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Footing Bearing Pressure Calculator

Spread footing bearing check with eccentric loading, one-way shear, two-way punching shear, and flexural reinforcement per ACI 318 and IBC

Preliminary footing planning calculator for early foundation conversations. It estimates local bearing stress, one-way shear, two-way punching shear, and flexure from user-entered loads and dimensions, then flags ACI, IBC, ASCE, geotechnical, and qualified-review source gaps. It is not a stamped design, geotechnical report, permit submittal, or AHJ approval.

Pro Tip: Use the output as a review prompt, not a pour-ready footing size. Replace the local bearing snapshot and entered loads with the current geotechnical report, adopted code edition, ASCE load combinations, project details, and licensed structural/geotechnical review before design decisions.

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Footing Bearing Pressure Calculator
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How It Works

  1. Define Footing Geometry

    Choose square, rectangular, or continuous footing. Enter dimensions (L × B) and thickness h. Select column shape and dimensions for shear checks.

  2. Enter Loads

    Enter service load P (kips) for bearing check and factored load Pu (kips) for shear/flexure checks. Set eccentricity if applicable.

  3. Set Soil and Material Properties

    Select a local IBC-style screening row or enter a value from a current geotechnical report. Set concrete f'c, steel fy, and rebar cover for preliminary review only.

  4. Review All Local Checks

    Review bearing, one-way shear, two-way shear, and flexure screening outputs. Treat failures or high utilization as engineering-review prompts, not automatic redesign instructions.

Built For

  • Early footing planning before formal structural and geotechnical design
  • Estimators and owners collecting questions for a licensed engineer
  • Structural teams checking whether entered loads and geometry need closer review
  • Geotechnical teams comparing a preliminary stress calculator to a report value
  • Students exploring bearing, eccentricity, shear, and flexure relationships with source warnings

References

  • ACI 318-19(22) and ACI 318-25 official source pointers for structural concrete review
  • ICC 2021 and 2024 IBC Chapter 18 official source pointers for soils and foundations review
  • ASCE/SEI 7-22 official source pointer for design loads and load combinations
  • ASTM A615/A615M-24 and CRSI shallow-foundation source pointers for reinforcing context

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It is a calculator only. Final footing design depends on adopted ACI/IBC editions, ASCE load combinations, geotechnical recommendations, settlement, groundwater, frost, reinforcement detailing, inspection, and AHJ requirements.
It is a local IBC-style screening snapshot, not a site classification or approval to use a presumptive value. Use a geotechnical report or building-official-approved value for real design.
The local one-axis screen flags partial bearing because part of the base would be outside compression in the simplified model. That warning requires structural and geotechnical review; it is not a stability or uplift-anchor design.
Disclaimer: This screen is preliminary planning math only. It does not classify soil, create load combinations, approve reinforcement, check settlement, satisfy ACI/IBC/ASCE requirements, replace a geotechnical report, or approve construction. Final foundation work requires licensed structural and geotechnical engineering review and AHJ acceptance.

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