Footing on Piles

Prepared by:
Engr. Kenny B. Cantila

Piles maybe used when the surface soil layers are too soft to support the load
from the structure. Pile loads are either transmitted to a stiff bearing layer
below the ground surface or maybe transmitted to the soil by friction along
the length of the pile.

Mode of failure for a pile cap:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Crushing under the column or over the pile

Bursting of the side cover where the pile transfers its load to the pile cap
Yielding of the tension tie connecting the top of the piles
Anchorage failure of the tension tie
Two way shear failure
Failure of the compression strut

Assumption of Designing of Pile Cap (Eccentric or Concentric Loading)

1. The cap is perfectly rigid.

2. Pile heads are hinged to the pile cap, therefore no bending moment is
transmitted from the pile cap to the piles.
3. Piles are considered as an elastic column, therefore the deformation and
stress distribution are planar.
4. Pile caps, similar to spread footings, maybe pedestals, stepped or sloping
footings.
5. Pile caps should be large enough to have a minimum edge distance of 150
mm of concrete beyond the outside face of the exterior piles.
6. Pile caps are embedded at least 150 mm in the cap.
7. The reinforcing bars are placed at a clear distance of 75 mm above the
pile head.
8. Depth of footing above the bottom reinforcement shall not be less than
300 mm for footing on piles.

Assumption of Designing of Pile Cap (Eccentric or Concentric Loading)

9. Under a concentric load, all piles in the same group are assumed to carry
equal axial loads.
10. The soil under the pile cap is assumed not to offer any support.

d = 300 mm (min)
75 mm (min)
150 mm (min)

Concrete column,
wall or pedestal

Critical Sections
for Moment

Masonry wall
t

t/4
Critical section
for moment

3R u

3R u

x2

Pu
Ru =
N

Critical section for moment

x1

Mu = 3R u x2 + 3R u x1

3R u

3R u

x2

Ru =

Pu
N

x1

Mu = 3R u x2 + 3R u x1

Concrete column,
pedestal or wall

Critical Sections
for Shear
Critical section for shear

Critical section for shear

d/2

3R u

Concrete column,
pedestal or wall

3R u

3R u

d/2

3R u

c+d
c+d

Vu = 6R u

1
Vu =
f c bw d
6

Vu = 6R u

Vu =

1
f c bo d
3

critical section

critical section

critical section

When the critical section for shear is within the pile diameter

c1
Dp /2

c1

Dp /2

Dp /2

Dp

Dp /2

R
=
2

Vu = 3R + 3R

Vu = 3R + 3R

Dp /2
Dp

Dp

R
c1
R = 1+
2
Dp

Dp /2

R =

R
c1
1
2
Dp

Vu = 3R + 3R

Problem 1: A reinforced concrete square footing supports a 400 mm x 400

mm square column footing carrying a total dead load of 700 kN and a total
live load of 1,100 kN. The footing dimension is 3 m x 3m and is supported by
9 piles spaced at 1 meter apart on a 3 x 3 formation. The effective depth of
the footing is 600 mm. f'c = 30 MPa, fy = 375 MPa

a. Compute the nominal beam shear to be resisted by the footing in MPa.

b. Compute the nominal punching shear to be resisted by the footing in
MPa.
c. Compute the nominal moment to be resisted by the footing in MPa.

Column:

Dead Load:
Live Load:
Column size:

PDL =
PLL =
c
=

Concrete:

Compressive strength

fc

30 MPa

Steel:

Yield strength

fy

375 MPa

Footing:

Size: B x B
Effective depth

B
d

=
=

3 m
600 mm

Piles:

Formation
Number of piles

3x3
9 piles

700 kN
1,100 kN
400 mm

PDL = 700 kN
PLL = 1,000 kN

3Q u

3Q u

3Q u

1m

0.4 m
0.4 m

3m
d

1m

1m

1m

0.5 m

0.5 m
x

1.7 m

1.3 m

Total factored load on column:

Wide beam shear:

Pu = 1.2PDL + 1.6PLL
Pu = 1.2(700) + 1.6(1,100)
= ,

Vu = 3Q u
Vu = 3(288.89)
= .

