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Bearing Capacity Determination using Plate Load Test - A Case

Study

Nakul Dev, Chief Research Officer


S.K. Babbar, Joint Director
Central Soil and Materials Research Station, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016, India

ABSTRACT:
Improved Soil Sampling techniques and availability of sophisticated and versatile laboratory testing equipment
have revolutionised determination of engineering soil properties and thus estimation of bearing capacity of
foundation soils. However in case of gravelly and difficult to sample soils, it becomes necessary to resort to in-
situ tests such as Standard Penetration test (SPT) and Cone Penetration Test (CPT). These are also, at times, not
feasible in soils with a matrix of sand and boulders as in case of river bed material for dam foundations. In such
cases, Plate Load test (PLT) is found to be quite suitable in spite of some limitations inherent to the test. This
paper presents a case study of use of PLT as a means to evaluate the safe bearing capacity of foundation soil for
Cross Drainage (CD) works locations of Bansagar Feeder Channel of Ban Sagar Canal Project, Mirzapur, U.P.
Plate load tests conducted at different Chainages along the canal alignment to ascertain the safe bearing capacity
of the foundation soil for use in design of cross drainage structures indicates net safe bearing capacity in the
range of 2.40 Kg/cm2 and 3.64 Kg/cm2

Keywords: Bearing Capacity, Plate Load Test, canal alignment, Chainage

1. INTRODUCTION
Plate Load Test (PLT) is one of the most commonly employed and suitable methods for determining
bearing capacity of foundation soils especially when the foundation material is such that it is
practically impossible to collect undisturbed samples for laboratory testing and also the penetration
tests such as Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and other cone tests i.e. CPT, SCPT etc. can not be
performed. Although the test has the limitation of influence zone of the plate being shallower than the
actual foundation influence zone as well as the elaborate arrangements of making dead load available
for reaction, yet the test is favoured for difficult to sample and gravelly and bouldery soil strata.

Bansagar Feeder channel is envisaged with construction of a large number of Cross Drainage
structures along its reach. At some of these CD works, bearing capacity of foundation soils was
required for design of foundations. PLTs were conducted at some of these CD works locations for the
purpose in absence of any other suitable technique.

2. THE PROJECT AND SITE DETAILS:


Ban Sagar Feeder Channel, a 70 km long channel under construction in U.P., is envisaged to carry
Uttar Pradesh share of water from a 72m high Ban Sagar Dam across Sone River in Madhya Pradesh.
The canal, known as Ban Sagar Feeder Channel, is a contour channel aligned on the hill side of
Vindhyachal range. The excavation work of this channel has largely been completed. Cross Drainage
works are proposed in different reaches long the alignment of this channel. Figure - 1 gives an overall
view of the Bansagar Canal Project that also depicts locations of PLTs. The soil strata in general
comprises of boulders of different sizes with matrix of sand, silt and clay.

Figure 1: Index Map of Ban Sagar Canal Project, U.P. showing PLT locations along the alignment
Feeder Channel

3. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
The field investigation programme comprised of performing Plate Load Tests at the designated
locations as shown in Figure - 1 and collection of soil samples for Index properties to classify soil.

3.1 Laboratory investigations


Soil samples were collected from the test locations of PLTs up to a depth of about 2m by the project
authorities in consultation with CSMRS officials and were transported to CSMRS. A typical grain size
distribution curves for one of the samples tested is plotted in Figures 2 which also indicates the soil
classification as per I S: 1498.
Figure 2: Grain size Distribution curve of soil sample collected from one of the PLT locations

3.2 Plate Load Test (PLT):


Two Plate load tests (PLT) each at Kms 15.400, 16.803 and 22.800 were conducted as decided in
consultation with the project authorities. The tests were conducted at/about foundation levels as per
procedure in accordance with IS: 1888-1982.

1000mm x 1000mm square plate was used for all the tests. The loading platform was made by placing
composite I Joists over two columns about 4.5m apart and cross girders placed perpendicular to this
composite section and resting on two walls having a spacing of more than 5m between them. The
whole assembly of cross girders was covered with braced and stiffened steel plates to make a platform,
over which gunny bags filled with soil/sand were stacked to give a load of about 210 T to 245 T to
provide for the sufficient reaction load for the tests. Four dial gauges with a sensitivity of 0.01mm and
a total travel of 50mm were used for measuring displacements. The dial gauges were referenced to
two independent datum bars. Figures 3 and 4 show location of one of the PLT and a complete set up
of dial gauges, dial gauge holders, datum bars and Jack in position just at the start of application of
load increment.

