There are several different methods used to evaluate eccentrically loaded footings. Because an
eccentrically loaded footing will create a higher bearing pressure under one side as compared to the
opposite side, one approach is to evaluate the actual pressure distribution beneath the footing. The
usual procedure is to assume a rigid footing (hence linear pressure distribution) and use the section
modulus (1/6 B2) in order to calculate the largest and lowest bearing pressure. For a footing having a
width B, the largest (q′) and lowest (q′′) bearing pressures are as follows: