The bearing capacity of concrete and rock

Summary The results of published work relating to triaxial compression tests on concrete and rock are briefly analysed to determine the principal strength characteristics which govern the bearing capacity of blocks subjected to concentrated loads and offoundations of concrete and rock. A simple method of estimating the bearing capacity of footings on blocks of various sizes is suggested, and is checked by the results of previous model tests. To obtain further information, especially for large blocks, a series of loading tests has been made on mass and reinforced concrete blocks. The observed bearing capacity, mechanism and extent offailure are analysed and found to be in fair agreement with the theoretical estimates.