CV3013- Foundation Engineering

Nanyang Technological University

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Tutorial 1 Shallow Foundations: Week 1
1.1 A site is to be developed for a 10-storey factory building without basement. The building
dimensions are 20 x 40 m. The soil profile consists of 5 m of sand and 10 m of soft
marine clay overlying a highly weathered mudstone as shown in Fig. 1.1. You are
requested to suggest a suitable type of foundation support for this building.
(a) What are the major design considerations?
(b) Can spread footing be used? What are the major geotechnical considerations?
(c) Can raft foundation be used? What are the major geotechnical considerations?
(d) Can compensated foundation be used? What are the major geotechnical
considerations?
(e) Can piles be used? What are the major geotechnical considerations?

Figure 1.1
1.2 If a single-storey warehouse is to be constructed at the same site as in Problem 1.1,
which foundation type would you recommend?
1.3 The mat foundation in Figure 1.3 is 45 m wide and 90 m long. It has a weight of 140 MN.
The sum of the applied structural loads is 1300 MN. Compute the average gross bearing
pressure and average net bearing pressure with the groundwater table at position A.
Then repeat the computation with the groundwater table position B. (modified from
Coduto Q5.4)

Figure 1.3

LEC- 1

CV3013- Foundation Engineering

Nanyang Technological University

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Tutorial 2 Shallow Foundations: Week 2

2.1 A strip footing 2 m wide is founded at a depth of 1 m in a stiff clay of saturated unit
weight 21 kN/m3, the water table being at ground level. Determine the bearing capacity
of the foundation when (a) cu = 105 kPa and u = 0, and (b) c = 10 kPa and = 28o.
2.2 A 2-m square, 1.5-m deep spread footing is underlain by a soil with the following
properties: = 16.5 kN/m3, c = 0 kPa, = 36o. Determine the bearing capacity of the
footing.
2.3 A footing 2.5 x 2.5 m carries a pressure of 400 kPa at a depth of 1 m in a sand. The
saturated unit weight of the sand is 20 kN/m3 and the unit weight of the sand above the
water table is 17 kN/m3. The design shear strength parameters are c = 0 kPa and =
40o. Determine the bearing capacity of the footing for the following cases:
(a) The water table is 5 m below ground level;
(b) The water table is 1 m below ground level;
(c) The water table is at ground level and there is seepage vertically upwards under
a hydraulic gradient of 0.2.

LEC- 2

CV3013- Foundation Engineering

Nanyang Technological University

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Tutorial 3 Shallow Foundations: Week 3
3.1 A footing 3.0 x 3.0 m carries a net foundation pressure of 130 kPa at a depth of 1.2 m in
a deep deposit of sand of unit weight 16 kN/m3; the water table being well below the
surface. The variation of cone resistance (qc) with depth (z) is as follows:
z (m)
qc (MPa)
6.2
6.9

1.2
3.2

6.6
13.2

1.6
2.1
7.0
11.7

2.0
2.8

2.4
2.3

7.4
12.9

2.6
6.1

3.0
5.0

3.4
3.6

3.8
4.5

4.2
3.5

4.6
4.0

5.0
8.1

5.4
6.4

5.8
7.6

8.0
14.8

Determine the settlement of the footing using Schmertmanns method.

3.2 A strip footing is located at a depth of 0.75 m in a sand of unit weight 18 kN/m3; the water
table being well below the foundation level. The characteristic shear strength parameters
are c = 0 and = 38o. The footing supports a design load of 500 kN/m. Determine the
required width of the foundation for the ultimate limit state to be satisfied to EC7 DA1b.
3.3 A foundation 4 x 4 m is located at a depth of 1 m in a layer of saturated clay 13 m thick.
Characteristic parameters for the clay are cu = 100 kPa, u = 0, c = 0 and = 32o, mv =
0.065 m2/MN, A = 0.42, sat = 21. Determine the allowable load to ensure (a) the bearing
resistance limit state is satisfied to EC7 DA1b, and (b) consolidation settlement does not
exceed 30 mm.
3.4 A foundation 3.5 x 3.5 m is to be constructed at a depth of 1.2 m in a deep sand deposit,
the water table being 3.0 m below the surface. The following values of standard
penetration resistance were determined at the location:
Depth (m)
N60

0.70
6

1.35
9

2.20
10

2.95
8

3.65
12

4.40
13

5.15
17

6.00
23

If the settlement is not to exceed 25 mm, determine the allowable load to satisfy the
serviceability limit state.

LEC- 3