Shallow Foundation Bearing Capacity

Terzaghi / Meyerhof ultimate and allowable bearing pressure for shallow footings (SI units).

Inputs

Units: SI (c in kPa, γ in kN/m³, B & D in m)

Design method

Cohesion, c kPa

Friction angle, φ deg

Unit weight, γ kN/m³

Footing width, B m

Depth to footing base, D m

Factor of safety, FS –

Results

Enter soil and footing properties on the left, then click "Compute bearing capacity" to see ultimate and allowable pressures.

Formulas used
For Terzaghi (strip footing):
q_ult = c·N_c + q·N_q + 0.5·γ·B·N_γ
where q = γ·D is the overburden at footing level. Net capacity: q_net,ult = q_ult - q
Allowable net: q_net,all = q_net,ult / FS,
Allowable gross: q_all = q_net,all + q
Bearing capacity factors from φ: N_q = e^π·tanφ·tan²(45°+φ/2), N_c = (N_q−1)/tanφ.
For φ ≈ 0: N_q ≈ 1, N_c ≈ 5.7, N_γ ≈ 0.
Meyerhof adjusts with empirical shape and depth factors.