Nifas silk polytechnic college

Department of construction
On site building construction

prepared by:- abayneh h.

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TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS
& THEIR SELECTION

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 INTRODUCTION TO FOUNDATIONS
Function of a foundation is to transfer the structural loads from a building
safely into the ground.
A backyard tool shed may need only wooden skids to spread its load across
an area of ground surface, whereas a house would need greater stability and
consequently its foundation should reach the underlying soil that is free of
organic matter and unreachable by the winter’s frost.
A larger and heavier building of masonry, steel, or concrete would require its
foundations to go deeper into earth such that the soil or the rock on which it is
founded is competent to carry its massive loads; on some sites, this means
going a hundred feet or more below the surface.
Because of the variety of soil, rock, and water conditions that are encountered
below the surface of the ground and the unique demands that many buildings
make upon the foundations, foundation design is a highly specialized field of
geotechnical engineering.
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 INTRODUCTION …Cont’d
The ultimate support for any structure is provided by the underlying earth or
soil material and, therefore, the stability of the structure depends on it.
Two important factors that are to be considered are
1. The foundation must be stable against shear failure of the supporting soil.
2. The foundation must not settle beyond a tolerable limit to avoid damage to
the structure.
The other factors that require consideration are the location and depth of the
foundation.
In deciding the location and depth, one has to consider erosions due to
flowing water, underground defects such as root holes, cavities, unconsolidated
fills, ground water level, presence of expansive soils etc.

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 SETTLEMENTS OF FOUNDATIONS

NO SETTLEMENT UNIFORM SETTLEMENT DIFFERENTIAL SETTLEMENT

Uniform settlement is usually of little consequence in a building, but differential settlement

can cause severe structural damage.

N.B:EBCS-7 recommends a permissible total settlement of 50 mm & 75 mm on sandy and

clayey soils respectively.
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 TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS
The various types of structural foundations may be grouped into two broad
categories — shallow foundations &
— deep foundations.
According to Terzaghi, a foundation is shallow if its depth is equal to or less
than its width and deep when it exceeds the width.

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CLASSIFICATIONS OF FOUNDATIONS
A-

B-

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 SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS

Shallow foundations transfer the load to soil at the base of the substructure.
Characteristics of shallow foundations: they are cheap and they require
suitable soil.

Advantages:

a) Cost (affordable)
b) Construction Procedure (simple)
c) Material (mostly concrete)
d) Labor (doesn’t need expertise)

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 SPREAD FOOTING

A spread footing foundation is

basically a pad used to ‘‘spread out’’
loads from walls or columns over a
sufficiently large area of foundation soil.
A spread footing required to support a
wall is known as a continuous, wall, or
strip footing, while that required to
support a column is known as an
individual or an isolated footing.

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 COMBINED FOOTINGS
A combined footing supports two or more columns in a row when the
areas required for individual footings are such that they come very near
each other.
They are also preferred in situations of limited space on one side
owing to the existence of the boundary line of private property.
The plan shape of the footing may be rectangular or trapezoidal; the
footing will then be called ‘rectangular combined footing’ or ‘trapezoidal
combined footing’, as the case may be.

Combined Rectangular Footing Combined Trapezoidal Footing

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 STRAP FOOTING
It is also called a ‘cantilever footing’.
A ‘strap footing’ comprises two or more footings connected by a
beam called ‘strap’.
It may be required when the footing of an exterior column cannot
extend into an adjoining private property.

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 RAFT FOUNDATIONS (MATS)
A raft or mat foundation is a large footing, usually supporting walls
as well as several columns in two or more rows.
This is adopted when individual column footings would tend to be
too close or tend to overlap.
Further, this is considered suitable when differential settlements
arising out of footings on weak soils are to be minimized.

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 Mat Foundation often considered to be used when
dealing with the following conditions:
(a) The structural loads are so high or the soil condition so poor that spread
footings would be exceptionally large. As a general rule of thumb, if spread
footings would cover more than 50% of the building footprint area, a mat or
some type of deep foundation will usually be more economical.

(b) The soil is very erratic & prone to excessive differential settlements. The
structure continuity and flexural strength of a mat will bridge over these
irregularities. The same is true of mats on highly expansive soils prone to
differential heaves.

