Qwestrum Engineering360 · Civil Engineering · Foundation Engineering
What is bearing capacity of soil?
Bearing capacity is the maximum pressure a foundation can safely transfer to soil without shear failure or excessive settlement — Terzaghi and IS code methods used in India.
Exam tip: keep SI units consistent end-to-end, write the governing relation symbolically before substituting, and sanity-check magnitude and sign.
Quick revision
Skim these first — then read the full notes below.
- Terzaghi: qu = cNc + γDNq + 0.5γBNγ (know strip footing form)
- Safe bearing capacity = qu / FoS
- SPT, plate load test used on Indian sites
- Black cotton soil and liquefaction are regional exam topics
Exams & GATE
- 1GATE CE geotech: Terzaghi numerical with shape/depth factors.
- 2Draw failure wedge sketch for viva marks.
Interview prep
Construction interviews: "Foundation type for black cotton soil?" — mention under-reamed piles, raft, or soil replacement per site investigation.
📖 Standard books (India)
Soil Mechanics & Foundations — BC Punmia
Read: Ch. 14–16
Soil properties, bearing capacity, and foundations
Understand the concept
BC Punmia is widely used across Indian civil programmes for soil mechanics — bearing capacity links site investigation reports to foundation design.
Schematic diagram for study — aligned with standard B.Tech / GATE syllabus.
Soil stratification. Foundation design uses layer-wise properties — γ, c, φ from bore log (BC Punmia).Explore related topics
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