Enter the ultimate bearing capacity and the factor of safety into the Soil Bearing Capacity Calculator. The calculator will evaluate the Soil Bearing Capacity. 

Soil Bearing Capacity Formula

The following two example problems outline the steps and information needed to calculate the Soil Bearing Capacity.

SBC = UBC / FS

Variables:

  • SBC is the Soil Bearing Capacity (lb/ft^2 of allowable bearing capacity)
  • UBC is the ultimate bearing capacity (lb/ft^2) 
  • FS is the factor of safety 

To calculate the soil bearing capacity, divide the ultimate bearing capacity by the factor of safety.

How to Calculate Soil Bearing Capacity?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Soil Bearing Capacity.

  1. First, determine the ultimate bearing capacity (lb/ft^2). 
  2. Next, determine the factor of safety. 
  3. Next, gather the formula from above = SBC = UBC / FS.
  4. Finally, calculate the Soil Bearing Capacity.
  5. After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

ultimate bearing capacity (lb/ft^2) = 1,000

factor of safety = 2

SBC = UBC / FS = ?