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Soil Bearing Capacity from Cohesion and Friction Angle Calculator

Terzaghi general bearing capacity — shallow foundation.

Estimates ultimate bearing capacity using Terzaghi's formula: q_u = c·N_c + γ·D·N_q + 0.5·γ·B·N_γ. N values are functions of friction angle φ.

Daniel Oh By Daniel Oh
Published Last reviewed 1 min read

Inputs

Pa
°
N/m³
m
m

Results

Enter values and click Calculate to see results.
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How to use this calculator

  1. Fill in the inputs above using the units you already have.
  2. Values update automatically as you type — no submit button needed.
  3. Hover any result row for the underlying formula and intermediate values.

Formula

q_u = c·N_c + γD·N_q + 0.5·γB·N_γ

In depth

Estimates ultimate bearing capacity using Terzaghi's formula: q_u = c·N_c + γ·D·N_q + 0.5·γ·B·N_γ. N values are functions of friction angle φ.