Bearing capacity describes the pressure soil can sustain under a foundation before a chosen shear-failure or serviceability limit is reached. Simplified estimates use cohesion, unit weight, footing width, embedment, and bearing factors, while settlement, groundwater, layering, and field investigation remain essential.
Soil Bearing Capacity Calculator applies this concept to its defined inputs and workflow. It is designed to estimate allowable bearing capacity from cohesion, unit weight, footing embedment, surcharge, bearing factors, footing width, and factor of safety.
The calculator evaluates simplified bearing capacity, bearing factor method, and factor-of-safety screening and returns effective surcharge, ultimate bearing capacity, allowable bearing capacity, and capacity contribution breakdown using the stated method. The selected units and sign or reference conventions must describe one consistent physical case. Users should interpret the output within the assumptions shown on the page and repeat the check with trusted reference values when the result affects engineering or research decisions. ScholarTool civil engineering calculators provide general quantity, geometry, runoff, soil-pressure, and load-estimation support. They do not replace local building codes, licensed structural design, geotechnical investigation, drainage design, construction supervision, supplier specifications, or professional engineering judgement.