Load on each pile:

Shear provided by concrete:

Pu
n
2,600
Qu =
9
= .
Qu =

Vu

866.67
Vc =
0.75
= , .
Vc =

Shear stress at critical section

for wide beam shear:
Vc
fc =
bw d
1,155.56
fc =
3(.6)
fc = 642 kPa
= .

Punching Shear:
Vu = 8Q u
Vu = 8 288.89
= , .

Shear provided by concrete:

Vc = Vu /
2,311.12
Vc =
0.75
= , .

Shearing stress at critical

section for punching shear:
Vc
fc =
bo d

3,081.49
fc =
[4(0.4 + 0.6)](.6)
fc = 1,283.96 kPa
= .

Moment at critical section:

Mu = 3Q u x
Mu = 3 288.89 (1.3 0.5)
= .

Example 2: A reinforced concrete footing on pile cap, fc = 20.7 MPa, fy =

276 MPa as shown in the figure is supported by piles which are 10 m long.
a.

What is the ultimate load per pile in kN if the footing is to be supported

by 9 piles?
b. What is the required depth of footing in mm?
c. How many 20 mm round bars are required for this footing (both ways)?

Total factored load on column:

Pu = 1.2PDL + 1.6PLL
Pu = 1.2(650) + 1.6(1,200)
= ,

Load on each pile:

Pu
N
2,700
Qu =
9
=
Qu =

Required depth of footing as controlled by punching beam shear:

Ultimate shear on the footing:

Effective depth:

Vu = 8Q u
Vu = 8(300)
Vu = 2,400 kN
= , ,

Vu = Vc
1
Vu =
f c bo d
3

Vu = Pu Q u
Vu = 2,700 (300)
Vu = 2,400 kN
= , , (. )

d=

d=

3Vu
f c bo
3(2,400,000)

0.75 20.7[4 400 + d ]

= .
Shear strength provided by concrete:

=

(. )

Required depth of footing as controlled by wide-beam shear:

Ultimate shear on the footing:

Effective depth:

Vu = 3Q u
Vu = 3(300)
Vu = 900 kN
= ,

Vu = Vc
1
Vu =
f c bw d
6

Vu = Pu 6Q u
Vu = 2,700 6(300)
Vu = 900 kN
= , (. )

d=

d=

6Vu
f c bw
6(900,000)

0.75 20.7(2,700)

= .
Shear strength provided by concrete:

=

(. )

Final effective depth:

=

Design for Reinforcements:

B = 2.70 m
e = 0.45 mm
a = 0.40

Ultimate moment at critical section:

Mu = 3Q u x
Mu = 3(300)(0.70)
Mu = 630 kN m
Mu = 630,000,000 N mm

B 2e a
2
2.70 2(0.45) (0.40)
=
2
x = 0.70 m

Coefficient of resistance:
Mu
Ru =
bd2
630,000,000
Ru =
0.90 2,700 600 2
R u = 0.72 MPa

x=

Required reinforcement ratio:

0.85f c
2R u
=
1 1
fy
0.85f c

0.85(20.7)
2(0.72)
1 1
276
0.85(20.7)

= .

Steel ratio limits:

1.4 fc
m =
,
fy 4fy

1.4
20.7
m =
,
276 4(276)
= .

Required steel area:

As = bd
As = 0.00507(2,700)(600)
= , .
Area of steel bar: db = 20 mm
2
Ao = db
4

Ao = (20)2
4
= .
Number of bars required:
As
N = int
+1
Ao
8,217.4
N = int
+1
314.2
= .

