3.

Design of Shallow
Foundations

1
 This chapter deals with the economical and
safe design of the common types of shallow
foundations.
The main foundation types that are
considered here are:

isolated or spread footings,

combined footings,

strap or cantilever footings and

mat or raft foundations.

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 Proportioning of shallow foundations

1. Using presumptive allowable soil pressure.

Building codes give allowable average soil pressure.

2. Using the soil strength parameters and C.

-soil strength parameters and C may be determined
from laboratory tests.

-Using the value of and C thus obtained, one can

easily determine the area of the foundation in question
using bearing capacity equations.

3
 In applying the bearing capacity equations one should
differentiate two states of loading, namely,
the initial or instantaneous loading condition and

the final or long- term loading condition.

initial or instantaneous loading condition corresponds to the

quick or undrained test condition of the triaxial test.
The soil parameters are designated by u and Cu - in most
cases u = 0.

the final or long- term loading condition corresponds to the

slow or drained test condition of the triaxial test.

The soil parameters in this case are designated by and

C.
4
 The ultimate load that may be applied on a foundation with
sides a and b may be determined from the following
equation
Vf = Af .(1)

b
b a= a - 2ea
b= b - 2eb
a
a . ea A= ab
eb

The actual sustained load on the footing may be related to

the ultimate load
Vf =p .(2) 5
 One may then express Eqn. (1) as
p = Af
From which it follows
A = p/ f

from the above equation one easily determines the

required area since all the quantities on the right hand
side of the equation are known.
The ultimate bearing capacity, f , may be determined
from the following equation.

f = CNcScdcic+ bNSdi + qNqSqdqiq

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 For initial loading conditions, where u = 0, the
failure surface of the soil consist of straight lines
and an arc of a circle.

The bearing capacity coefficient would have the

values Nc=5.1, Nq= 1.0, N = 0.

f = 5.1CuSc dc ic+ q Sq dq iq

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 Structural Considerations.
Before going into the structural design, one
should check if the settlement of the selected
foundation is within the prescribed safe limits.
The last stage in the design of foundations is
the structural design.
One should check the adequacy of the
thickness of the footing and provide the
necessary reinforcement to withstand
punching shear,

diagonal tension (wide beam shear),

bending moment and bond stress.

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 Design of Isolated or Spread Footings
Depth of footing
This depth is measured from the lowest adjacent
ground surface to the bottom of the footing.
Footings should be carried below
zone of high volume change due to moisture

fluctuation
top (organic) soil

peat and muck

unconsolidated (or fill) material

According to EBCS-7
minimum depth of footing should be 50cm

for footings on sloping sites, minimum depth of

footing should be 60cm and 90cm below ground

surface on rocky and soil formations,
respectively. 9
 Footing at different elevations:
A minimum clear distance of half the width of
the footing is recommended.
Proportioning of footing
The required area of the footing will be determined
using
presumptive allowable soil pressure
and/or the soil strength parameters and C.

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 Structural Design
Punching shear:-
This factor generally controls the depth of
footings.
occurs when an area is subject to a
concentrated state of stress relative to its
immediate surroundings.
failure can occur either by pure punching or
by bending induced punching where, the
initial tension cracks will grow tangentially to
form the punching surface.
The cracked profile of the punched area
indicates the mode of failure. 11
 It is the normal practice to provide adequate
depth to sustain the shear stress developed
without reinforcement.

The critical section is located at a distance of d/2

from the face of the column.

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13
14
15
 For rectangular footing

2
d (4V p ) d (2V p )( a 'b' ) A footing Acolumn

For square footing

d 2 (4V p ) d (2V p )( 2a ' ) A footing Acolumn

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 Diagonal Tension (wide beam shear)
The selected depth using the punching

shear criterion may not be adequate to

withstand the diagonal tension developed.

Hence one should also check the safety

against diagonal tension.

The critical sections are located at a

distance of d from the face of the column.
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 The shear forces are calculated along the plane
C-C and D-D
V C-C = (b/2 d - b/2)a
V D-D = (a/2 d a/2)b
v C-C =

The actual shear stress is then calculated from

V
v C-C= C C v D-D = VD D
ad bd

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 Bending Moment
The critical sections for the bending moment vary
according to the type of columns.
According to EBCS 2-1995, the critical section for moment
shall be taken as follows:

At the face of column, pedestal or wall for footings

supporting a concrete pedestal or wall

Halfway between middle and edge of wall, for footings

supporting a masonry wall

Halfway between face of column and edge of steel base

for footings supporting a column with base plates.

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20
 Flexural Reinforcement
Distribution:
In square footings, reinforcement shall be distributed
uniformly across the entire width of footing.

In two-way rectangular footings, reinforcement shall be

distributed as follows:
Reinforcement in long direction shall be distributed

uniformly across the entire width of footing

For reinforcement in the short direction, a portion

of the total reinforcement given by

2
total re inf orcement in the short direction
1 a
b 21
shall be distributed uniformly over a band width ( centered
on center line of column or pedestal) equal to the length of
the short side of footing
b

a
(b-a)/2 (b-a)/2

The reminder of the reinforcement required in the

short direction shall be distributed uniformly out side
the center band width of the footing. 22
 Development length

The reinforcement bars must extend a sufficient

distance into the concrete to develop proper
anchorage. This distance is called the development
length.

The necessary development length may be calculated

using the following equation

f yd
ld
4 f bd
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 Concrete cover to reinforcement (According to EBCS2-
1995)
Concrete cast directly against the earth, the minimum

cover should be greater than 75mm

Concrete cast against prepared ground (including

blinding) the minimum cover should be greater than

40mm.

Spacing of reinforcement

The clear horizontal and vertical distance between bars

shall be at least equal to the largest of the following values:
(EBCS2-1995)
20mm

the diameter of the largest bar

the maximum size of the aggregate plus 5mm

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 Maximum spacing (EBCS)
The spacing between main bars for slabs
shall not exceed the smaller of 2h or 350mm

The spacing between secondary bars shall

not exceed 400mm

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