of-soils)
Bearing Capacity Factors related to the angle of internal friction
(http://www.geotechnicalinfo.com/bearing_capacity_factors.html)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bearing_capacity&oldid=540894821"
Categories: Soil mechanics
This page was last modified on 27 February 2013 at 09:40.
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