Culminating Experiment

DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF SOIL TO SUPPORT 5-STOREY APARTMENT BUILDING

1. Objective(s):
The activity aims to use the knowledge of the students in foundation engineering to determine the bearing capacity
of soil to support a 5-Storey Apartment Building
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
The students shall be able to:
use the data in previous experiments in performing the bearing capacity analysis

determine the bearing capacity in a given soil sample.

describe the procedure in performing the bearing capacity analysis
3. Discussion:

Terzaghis bearing capacity theory

Shear stresses based on Terzaghis soil bearing capacity theory

Based on Terzaghis bearing capacity theory, column load P is resisted by shear stresses at edges of
three zones under the footing and the overburden pressure, (q=D) above the footing. The first term
in the equation is related to cohesion of the soil. The second term is related to the depth of the footing and
overburden pressure. The third term is related to the width of the footing and the length of shear stress
area. The bearing capacity factors, Nc, Nq, N, are function of internal friction angle, .
Terzaghi's Bearing capacity equations:
Strip Footings:
Qu=cN c + D N q +0.5 B N y
Square Footings
Qu=1.3 cN c + D N q +0.4 B N y
Circular Footings:

[Eq. 1]
[Eq. 2]

Qu=1.3 cN c + D N q +0.3 B N y

[Eq. 3]

Where:
C= Cohesion of soil
= unit weight of soil
D= depth of footing
B= width of footing
Nc, Nq, Nr= Terzaghis bearing capacity factors depend on soil friction angle, .
Kpr= passive pressure coefficient
N c =cot (Nq1)
e2
N q=

[Eq. 4]

( 34 2 ) tan
2

2 co s ( 45+

1
Kpr
N y = tan
2
co s 2 1

[Eq. 5]

)
2

[Eq. 6]
Table 1: Terzaghis Bearing Capacity Factors

Nc

Nq

Nr

5.7

7.3

1.6

0.5

10

9.6

2.7

1.2

15

12.9

4.4

2.5

20

17.7

7.4

25

25.1

12.7

9.7

30

37.2

22.5

19.7

35

57.8

41.4

42.4

40

95.7

81.3

100.4

4. Resources:
1. Data and results in Direct Shear Test and Moisture Content Determination
2. Final plan and schedule of 5-Storey Apartment Building.
5. Procedure:

1. Compute the bearing capacity. Use the equation 2 of Terzaghi since the footings of the building
are square footings.
Qu=1.3 cN c + D N q +0.4 B N y

2. Compute the loads induced by each square footings to the soil.

PMAX =

Pu
b2

3. Tabulate the computed data in bearing capacity and the maximum loads induced by footings to the
soil.
4. The ultimate bearing capacity of soil should be greater than the maximum loads induced by the
footings to the soil. Indicate if the soil can carry the footings.
6. Data and Results:

Data:
Table 2: Column Loads

Column

Forces

Moments

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Px (KN)
-81.178
-109.359
-109.677
-83.744
-86.061
-116.718
-111.956

Py (KN)
366.657
495.471
527.136
586.709
528.094
512.442
515.086

Pz (KN)
-77.179
-88.511
-89.934
-79.787
-109.932
-120.775
-122.639

Mx(KNm)
-160.877
-173.425
-176.031
-167.046
-192.999
-204.968
-208.070

My(KNm)
0.409
0.360
0.335
0.293
0.346
0.346
0.330

Mz(KNm)
158.319
185.990
186.307
160.820
164.199
194.087
189.508

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

-91.979
-84.047
-116.576
-111.400
-92.017
-83.603
-113.236
-108.377
-77.704

844.665
574.612
607.332
741.710
813.068
505.748
659.688
712.735
558.420

-114.626
-103.944
-119.612
-116.996
-103.183
-84.851
-88.103
-86.189
-80.414

-201.258
-187.019
-203.778
-202.466
-189.720
-168.370
-173.051
-172.562
-167.365

0.336
-0.335
0.341
0.337
0.349
0.396
0.329
0.327
0.397

169.910
162.706
194.449
189.481
170.406
163.497
192.606
187.707
158.169

Table 3: Shear Stress of Soil Sample

TIME
(min.)
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3

Horizontal
Displacement

Horizontal Shear
Force

(mm)
1.060
1.433
1.542
1.800

(N)
28.1
33.0
26.8
25.4

Shear Stress
(KPa)
7.81
9.17
7.44
7.06

7. Conclusion
Through the use of Terizaghis equations, we concluded that the soil we have tested is not capable to support the
footings of a 5-Storey Apartment Building. The maximum loads induced by the footings to the soil are greater than
the ultimate bearing capacity of the soil.
It is recommended that soil embankment is needed in this soil type to support the entire building.
8. Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):

Performance

Beginner

indicator
Identify the
procedures
involved in
designing the
experiment

Acceptable

Proficient

2
3
Designs an
Designs an
Fails to design an experiment satisfying
experiment
experiment following
the minimum
exceeding the
procedures
requirements of the requirements of the
procedures
procedures
Develops a protocol
Develops a protocol
to conduct an
Develop a protocol Fails to develop a
to conduct an
experiment
to conduct an
protocol to conduct experiment satisfying
exceeding the
experiment
an experiment
the minimum
minimum
requirements
requirements
Total Score
Mean score=(Total Score/2)
Percentage Score= (Total Score/6) x 100%
9. References
https://hamidomer.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/terzaghi.pdf

Score

https://hamidomer.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/terzaghi.pdf