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Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS

Section 1806

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

PRESUMPTIVE LOAD-BEARING

VALUES OF SOILS

1806.1 Load combinations.

The presumptive load-bearing values provided in Table 1806.2 shall be used with the allowable stress design load combinations specified in ASCE 7, Section 2.4 or the alternative allowable stress design load combinations of Section 1605.2. The values of vertical foundation pressure and lateral bearing pressure given in Table 1806.2 shall be permitted to be increased by one-third where used with the alternative allowable stress design load combinations of Section 1605.2 that include wind or earthquake loads.

1806.2 Presumptive load-bearing values.

The load-bearing values used in design for supporting soils near the surface shall not exceed the values specified in Table 1806.2 unless data to substantiate the use of higher values are submitted and approved. Where the building official has reason to doubt the classification, strength or compressibility of the soil, the requirements of Section 1803.5.2 shall be satisfied.

Presumptive load-bearing values shall apply to materials with similar physical characteristics and dispositions. Mud, organic silt, organic clays, peat or unprepared fill shall not be assumed to have a presumptive load-bearing capacity unless data to substantiate the use of such a value are submitted.

Exception: A presumptive load-bearing capacity shall be permitted to be used where the building official deems the load-bearing capacity of mud, organic silt or unprepared fill is adequate for the support of lightweight or temporary structures.

1806.3 Lateral load resistance.

Where the presumptive values of Table 1806.2 are used to determine resistance to lateral loads, the calculations shall be in accordance with Sections 1806.3.1 through 1806.3.4.

1806.3.1 Combined resistance. The total resistance to lateral loads shall be permitted to be determined by combining the values derived from the lateral bearing pressure and the lateral sliding resistance specified in Table 1806.2.

1806.3.2 Lateral sliding resistance limit. For clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clayey silt, silt and sandy silt, the lateral sliding resistance shall not exceed one-half the dead load.

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution is a violation of the federal copyright act and the license agreement, and subject to civil and criminal penalties thereunder.

SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS

TABLE 1806.2 PRESUMPTIVE LOAD-BEARING VALUES

CLASS OF MATERIALS VERTICAL
FOUNDATION PRESSURE
(psf)		 LATERAL
BEARING PRESSURE
(psf/ft below natural grade)		 LATERAL SLIDING RESISTANCE
CLASS OF MATERIALS
 VERTICAL
FOUNDATION PRESSURE
(psf)
 LATERAL
BEARING PRESSURE
(psf/ft below natural grade)
 Coefficient of frictiona
 Cohesion (psf)b
1. Crystalline bedrock 12,000 1,200 0.70 —
2. Sedimentary and foliated rock
 4,000 400 0.35 —
3. Sandy gravel and gravel
(GW and GP)		 3,000 200 0.35 —
4. Sand, silty sand, clayey sand, silty
gravel and clayey gravel
(SW, SP, SM, SC, GM and GC)		 2,000 150 0.25 —
5. Clay, sandy clay, silty clay, clayey
silt, silt and sandy silt
(CL, ML, MH and CH)		 1,500 100 — 130

For SI: 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479kPa, 1 pound per square foot per foot = 0.157 kPa/m. a. Coefficient to be multiplied by the dead load. b. Cohesion value to be multiplied by the contact area, as limited by Section 1806.3.2.

1806.3.3 Increase for depth. The lateral bearing pressures specified in Table 1806.2 shall be permitted to be increased by the tabular value for each additional foot (305 mm) of depth to a value that is not greater than 15 times the tabular value.

1806.3.4 Increase for poles. Isolated poles for uses such as flagpoles or signs and poles used to support buildings that are not adversely affected by a 1 /2-inch (12.7 mm) motion at the ground surface due to short-term lateral loads shall be permitted to be designed using lateral bearing pressures equal to two times the tabular values.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Appendix N — REPLICABLE
  6. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED
  7. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  8. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  9. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  10. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  13. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  14. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  15. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  17. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  18. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  19. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  20. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  21. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  22. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  23. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  24. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  25. ▸Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
    Overview
    1. Section 1801
    2. Section 1802
    3. Section 1803
    4. Section 1804
    5. Section 1805
    6. Section 1806
    7. Section 1807
    8. Section 1808
    9. Section 1809
    10. Section 1810
    11. Section 1811
    12. Section 1812
    13. Section 1813
    14. Section 1801A
    15. Section 1802A
    16. Section 1803A
    17. Section 1804A
    18. Section 1805A
    19. Section 1806A
    20. Section 1807A
    21. Section 1808A
    22. Section 1809A
    23. Section 1810A
    24. Section 1811A
    25. Section 1812A
    26. Section 1813A
  26. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  30. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  31. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  32. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  33. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  34. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  35. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  36. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  37. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  38. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  39. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  40. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  41. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  42. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  43. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  44. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  45. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  46. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  47. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  48. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  49. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  50. Appendix H — SIGNS
  51. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  52. Appendix J — GRADING
  53. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  54. Appendix P — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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