Figure 3: View of PLT Site at Km 22.800 with Figure 4: View of bearing plate, Jack, dial
Loading with Gunny Bags completed gauges with dial gauge holders in a PLT

At each of the test locations, an area of about 1.25mx1.25m was stripped off at the centre of the test
pit, filled with a layer of sand and levelled. Water was poured and kept for some time to ensure
saturation. Two plates of 75cmx75cm and 60cmx60cm were placed centrally over the 1mx1m bearing
plate to avoid any possibility of bending of the bearing plate. Hydraulic jack was then placed centrally
over the plates and the space between the jack and the reaction platform was filled using steel rimmed
circular wooden blocks and steel plates of different thicknesses. The centring of the whole system was
ensured with use of spirit level and plumb bob.
A small seating load was first applied and left for sometime. The seating load was then removed and
the dial gauge readings were noted. The plates were then subjected to increments of 10-T/m 2 by
hydraulic jack and the dial gauge reading were recorded at 0, 4, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes of the
loading or till the rate of settlement was reduced to less than 0.02mm/min. The maximum load
intensity of 110 T/m2 was employed. The load increments were continued till the total settlement of
plates exceeded about 50mm or failure of the soil was observed. The test was also discontinued in
case the tilting of the platform or in case the eccentricity in loading was observed. The total maximum
load in the 6 PLTs performed varied from 80T to 110T. Unloading was accomplished in 2 to 3 stages
depending on the total maximum load applied in a particular test. The assembly was then removed
and soil sample below the plate was collected to a depth of about 2m for classification.
4. DISCUSSION OF TEST RESULTS
Plate Load tests were performed at two locations each at Ch.15.400 Km, 16.803 Km and 22.800 Km.
The deflections noted from dial gauge readings and the settlements calculated for each load increment
for one of the test locations is presented in Tables 1.

Table 1: Observations of settlements in PLT-03 at Ch. 22.800 Km D/S Pit

Average
Sl. Load Applied Dial Gauge Readings Settlement in mm settlement
No.
Tonne Kg/cm2 DG1 DG2 DG3 DG4 DG1 DG2 DG3 DG4 mm
1 10.0 1.0 134 222 323 41 1.34 2.22 3.23 0.41 1.80
2 20.0 2.0 343 483 616 180 3.43 4.83 6.16 1.80 4.06
3 30.0 3.0 512 662 797 299 5.12 6.62 7.97 2.99 5.68
4 40.0 4.0 744 882 1002 464 7.44 8.82 10.02 4.64 7.73
5 50.0 5.0 1063 1173 1292 701 10.63 11.73 12.92 7.01 10.57
6 60.0 6.0 1458 1526 1648 1013 14.58 15.26 16.48 10.13 14.11
7 70.0 7.0 1830 1857 1938 1313 18.3 18.57 19.38 13.13 17.35
8 80.0 8.0 2499 2446 2440 1848 24.99 24.46 24.4 18.48 23.08
9 90.0 9.0 3400 3162 3013 2533 34.00 31.62 30.13 25.33 30.27
Figure 5: Load-settlement Plot for PLT-01, Ch. 22.800 Km, Figure 6: Load-settlement Plot for PLT-05, Ch. 16.803
U/s Pit Km, U/s Pit

The average settlements corresponding to each load increment have also been indicated in the tables.
The two typical load settlement curves are plotted and shown in Figures 5 & 6.

On perusal of the Load-settlement curve at Ch. 15.400 Km U/s pit, it is observed that no yield point
exists and also the rate of settlement after a pressure of 3.0 Kg/cm 2, diminishes greatly indicating the
possibility of large size boulders or rock pan beneath the influence zone of the plate. A similar trend
(though the settlements are slightly higher than those at U/S pit) is evident at D/s pit location
confirming the presence of rock/hard stratum at this chainage. It was, therefore, suggested to obtain
rock cores from this test location and perform UCS test on these rock cores and determine bearing
pressure of the foundation accordingly.

