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

A minimum seating pressure of 70 g/cm2 (0.7 t/m2), shall be applied and removed before starting the load test.

The rate of settlement is defined as the slope or the relative settlement between two points divided by the horizontal distance.

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.

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

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

The use of reaction truss is more popular now-a-days since this is simple, quick and less clumsy.

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

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.

Indian standards (IS: 1888: 1982) recommend that the loading of the plate should invariably be borne either by gravity loading platform or by the reaction truss.