Soil foundations - Geotechnical Investigation and Design Tables - page 268

Figure 21.1 Foundation investigation.

21.5 Bearing capacity factors
•

The original bearing capacity factors by Terzaghi (1943) have been largely
superseded by those of later researchers using different rupture surfaces and
experimental data.

•

For piles, a modified version of these bearing capacity factors is used.

•

The Terzaghi bearing capacity factors are higher then those of Vesic and Hansen.

•

The next 2 sections provide simplified versions of the above for the bearing
capacity of cohesive and granular soils.

Table 21.5 Bearing capacity factors (Vesic, 1973 and Hansen, 1970).

Friction angle Bearing capacity factors Vesic Hansen

φ

N γ N γ

N c N q

0 (Fully undrained condition) 5.14 1.00 0.00 0.00

1 5.4 1.09 0.07 0.00

2 5.6 1.20 0.15 0.01

3 5.9 1.31 0.24 0.02

4 6.2 1.43 0.34 0.05

5 6.5 1.57 0.45 0.07

6 6.8 1.72 0.57 0.11

7 7.2 1.88 0.71 0.16

8 7.5 2.06 0.86 0.22

9 7.9 2.25 1.03 0.30

( Continued )