NCEES 516 geotech afternoon sample question

Geotech not my depth but working all depth problems to get repaired.

How come in 516 geotech depth they dont use the dont use the multipliers in the errata solution?

pmblair said:

Geotech not my depth but working all depth problems to get repaired.
How come in 516 geotech depth they dont use the dont use the multipliers in the errata solution?

Click to expand...

Since the original question was changed from a square foundation to a strip foundation so no

multipliers for shape or depth are required.

As I understand it thegeneral form of the bearing capacity formula

q(ult) = cNc + qNq + 0.5yBNy was developed for strip footings with vertical loads.

The evolution of this problem has been interesting. When I purchased the 2008 sample exam in 2008, the erratta had not come out yet, and the solution confused me since I had used the the shape and factors from the CERM and had the right answers.

The original solution wanted you to use q(ult) = c Nc Sc dc + yDf Nq Sq + 0.5yB Ny Sy and q(ult)/3 = 2501

then the next errata 06-23-2009 wanted you to use q(ult) = c Nc Sc dc + yDf Nq Sq Dq+ 0.5yB Ny Sy dy

and with the added factors and q(ult)/3 = 2703

(Also dc = 1 + 0.4(Df/B) vs. dc = 1 + 0.2(Df/B)

So obviously the test gurus couldn't agree on which multipliers to use and changed it to a strip footing question, which didn't require multipliers for shape or depth.

Anyway you probably won't see multipliers in the morning geotechnical unless they given. So you should be okay.