Technical Engineering and Design Guides, as adapted from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, No. 7

This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engineering manual provides all the essential guidelines needed to determine allowable and ultimate bearing capacity of soils under shallow and deep foundations. Comprehensive in scope, the guide covers topics ranging from determining the length, number, and diameter of drilled shafts to in situ modeling of bearing pressures in shallow foundations. The principles presented are applicable to numerous types of structures, including buildings, houses, towers, storage tanks, fills, embankments, and dams.

The first chapter presents definitions, failure modes, and factors that influence bearing capacity. The next chapter discusses nonload related design considerations such as frost action and soil erosion. Chapter 3 explores laboratory and in situ methods of determining soil parameters required. The last two chapters present an analysis of the bearing capacity of shallow foundations and deep foundations, respectively.