GATE CE 2023 Set 2 — Question 58
Go beyond PYQs with Success TrackerAI-powered personalised practice and doubt support. Unlimited practice on eligible plans; AI usage limits apply.NAT+2 / -0HardMeyerhof's Bearing CapacityShallow FoundationsGeotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering → Shallow Foundations → Meyerhof's Bearing Capacity
Last updated
Question
A square footing is to be designed to carry a column load of which is resting on a soil stratum having the following average properties: bulk unit weight ; angle of internal friction and cohesion . Considering the depth of the footing as and adopting Meyerhof’s bearing capacity theory with a factor of safety of , the width of the footing (in m) is ___________________________ (round off to one decimal place)[Assume the applicable shape and depth factor values as unity; ground water level at greater depth.]
Correct answer
3 to 3.5
Solution
Given:
, , Since shape and depth factors are to be taken as unity, the ultimate bearing capacity () is:The safe bearing capacity () is:The required width () of the square footing is found from:Rounding off to one decimal place, the width of the footing is .
- Column load,
- Bulk unit weight,
- Cohesion,
- Angle of internal friction,
- Depth of footing,
- Factor of safety,
, , Since shape and depth factors are to be taken as unity, the ultimate bearing capacity () is:The safe bearing capacity () is:The required width () of the square footing is found from:Rounding off to one decimal place, the width of the footing is .
Continue learning with Success Tracker
A step still unclear? Work through it with support
Use Success Tracker to ask about the reasoning, then try another GATE CE question to check your understanding.
AI-powered practice· Unlimited practice on eligible plans
- PYQs with solutions
- Attempt available previous-year questions, then compare your reasoning with the worked solution. Coverage varies by stream.
- Practice that adapts
- Choose a topic, work on weaker areas and bookmark questions to revisit. Your attempts feed your progress tracking.
- AI doubt support
- Ask follow-up questions about a step or concept while practising, instead of stopping at the final answer.
Unlimited practice is available on eligible plans. Free practice and AI usage have limits; check the current plan allowances before choosing.
This page stays readable without an account. AI responses can be wrong; check them against the solution and source material.
More questions on Shallow Foundations
2026 Set 1 Q18The name of a person in Column 1 is to be matched with the test mentioned in Column 2. | Column 1 |…2026 Set 2 Q21Based on the Casagrande’s plasticity chart, plasticity index (in ) of inorganic clays having a…2026 Set 2 Q22Information related to foundation design is provided in table below. | Column 1 | Column 2 | | :---…2026 Set 1 Q31For a liquid, the permeability of a sandy soil having a void ratio of was determined as…2026 Set 1 Q32To obtain undisturbed clay soil sample, an Area Ratio of needs to be achieved for a…