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In general shear failure, continuous failure is developed between ______
Ground surface and footing
Edge of the footing and ground surface
Foundation and the ground surface
None of the mentioned
Edge of the footing and ground surface
General shear failure is characterized by the sudden, catastrophic failure of dense sand or stiff clay under a footing. It involves the development of a continuous failure surface that propagates from the edges of the footing upwards to the ground surface.
General shear failure is characterized by the sudden, catastrophic failure of dense sand or stiff clay under a footing. It involves the development of a continuous failure surface that propagates from the edges of the footing upwards to the ground surface.
quтАЛ=cNcтАЛ+qNqтАЛ+0.5╬│BN╬│тАЛ тАФ Terzaghi's bearing capacity equation for general shear failure
As the load on the footing increases, the soil reaches its peak shear strength. A wedge is formed directly beneath the footing, forcing the adjacent soil outward and upward. Once the failure surface reaches the ground level, a noticeable 'heaving' of the soil occurs around the footing edges, leading to a sudden loss of support.
General shear failure is typical for soils with low compressibility (relative density > 70%).
It is marked by a distinct, abrupt failure and tilting of the structure.
The pressure-settlement curve shows a well-defined peak value.
It is the standard failure mode assumed in most conventional foundation design codes.
Predictable behavior in stiff soils
Clear indicator of ultimate bearing capacity
Sudden, catastrophic failure without warning
Requires high soil density to occur
Foundation design on dense sands
Foundation design on stiff over-consolidated clays
In local shear failure, the failure surface does not extend to the ground surface, resulting in a gradual settlement.
Option A is incorrect because the failure surface must originate from the footing edges to reach the surface.
B is correct тАФ In general shear failure, the plastic zones expand to the edges of the footing, forming a continuous shear surface that extends to the ground surface.
Always verify soil relative density before assuming general shear failure, as loose sands exhibit local or punching shear failure instead.
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