Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering Assignment

DIFFERENT METHODS OF DEEP FOUNDATION DESIGN

Deep foundation means a foundation unit that provides support when constructing a building by
transferring loads either to a soil or rock at considerable depth below the building. Deep
foundations are generally needed where the axial compression, axial tension, lateral load demand
or a combination of the above cannot be satisfied by the near surface soil conditions. As stated by
Rollins and Brown “deep foundations should not be used indiscriminately for all subsurface
conditions and for all structures. There are subsurface conditions where a driven pile, drilled shaft,
micro pile or CFA pile may be very difficult or costly to install. Ground improvement techniques
can also be used with deep foundations as an economical means to improve lateral resistance in
weak surficial soils”

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TYPES OF DEEP FOUNDATION

Above mentioned types of deep foundations developed by engineers and contractors that each of
them best suited to certain loadings and different soil conditions. Each of these foundation types
have difficulty levels when installing them and the cost for each also vary from one another.
Pile Foundation

A pile is basically a long cylinder of a strong material such as concrete that is pushed into the
ground to act as a steady support for structures built on top of it.
Pile foundations are used in the following situations:
 When there is a layer of weak soil at the surface. This layer cannot support the weight of
the building, so the loads of the building have to bypass this layer and be transferred to the
layer of stronger soil or rock that is below the weak layer.
 When a building has very heavy, concentrated loads, such as in a high rise structure, bridge,
or water tank.
Pile foundations are capable of taking higher loads than spread footings.
Piles can be made of wood, concrete, or steel.

Drilled Shafts Foundation

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A drilled shaft, also known as drilled pier, drilled caisson, caisson, bored pile, etc., is a versatile
foundation system that is used extensively on a worldwide basis. In its simplest form, a drilled
shaft is constructed by making a cylindrical excavation, placing a reinforcing cage (when
necessary), and then concreting the excavation. With available drilling equipment, shaft diameters
up to 20 ft. (6 m) and depths exceeding 250ft (76 m) are possible. However, for most normal
applications, diameters in the range of 3 to 10 ft. (1 to 3 m) are typical. This size versatility allows
a single drilled shaft to be used in place of a driven pile group and eliminates the need for a pile
cap. In addition, normal construction practices for drilled shafts effectively eliminate the noise and
strong ground vibrations that develop during pile driving operations. For these and other secondary
reasons, drilled shafts have become both the technical and economic foundation of choice for many
design applications. In fact, they have become the dominant foundation type in many geologic
settings around the world.

Apart from that there are many advantages of using drilled shaft in constructions. The cost of
mobilizing and demobilizing a drill rig are often much less than those for a pile driver. At the same
time, engineers can observe and classify the soils excavated during drilling and compare them with
the anticipated soil conditions. On the other hand, they support each column with one large shaft
instead of several piles thus eliminating the need for a pile cap.

Caissons (Pier) Foundation

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hollow box or cylinder sunk into the ground to some desired depth and then filled with concrete
thus forming a foundation. Caisson foundation is most often used in the construction of bridge
piers & other structures that require foundation beneath rivers & other bodies of water. This is
because caissons can be floated to the job site and sunk into place. Caisson foundations are similar
in form to pile foundations, but are installed using a different method. It is used when soil of
adequate bearing strength is found below surface layers of weak materials such as fill or peat. It is
a form of deep foundation which are constructed above ground level, then sunk to the required
level by excavating or dredging material from within the caisson. Caissons (also sometimes called
“piers”) are created by auguring a deep hole into the ground, and then filling it with concrete. Steel
reinforcement is sometimes utilized for a portion of the length of the caisson.
Caissons foundation is minimizing the usage of the pile caps and it is slightly less noise and has a
reduced vibration. On one hand it is cost effective and easily adaptable to varying site conditions.
But at the same time, it is extremely sensitive to construction procedures and not good for
contaminated sites.

Mandrel Driven thin shells filled with Concrete

Mandrel-driven piles are thin, corrugated steel shells driven in the ground with a mandrel and then
filled with concrete. Such piles can provide up to a 200-kip capacity. The disadvantages are that
such piles usually require patented, franchised systems for installation and installation is not as
simple as for steel or precast concrete piles. They offer the advantage of lesser steel costs since
thinner material can be used than is the case for top-driven piles. The heavy mandrel makes high
capacities possible.
Mandrel-driven piles may be very difficult to increase in length since the maximum pile length
that can be driven is limited by the length of the mandrel available at the site. Contractors may
claim extra costs if required to bring a longer mandrel to the site.

Auger Cast Piles

Auger cast piles are a type of drilled foundation in which the pile is drilled to the final depth in
one continuous process using a continuous flight auger.

Auger cast piles are smaller diameter, cast-in-place deep foundation elements. They can vary in
diameter from 12 to 48 inches and are most efficient in granular or in cohesive soil and/or high
water tables. Auger cast piles can be installed quickly with minimal disturbance in noise and
vibration. They can be designed as end-bearing, friction or a combination of both depending on
the soil properties and proximity to rock.

Auger cast piles are installed by rotating a hollow stem, continuous flight auger into the earth to
the designed depth. Structural grout is then pumped through the hollow stem as the auger is slowly
withdrawn. Once the hole is pumped full of grout, reinforcement can be placed.

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Pressure Injected Footings

The pressure-injected footing (PIF), also known as Franki Piling System was developed by Belgian
Engineer Edgard Frankignoul in 1909. This can develop significant uplift capacity in cohesion less
soils. This high capacity is developed mainly by the unique shape of the PIF and the soil
compaction effect caused by the installation process.

Franki piles can be used as high-capacity deep foundation elements without the necessity of
excavation or dewatering. They are useful in conditions where a sufficient bearing soil can only
be reached deeper in the ground and are best suited to granular soil where bearing is primarily
achieved from the densification of the soil around the base. They are not recommended for use in
cohesive soils where compaction of the base is not possible. The Franki piling system is the
quietest of the driven cast-in-place systems, and so is used in conditions where high noise levels
could cause environmental problems.

Anchors

Anchors primarily used to resist the uplift loads. The unique feature of anchors is

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 These are specifically designed to resist the uplift loads for a lower cost.
 Light weight structures are often requiring anchors because the lateral wind and the earth
quake loads on the structure often produce uplift loads on some of the foundations.
 Apart from installing anchors vertically, they can be placed even horizontally in order to
provide lateral support to earth retaining structures.

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Reference:

https://www.academia.edu/37803119/Foundation_Design_and_Deep_Foundation?auto=downloa
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