What is bearing capacity of soil?

Bearing capacity is the maximum pressure that soil can support without shear failure. Ultimate bearing capacity is the pressure causing complete failure. Allowable bearing capacity = ultimate/factor of safety (typically 2.5-3.0). It depends on soil type and strength, foundation size and shape, depth of embedment, water table location, and loading conditions. Bearing capacity failure can be general shear (dense soil), local shear (medium soil), or punching shear (loose soil).