Bearing Capacity
Assessment (DCP/PSP)
What is Bearing Capacity Assessment?
The term “bearing capacity” pertains to the soil’s ability to withstand loads exerted on the ground. It is the maximum average contact pressure that can prevent soil shear collapse. The ultimate bearing capacity represents the highest pressure that the soil can ensure without failure.
The ultimate bearing capacity is adjusted by a safety factor to derive the allowable bearing capacity, especially in the case of soft soil sites where significant settlements can occur under loaded foundations without shear failures. In such cases, the allowable bearing capacity is determined based on the maximum allowable settlements.
Bearing capacity is affected by three types of shear failure, namely general, local and punching. These failures are determined by the soil’s shear strength, the foundation’s size, depth, shape, and the groundwater table.
This page is not intended to be a substitute for professional geotechnical advice and should not be relied on as geotechnical advice by individuals or other professionals to make site-specific decisions. Always seek advice from professional geotechnical engineers.
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Have Questions? Let’s Clear Them Up
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Bearing capacity is determined through our standard geotechnical investigation, consisting of borehole excavations and Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) tests.
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Bearing capacity assessments are conducted to determine the ground’s ability to support loads applied from the proposed development.
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Tests used to determine bearing capacity include:
- Field tests (SPT/DCP/PSP)
- Laboratory tests.
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Bearing capacity of soil is the capacity of soil to support the applied loads, it is typically assessed through penetration tests.
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An appropriate safety factor is determined by the geotechnical engineer based on the quality and comprehensiveness of the geotechnical investigation program. The other approach is to use limit strain criterion.
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This is dependent on the site conditions and structural requirements; every site’s ground conditions will vary hence the necessity for geotechnical investigations and reports.
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