Example 3: The footing shown is supported by 12 piles each of which has a

capacity of 100 kN. The footing supports a 450 mm x 450 mm carrying an
axial factored load of 900 kN and is subjected to a factored moment of 160
kN-m. The pile has an average diameter of 300 mm. f'c = 21 MPa and fy =
340 MPa. Reinforcements along long direction is 12 25 mm bars while on
the short direction is 8 28 mm bars. Total thickness of the footing is 660
mm with steel covering of 75 mm and 100 mm allowable embedment of piles
in the concrete footing. Neglect the weight of footing.
a. Compute the load on each pile on row 1, row 2 and row 3.
b. Compute the maximum reaction on the pile
c. Is the section safe to carry the loads?

Reference: (Reinforced Concrete Design 2nd Ed. By Besavilla p. 296)

Load per pile on Row 1, Row 2, and Row 3

The pressure at any point p
Pu Mu c
P=
A
I

P=

I = ad2

A = Na

Pu
Mu c

Na ad2

mutiply both sides by a

Pu Mu c
Pa = f = 2
N d

d2 = 3 2 1.35
d2 = 12.14 m2

+ 3 2 0.45

Pu Mu c
f= 2
N d

fR1 =

900 160 1.35

kN

=
57.20
12
12.14 m2
pile

fR2

900 160 0.45

kN
=

= 69.07
12
12.14
pile

fR3

900 160 0.45

kN
=
+
= 80.93
12
12.14
pil

fR4 =

900 160 1.35

kN
kN
+
= 92.79
< 100
(safe)
12
12.14
pile
pile

Required Depth of Footing as Controlled by Wide Beam Shear:

Vu = 3fR4
Vu = 3(92.79)
Vu = 378.37 kN
= ,
Vu = Vc

1
f b d
6 c w
1
378,370 = 0.75
21(2,700)d
6
1
378,370 = 0.75
21(2,700)d
6
= .
< = (safe)
Vu = 0.75

Required Depth of Footing as controlled by Punching Shear:

Vu = 3fR1 + 2fR2 + 2fR3 + 3fR4
Vu = 3(57.20) + 2(69.07) + 2(80.93) + 3(92.79)
= .
Vu = Vc

1
Vu = 0.75
f b d
3 c o
1
378,370 = 0.75
21 4 450 + d d
3
1
378,370 = 0.75
21(1800 + 4d)d
3
= .

Required depth of footing as controlled by Moment Action:

Ultimate moment at critical section:

Mu = 3 fR3 x3 + 3 fR4 x4
Mu = 3 80.93 (0.225) + 3 92.79 (0.225 + 0.90)
Mu = 367.79 kN m
= , ,
Coefficient of resistance:
Mu
Ru =
bd2
367,790,000
Ru =
0.90 (2,700)(485)2
= .

Required reinforcement ratio:

0.85f c
2R u
=
1 1
fy
0.85f c

Required steel area:

As = bd
As = 0.00507(2,700)(600)
= , .

0.85(21)
2(0.64)
1 1
340
0.85(21)
Area of steel provided:

= .

db = 20 mm
Steel ratio limits:
1.4 fc
m =
,
fy 4fy

1.4
20.7
m =
,
276 4(276)
= .

As = Ao
2
As = 12 db
4

= 12
25 2
4
= ,

Example 4: A 600 mm x 600 mm column section which carries a service

dead load of 800 kN and service live load of 1,540 kN is to be supported by a
group of piles arranged as shown in the figure. Under a concentric load, all
piles in the same group are assumed to take equal axial loads. The soil under
the pile cap is assumed not to offer any support. Assume the service loads
include the column loads plus the weight of the pile cap and soil above the
cap. Use f'c = 28 MPa and fy = 276 MPa.. Diameter of pile is 300 mm.
a. Determine the load per pile.
b. Determine the effective depth of the pile cap.
c. Determine the number of 28 mm bars needed for the pile cap in both
directions.

Reference: (Fundamentals of Reinforced Concrete, Vol. 3, Besavilla p. 841)

PDL = 800 kN
PDL = 1,540 kN

600 600

0.45
0.90
0.90

0.45

0.90

0.90

0.90

0.90

0.45

0.45