If you are providing an isolated spread footing as it appears,
you have to consider the following:
1. Stability Against Overturning:
Factor of Safety Against Overturning = (Resisting Moment)
------------------------
(overturning moment)
should be greater than 1.5. For square or rectangular footings
you should consider the edge of the footing as the axis about
which moments are computed. For circular footings, it is a bit
dicey, and you may consider an axis about 0.7 R from the
centre. (My judgement, no backup!)
2. Factor of Safety against sliding > 1.5
(friction factor) * Weight
F.O.S = ------------------------------
Horizontal force
3. No tension in Foundation (Soil stress)
This is implicit in (1) above for square or rectangular footings.
Not so evident in other shapes (circular, octagonal, hexagonal).
Not mandatory, but good engineering practice, specifically
for foundations governed by wind loads
4.Maximum Soil Stress < Safe bearing capacity * Stress increase
Factor
Stress increase factor for rare event would be given in the
governing code for your project.
Make sure you calculate the weights and wind load properly.
For OTM calculations, weights should be minimum weights
and for stress calculations, include live load. Select appropriate
shape coefficient for wind load computation. The wind
speed/pressure selected should not be below local statutory
requirements.
If the wind in your location is not directional, i.e., it may act
from any direction, an octagonal founation is my preferred
choice. Square footings will have high stresses in diagonal
wind cases, stability against overturning could be difficult to
establish with circular footings.
Hope this helps. These basics will be available in any book
on Foundation design.
M. Hariharan