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Foundation Design Word

Foundation design is a specialized task usually performed by structural engineers. It requires examining factors like soil bearing capacity, type of soil, frost depth, and water table. The engineer selects the best foundation depth and material, such as brick, masonry, or concrete, to uniformly transfer structural loads to the soil. Proper foundation design ensures loads are evenly distributed, do not exceed soil bearing capacity, and control settlements to avoid damage to the structure. A mat foundation is considered the most secure as it acts as a uniform slab without gaps that can cause differential settling.

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161 views

Foundation Design Word

Foundation design is a specialized task usually performed by structural engineers. It requires examining factors like soil bearing capacity, type of soil, frost depth, and water table. The engineer selects the best foundation depth and material, such as brick, masonry, or concrete, to uniformly transfer structural loads to the soil. Proper foundation design ensures loads are evenly distributed, do not exceed soil bearing capacity, and control settlements to avoid damage to the structure. A mat foundation is considered the most secure as it acts as a uniform slab without gaps that can cause differential settling.

Uploaded by

yunittala
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Foundation Design

Being able to complete a foundation design is a highly specialized function and usually is
performed by a structural engineer. It requires study and examination of multiple
components, and it is the main structure of any building, since it is the base of it.

Foundation Depths

The required depth of the foundation will depend on several factors like:

1. Soil bearing capacity. How much load the existing soil can withstand.

2. Type of soil. This depth will vary depending on the type of soil beneath the structure.

3. Depth of frost penetration in case of fine sand and silt.

4. Height of ground water table. This will usually be reported on the soil study.

5. The minimum depth should not be less than 18 inches to allow removal of top soil and
variations in ground level. However, depending on the structure, the engineer will select the
best depth.

Foundation Material

The foundation is usually built in brick work, masonry or concrete under the base of a wall or
column. This will enable to transfer the load to the soil in a uniform manner and allow the
transition from the structure to the soil. It will depend on the recommendation by the
structural engineer. He will select the location, width and depth of every foundation in the
structure. For smaller and lightweight structures, the design will be different depending on
the material and location of the structure.

Usually dry and uniform graded dense materials should have maximum shear resistance
and maximum bearing capacity. In general submerged soil and clay have fewer bearing
capacities, reducing the capacity to handle loads imposed by the structure.

Foundation Design Precaution

The foundation will be designed in a way that loads will be transferred uniformly to the
contact surface.

It should be designed to transmit the sum of dead load, live load and wind load to the ground.
The net loading capacity coming into the soil should not exceed the bearing capacity of the
soil. Settlements expected from the building will be design in such way that they will be
controlled and uniform for the complete structure to avoid damages to the structure. Whole
design of the foundation, super structure and characteristics of the ground should be studied
to obtain benefits during construction work.

Recommended Foundation to Avoid Cracks


There are several types of foundation use in the construction industry. The most secure one
is the mat foundation. A mat foundation is a uniform slab acting as the footing for the
building. It is thought as the most secure, because there is no gap to allow for differential
settlements and will act as a mat for the whole building. Sometimes due to economic reasons,
types of buildings and space limitations is not used and then substituted by other types of
foundations.

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