GATE CE 2023 Set 1 — Question 42
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Geotechnical Engineering → Shallow Foundations → Plate Load Test
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Question
A square footing of size is placed below the ground surface on a cohesionless homogeneous soil stratum. Considering that the groundwater table is located at the base of the footing, the unit weights of soil above and below the groundwater table are and , respectively, and the bearing capacity factor is , the net ultimate bearing capacity of the soil is estimated as (unit weight of water ).Earlier, a plate load test was carried out with a circular plate of diameter in the same foundation pit during a dry season, when the water table was located beyond the plate influence zone. Using Terzaghi’s bearing capacity formulation, what is the ultimate bearing capacity (in kPa) of the plate?
Correct answer
(A) 110.16
Solution
1.For the square footing:
The net ultimate bearing capacity for a cohesionless soil () is:Given: , , , .
.
.
.
2.For the circular plate:
Diameter . The test is in the same pit, so relative to the pit base.Dry season: use bulk unit weight .
Terzaghi's formula for a circular plate ():
.
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