It is suggested that allowable pressure should be selected such that maximum settlement of any individual foundation is 25 mm.

The analytical methods for the determination of bearing capacity of footings are based essentially on shear failure.

The bearing plate is either circular or square, made of mild steel of not less than 25 mm in thickness.

According to National Building Code of India (SP: 7-1970) the differential settlement shall be kept within limits to which the super-structure can accommodate itself without the distortion, by suitably designing the foundation.

For simple spread footing on clayey soils, the allowable pressure should be such that the differential settlement does not exceed 1/300.

The allowable maximum settlement for warehouse type of structure is 50 mm.

According to Polishin and Tokar (1957), brick masonry will crack due to differential settlement when the unit elongation amount to 0.005.

Plate load test is a field test to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of the soil, and the probable settlement under a given loading.

The bearing plate used varies in size from 300 to 750 mm with a chequered or grooved bottom.

For clayey and silty soils and for loose medium dense sandy soils with N < 15, a 450 mm square plate or concrete block shall be used.