Footing on slopes

The bearing capacity of a footing on soil or rock slope depends upon (i) slope angle, (ii) depth of foundation, (iii) width and length of footing (iv) eccentricity of load and (v) inclination of load. Figure 17.1 shows examples of footing/raft where the resultant load is eccentric and inclined. Brinch and Hansen (in Bowles, 1977 ) have developed a theory for the bearing capacity of footings, taking into account the above parameters. The theory clearly proves that the bearing capacity of footing is drastically affected by the angle of slope. Consequently, the design of a foundation is a challenging job in hilly areas. Another serious problem with hills is that hillside footings rest on rock, whereas valley side footings may rest on filled up soil below the terrace. As such, masonry buildings crack due to significant differential settlement in hilly areas. RCC raft foundation has performed well in partly soil and partly rock mass foundation in hilly areas.