At the other four locations at Chainages 16.803 Km and 22.800 Km, a perusal of Load-settlement
curves indicate that after a certain load the curves have departed from linearity and have again become
linear with a steeper slope beyond a certain load indicating the possibility of local shear failure. The
yield point in these cases have been obtained by drawing tangents to the two linear portions of the
curve and the pressure corresponding to their intersection interpreted as approximate yield stress.
These values of yield stress correspond to net ultimate bearing capacity of the foundation soil.
Assuming a factor of safety of 2.5 as per the standard practice, the net safe bearing capacity at
different test locations have been worked out and is presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Yield stress and net safe bearing capacity


Test location Approx. yield stress from Net safe bearing capacity
(Chainage) pressure settlement plot
& Net ultimate bearing
capacity
22.800 Km U/s 8.45 Kg/cm2 3.38 Kg/cm2
22.800 Km D/s 7.00 Kg/cm2 2.80 Kg/cm2

15.400 Km U/s No yield point To be based on UCS test on


rock core sample
15.400 Km D/s No yield point To be based on UCS test on
rock core sample
16.803 Km U/s 9.10 Kg/cm2 3.64 Kg/cm2

16.803 Km D/s 6.00 Kg/cm2 2.40 Kg/cm2

Based on the above, it can be seen that the net safe bearing capacity varies from 2.40 Kg/cm 2 (24
T/m2) to 3.64 Kg/cm2 (36.4 T/m2). For test location at Ch. 15.400 Km , the net safe bearing capacity
needs to be determined on the basis that the foundation may have to be rested on rock.
4.1 Settlements of footings:
The values of net safe bearing capacity obtained above need to be checked for permissible settlements
as per BIS standard IS: 1988 – 1982, the settlement of the foundation is calculated as under:

 B  B p  0.3 
2

S f  S p *  (1)
 B  B  0 .3  
 p 
where,
Sf = the settlement of the footing
Sp = the settlement of the plate
Bp = the size of the test plate in m &
B = the size of the footing in m
As per the data provided by the project authorities, for Ch. 16.803 Km, B = 4.0m, B p = 1.0m, Sp
corresponding to net safe bearing capacity of foundation soil (3.64 Kg/cm 2) from pressure settlement
curve is 11.7 mm. Using the equation above, settlement of foundation S f works out to be 17.00mm.
Similarly, the computed settlement of the footing for all the test points corresponding to the settlement
of plate obtained against net safe bearing capacity from pressure-settlement curves are indicated in
Table 3.

Table 3: Calculations for settlement of footing


Test location Net safe Corresponding settlement Width of Settlement of
(Chainages) bearing of the plate (from pressure footing, B footing, Sf (using
capacity settlement curve) Sp (mm) (m) equation-1) mm
22.800 Km U/s 3.38 Kg/cm2 17.00 4.0 24.82
22.800 Km D/s 2.80 Kg/cm2 5.83 4.0 8.50
16.803 Km U/s 3.64 Kg/cm2 11.67 4.0 17.06
16.803 Km D/s 2.40 Kg/cm2 9.50 4.0 13.90

It can be seen that the computed values of settlement of the footing lie between 8.50 mm to 24.82 mm.
The calculated values of settlement are less than 25mm, which can be taken as permissible settlement
for the strata encountered at site. Therefore the allowable bearing capacity of the proposed structures
at the given locations can be taken as indicated in table above.
5. CONCLUSION:
Plate load tests were conducted at each of the three Chainages viz. 22.800 Km, 15.400 Km and 16.803
Km to ascertain the safe bearing capacity of the foundation soil for use in design of cross drainage
structures along the Bansagar Feeder channel of Bansagar Canal Project.

The soil at the three locations of Plate Load Tests is found to be Clayey Gravels as per IS classification
with total of gravel and sand content varying from 70% to 90% approximately.

The net safe bearing capacity is found to be 2.80 and 3.38 Kg/cm 2 at Ch. 22.800 Km, 2.40 and 3.64
Kg/cm2 at Ch. 16.803 Km at the D/s and U/s pit locations respectively. At Ch. 15.400 Km, the
settlements are observed to be low and there is no appreciable increase in settlements as the pressure
intensity increases indicating the presence of hard stratum, which needs to be verified for presence of
rock/boulders. Bearing capacity values should be taken as if the strata is rocky in nature. The same
observation is made at both U/s and D/s locations at this chainage.

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