19-03-2024
Analysis & Design of Geotechnical Systems
(Settlement Analysis of Shallow Foundation)
Paramita Bhattacharya
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Kharagpur
Disclaimer
• This slide is prepared based on the discussion done in class. This is a
summary of the topic only. However, if any deviation from the class is
noted here please contact to the course instructor. Also, the
procedure followed for solving numerical problems discussed in the
classes will be considered correct.
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SETTLEMENT OF SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
• Importance:
It is practically impossible to prevent the settlement of shallow
foundations. At least, elastic settlement will occur. Our responsibility
as a geotechnical engineer is to prevent the foundation system from
reaching a serviceability limit state.
The design of most shallow footing is controlled by the serviceability
limit state rather than by the ultimate limit state.
However, both limit states must be satisfied.
TYPES OF SETTLEMENT
• Immediate (or elastic) settlement
• PRIMARY Consolidation settlement
• SECONDARY Compression (Creep)
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IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT
• Theory of Elasticity can be used to determine the immediate or elastic settlement
of shallow foundations
• Elastic Equation
• Do not account for the shape of footing (not just L/B ratio).
• Depth of embedment significantly influences settlement.
• Soil stiffness generally increases with depth, so the footing loads will be transmitted to
stiffer soil than the surface soil. -> smaller settlement.
• Normal stresses from the soil above the footing base reduce the settlement by providing
increased confinement on the deforming half space. This is called the trench effect or
embedment effect.
• Part of the load on the footing is transmitted to the side walls depending on the amount
of shear resistance mobilized at the soil-wall interface -> reduces settlement. This is
called the side-wall contact effect.
ESTIMATION OF ELASTIC SETTLEMENT
𝑄
𝜌 1 𝜈 𝜇 𝜇 𝜇 (Gazetas et al., 1985)
𝐸𝐿
.
𝐴
𝜇 0.45
4𝐿
𝐷 4 𝐴
𝜇 1 0.04 1
𝐵 3 4𝐿
.
𝐴
𝜇 1 0.16
𝐴
where Qa is allowable (design) vertical load, E is
This equation of elastic settlement is used for a foundation of the elastic modulus (E = Eu for fine-grained
arbitrary shape on a deep homogeneous soil. The word “deep”
soils, E = E for coarse-grained soils; the
means when the thickness of the soil layer is such that 90% of
the applied stresses are distributed within it. For a rectangular subscript u denotes undrained load condition),
area of actual width Br, the thickness of the soil layer should be L is one-half the length of a circumscribed
at least 2Br. rectangle, u = Poisson’s ratio for undrained
condition
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ESTIMATION OF ELASTIC SETTLEMENT
• Alternately, considering embedment under a rectangular flexible
surface loadthe elastic settlement can be written as:
𝑞𝐵
𝜌 1 𝜈 𝐼 𝜇′
𝐸
where, 𝜇′ 1 0.08 1
Br and Lr are the actual width and length, respectively.
PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT
• Estimated from parameters deduced from the one-
dimensional consolidation test.
• Assumption:
• vertical uniform strain only (lateral strain is zero)
• no settlement occurs from shear strains
• saturated soil
• initial excess pore water pressure is equal to the change in applied stress at the instant the load is
applied
• excess pore water pressures are only dissipated vertically
• In practice, lateral strains are significant except for very thin layers of clays or for situations
when the ratio of the layer thickness to lateral dimension of the loaded area is small
(approaches zero). Shear strains also cause settlement and excess pore water pressures can
dissipate in any direction.
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ESTIMATION OF PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT
• NORMALLY CONSOLIDATED CLAYS i.e. OCR = 1
Δ𝑒 𝐻 𝜎
𝜌 𝐻 𝐶 log
1 𝑒 1 𝑒 𝜎
Or, 𝜌 𝐻𝑚 Δ𝜎
H is the thickness of the layer, fin is the effective overburden pressure zo plus the increment of
vertical stress z due to the surface loads at the center of the layer.
ESTIMATION OF PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT
• OVERCONSOLIDATED CLAYS i.e. OCR > 1
𝐻 𝜎 𝐻 𝜎 𝜎
𝜌 𝐶 log ; 𝜎 𝜎 or𝜌 𝐶 log 𝐶 log ; 𝜎 𝜎
1 𝑒 𝜎 1 𝑒 𝜎 𝜎
pc Hm vr z
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ESTIMATION OF SECONDARY COMPRESSION
𝐻 𝑡
𝜌 𝐶 log
1 𝑒 𝑡
• where (tp, ep) is the coordinate at the intersection of the tangents to the primary
consolidation and secondary compression parts of the void ratio vs time (log scale)
curve, C is the secondary compression index and it is time after primary consolidation.
• Over-consolidated soils do not creep significantly but creep settlements in normally
consolidated and sensitive soils can be very significant.
MODIFICATIONS OF 1D EXPRESSION FOR LATERAL STRESSES
• Skempton and Bjerrum (1957) proposed a method to modify the one-
dimensional consolidation equation to account for lateral stresses but
not lateral strains.
𝜌 𝑚 Δ𝑢 𝑑𝑧
Δ𝜎
𝜌 𝑚 Δ𝜎 𝐴 1 𝐴 𝑑𝑧 𝑚 Δ𝜎 𝐻 𝜇 𝜌 𝜇
Δ𝜎
SB
dz
3
dz
1
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CORRECTION TO PRIMARY CONSOLIDATION
MB 3/19/2024
Differential Settlement
• ST = total settlement of a given point
• ST = difference in total settlement
between any two points
• = gradient between two successive
points
• = angular distortion = ST (ij)/lij
• = tilt
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Numerical Problem-1
The soil profile at a site for a proposed office building consists of a layer of fine
sand 11 m thick above a layer of soft normally consolidated clay of 2 m thick.
Below the soft clay there is a deposit of coarse sand. The groundwater table was
observed at 3 m below ground level. The void ratio of the sand is 0.76 and the
water content of the clay is 43%. One of the individual square footings, 4 m (of
the foundation will apply a vertical stress of 50 kPa at the middle of the clay layer.
Assume the soil above the water table to be saturated, Cc = 0.3, Cv = 0.05 m2/year
and Gs = 2.7. Considering the clay as a single layer, (a) estimate the primary
consolidation settlement of the clay without the Skempton and Bjerrum (1957)
correction. (b) Estimate the time for 50% primary consolidation settlement.
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Numerical Problem-2
Determine the immediate settlement of a rectangular footing 4 m wide
6 m long embedded at a depth 3 m in a deep deposit of a
homogeneous clay.
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Example
Determine the primary consolidation settlement under the square
footing shown using the Skempton-Bjerrum method.