HERIOT - WATT UNIVERSITY

School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society

Foundation Engineering
CLASS EXAMPLE

A partially compensated foundation of plan dimensions 10m 5m is founded in a deep layer

of granular material and transmits a total design load of 36.6MN. The water-table would
normally be well below founding depth but, at certain times of the year, can rise to ground
level. Using Design Approach 1 and partial factor set Combination 2 (A2 + M2 + R1) from
Tables appended, determine a suitable founding depth.
The characteristic soil properties are as follows: saturated unit weight, sat = 19kN/m3, bulk
unit weight above water table, bulk = 16kN/m3, and ' = 35.

General Bearing Capacity equation (drained condition for strip)

Bearing resistance/unit area, R'/A = c'Nc + q'Nq + 0.5BN

Bearing capacity factors (EN 1997-1:2004):

Nc = (Nq-1)cot' ; Nq = etan' tan2(45 + '/2) ; N = 2(Nq-1)tan'

Shape factors (EN 1997-1:2004)::

s q N q 1

sc =

N q 1

; sq = 1 + (B/L)sin' ; s = 1 - 0.3(B/L)

Depth factors:
For preliminary design purposes take as unity.

Table (a): Partial Factors for Soil Parameters (EN 1997-1:2004):

Set
Soil Parameter

M1

M2

Angle of shearing resistance*

1.0

1.25

Effective cohesion

1.0

1.25

Undrained shear strength

1.0

1.4

Weight Density

1.0

1.0

* This factor applied on tan'

Table (b): Partial Resistance Factors (EN 1997-1:2004):

Set
Resistance

R1

R2

R3

Bearing

1.0

1.4

1.0

Sliding

1.0

1.1

1.0

Table (c): Partial Factors on Actions (EN 1997-1:2004):

Action

Symbol

Unfavourable
Permanent
Favourable

Unfavourable
Variable

Set
A1
1.35

A2
1.0

1.0

1.0

1.5

1.3

Q
Favourable

SOLUTION