Bearing Capacity (Cohesion Term)
Bearing Capacity (Cohesion Term)
For a clay soil the cohesion term dominates Terzaghi’s bearing capacity, giving a quick estimate of safe footing pressure.
The cohesion term is q_u = c·N_c. where c is the cohesion and N_c the bearing-capacity factor.
Inputs
c := 50 kPa=50000 Pa
N_c := 5.7=5.7
Multiply cohesion by the bearing-capacity factor.
q_u := c·N_c=285000 Pa
Results
Dividing by a factor of safety (around 3) gives the allowable bearing pressure. The full Terzaghi equation adds surcharge and self-weight terms.
Assumptions & limitations
- Undrained clay (cohesion governs).
- Strip footing, N_c ≈ 5.7.
- Cohesion term only.