Shallow Foundation · Geotechnical Engineering · GATE CE

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Marks 2

1

A designer used plate load test to obtain the value of the bearing capacity factor $\mathrm{N}_\gamma$. A circular plate of 1 m diameter was placed on the surface of a dry sand layer extending very deep beneath the ground. The unit weight of the sand is $16.66 \mathrm{kN} / \mathrm{m}^3$. The plate is loaded to failure at a pressure of 1500 kPa .

Considering Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory, the bearing capacity factor $\mathrm{N}_\gamma$ is________ (round off to the nearest integer).

GATE CE 2025 Set 2
2

A $6 \mathrm{~m} \times 6 \mathrm{~m}$ square footing constructed in clay is subjected to a vertical load of 2500 kN at its centre. The base of the footing is 2 m below the ground surface, as shown in the figure. The footing is made of 2 m thick concrete. The ground water table is at a great depth. Considering Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory, the factor of safety of footing against the bearing capacity failure is _________ (rounded off to 2 decimal places). Note:

Unit of concrete $=24 \mathrm{kN} / \mathrm{m}^3$

Properties of clay: $c=50 \mathrm{kN} / \mathrm{m}^3, \phi=0^{\circ}$, and $\gamma=19 \mathrm{kN} / \mathrm{m}^3$

For $\phi=0^{\circ}: N_c=5.7, N_q=1, N_\gamma=0$

GATE CE 2025 Set 1 Geotechnical Engineering - Shallow Foundation Question 1 English
GATE CE 2025 Set 1
3

A square footing is to be designed to carry a column load of 500 kN which is resting on a soil stratum having the following average properties: bulk unit weight = 19 kN/m3; angle of internal friction = 0° and cohesion = 25 kPa. Considering the depth of the footing as 1 m and adopting Meyerhof’s bearing capacity theory with a factor of safety of 3, 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.]

GATE CE 2023 Set 2
4

A circular pile of diameter 0.6 m and length 8 m was constructed in a cohesive soil stratum having the following properties: bulk unit weight = 19 kN/m3; angle of internal friction = 0° and cohesion = 25 kPa.

The allowable load the pile can carry with a factor of safety of 3 is __________ kN (round off to one decimal place).

[Adopt: Adhesion factor, α = 1.0 and Bearing capacity factor, Nc = 9.0]

GATE CE 2023 Set 2
5

For the flow setup shown in the figure (not to scale), the hydraulic conductivities of the two soil samples, Soil 1 and Soil 2, are 10 mm/s and 1 mm/s, respectively. Assume the unit weight of water as 10 kN/m3 and ignore the velocity head. At steady state, what is the total head (in m, rounded off to two decimal places) at any point located at the junction of the two samples? _____

GATE CE 2023 Set 2 Geotechnical Engineering - Shallow Foundation Question 3 English
GATE CE 2023 Set 2
6

A square footing of size 2.5 m × 2.5 m is placed 1.0 m 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 18 kN/m3 and 20 kN/m3, respectively, and the bearing capacity factor Nq is 58, the net ultimate bearing capacity of the soil is estimated as 1706 kPa (unit weight of water = 10 kN/m3).

Earlier, a plate load test was carried out with a circular plate of 30 cm 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?

GATE CE 2023 Set 1
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