Shallow Foundations – Bearing Capacity

Bearing capacity is one of the most important performance aspects of shallow foundations. This chapter discusses the bearing capacity requirements such as strength and safety. There are various terms, especially those which are directly related to pressures intensity, involved in bearing capacity analysis such as total overburden, gross foundation, and net foundation pressure. The chapter also considers bearing capacity for footings on layered soils. It presents some considerations concerning the use of bearing capacity equations. A footing may be subjected to inclined or eccentric loading and such condition leads to a reduction in bearing capacity. The depth at which the ground water table is located may have a significant effect on the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The bearing capacity equations are based on the assumption of incompressibility of soil and that they should be applied, strictly speaking, only to cases where the mode of general shear failure prevails.