A square spread footing is located on a stiff clay layer underlayed by a soft clay deposit.

Compute the allowable bearing capacity of the footing and the minimum thickness of the stiff clay layer to assure a FS = 3 on the soft clay deposit. Since the footing is resting on a stiff stratum of soil, the bearing capacity will be calculated assuming a general failure mode, by means of Terzaghi's bearing capacity theory. Tha ...continues