Plate Load Test
Plate Load Test
Plate Load Test
Plate load test is performed to determine the ultimate load bearing capacity of soil over the in-situ
conditions. The plate load test is mandatory in case of designing foundation over the sandy and clayey
soil. This test gives the highest rate of accuracy determining the safe bearing capacity of soil in case
of shallow foundations.
This test determines the Ultimate Bearing capacity of Soil, Settlement of foundation & Allowable
bearing pressure of soil. Plate load test is suitable for Cohesionless soil as in case of Cohesion soil the
settlement takes place in longer duration which this test is not suitable.
In this test, the square rigid plate having dimensions 300mm x 300mm or Circular rigid plate having
dia 300mm (larger dia plates may also used if the soil is in very loose condition) is placed on a
foundation and load is applied in increments on the plate with the help of hydraulic jack. Then the
settlement per each load increment is recorded to calculate the bearing capacity of the soil. This test is
also known as Plate bearing test procedure and calculation is clearly explained below.
Contents
Importance of Plate load test or Plate bearing test?
The importance of plate load test lies upon the factors as it helps in determining the best type of
foundation. As in case if the safe bearing capacity (SBC) of the soil is less, then we need to adopt raft
foundation and in case if the soil conditions are detrimental then we need to perform analysis of the
soil as per recommendations.
Type of soil
Sub-surface water table
The density of the soil
Void ratio
Porosity
The apparatus used in above mentioned two tests are different, but the principle and
calculations involved in finding the safe bearing capacity of the soil are same. The plate bearing
test procedure and calculation clearly explained below.
Apparatus to Plate load test
Excavating tools
Hydraulic jack (ball socket type with 50 T capacity)
Mild steel plate (25 mm thickness & (30*30) cm)
Dial gauges (minimum 3)
Reaction beam and reaction truss with soil nails
Plum Bob ( To determine center)
1. The pit is excavated over the site of test with the size of 1.5×1.5m and to the depth of
proposed foundations.
2. One needs to find the centre of excavated pit and portion to the size of the plate is eroded to
the depth 1-2 cm.
3. Ensure that the foundation area must be 5 times the area of plate and the seating load of
0.07Kg/cm² is applied to prevent undulations below the plate.
4. The eroded portion is filled with rock dust in order to counter undulations and that of plate
installed is completely horizontal which on later is checked by tube level.
5. Spacers are installed over the hydraulic plate on which hydraulic jack is installed.
6. The hydraulic jack in order to counter the load applies pressure which in result leads to
transmission of pressure over the plate.
7. Setting load of 7kN/m² is applied for some time and released. This is followed by the
application of safe load with an increment of 30%.
8. In case of loading through truss, both free sides are anchored with soil nails with uniformly
loading at the ends.
Results recording:
1. Dial gauges arranged at the bottom of the pit record are used to record settlement at every 5
minutes for first 30 minutes and every 10 minutes for rest 30 minutes.
2. The observation are made until 25 mm settlement is observed which can take few hours for
clayey and soft soil or even up-to couple of days for hard strata.
Precautions:
It is utmost necessary that the alignment of spacers, hydraulic jack, (truss/gravity platform) are axially
along the straight line so that the load is transferred vertically. The minimum duration of test should
be 60min.
Plate Load test calculation:
1. The results obtained through test are plotted over the logarithmic graph with loads over the x-
axis and settlement over y-axis.
2. Ultimate load for the plate can be determined through plots on the graph, which is quite
similar to the settlement of plate by 1/5th of width.
3. The point at which the graph curve obtained through plots breaks can be used to determine
the ultimate load of the plate, which on later can be utilized to determine ultimate bearing
and safe bearing capacity of the soil.
4. The safe bearing capacity of soil is calculated by dividing ultimate bearing capacity with
factor of safety 2 or 3.
5. The image below shows four typical curves applied to different soils.