(c)The structural loads are erratic and thus increase the likelihood of excessive
differential settlements. Again, the structural continuity and flexural strength of
the mat will absorb these irregularities.
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 Mat Foundation …. Cont’d

d) The lateral loads are not uniformly distributed through the structure and thus
may cause differential horizontal movements in spread footings and pile caps.
The continuity of a mat will resist such movement.

e)The uplift loads are larger than spread footings can accommodate. The
greater weight and continuity of a mat may provide sufficient resistance.

f) The bottom of the structure is located below the groundwater table, so

waterproofing is an important concern. Because mats are monolithic, they are
much easier to waterproof. The weight of the mat also helps resist hydrostatic
uplift forces from the groundwater.

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 PILE FOUNDATIONS
A slender, structural member consisting steel or concrete or timber.
 It is installed in the ground to transfer the structural loads to soils at some
significant depth below the base of the structure.

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 Pile foundations are used when:

The soil near the surface doesn’t have sufficient bearing capacity
(weak) to support the structural loads.
 The estimated settlement of the soil exceeds tolerable limits
 Differential settlement due to soil variability or non-uniform
structural loads is excessive
 Excavations to construct a shallow foundation on a firm soil are
difficult or expensive.

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 PILE MATERIAL
 Steel; H- piles, Steel pipe
 Concrete; Site cast or Precast
 Wood; Timber
 Composite
 LOAD CAN BE TRANSFERRED BY PILE
TO THE GROUND BY 2 WAYS VIZ.,

a) End Bearing Piles &

- Pile will transmit load into the firm soil layer of
the ground such as rock, gravel, very dense
sand

b) Friction Piles
- Pile transmit the load from the structure to the
penetrable soil by means of skin friction or
cohesion between the soil & the embedded
surface of the pile.
 PIER FOUNDATIONS

Pier foundations are somewhat similar to pile

foundations but are typically larger in area than
piles.
An opening is drilled to the desired depth and
concrete is poured to make a pier foundation.
Much distinction is now being lost between the pile
foundation and pier foundation, adjectives such as
‘driven’, ‘bored’, or ‘drilled’, and ‘precast’ and ‘cast-
in-situ’, being used to indicate the method of
installation and construction.
Usually, pier foundations are used for bridges.

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 CAISSONS (WELLS)
It’s a prefabricated hollow box or
cylinder.
 It is sunk into the ground to some
desired depth and then filled with
concrete thus forming a foundation.
 Most often used in the construction of
bridge piers & other structures that
require foundation beneath rivers &
other bodies of water.
Used when soil of adequate bearing
strength is found below surface layers of
weak materials such as fill or peat.

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CAISSONS (WELLS)

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 FLOATING FOUNDATION
The floating foundation is a special type
of foundation construction useful in
locations where deep deposits of
compressible cohesive soils exist and
the use of piles is impractical.
This foundation is installed at such a
depth that the total weight of the soil
excavated for the rigid box equals the
total weight of the planned structure.
This is the principle of a floating
foundation, an exact balance of weight
removed against weight imposed. The result
is zero settlement of the building.
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 SELECTION OF FOUNDATION TYPES

The type of foundation most appropriate for a given structure

depends upon several factors:

Primary Factors Affecting Foundation Choice

 Subsurface soil

 Ground water conditions

 Structural requirements

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Secondary Factors Affecting Foundation Choice

 Construction access, methods & site conditions

 Environmental factors
 Building Codes & Regulations
 Impact on surrounding structures
 Construction schedule
 Construction risks
 SOIL TYPES

The make up of the soil has a major influence on the choice of

foundation.

A good soil type needs to be able to cope with loadings.

A good soil needs to drain water well.

A poor soil type will shrink, swell or move depending on the loads
or conditions placed upon it.

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 SOIL TYPES ... Cont’d

1-CLAY
composed of rock particles ground extremely fine or reduced by weathering.
soils normally contain water.
drains slowly and compresses when foundations are placed upon them.
has a tendency to absorb water and swell.

2-SILT
found in flood plains or around lakes.
holds water well and is soft when wet.
not a very good foundation material unless it has been compressed and
hardened, or has been dried out.
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 SOIL TYPES ... Cont’d
3-SAND
usually considered favourable from the standpoint of foundation support.
can be a problem though usually due to water.
Water raising through a sand deposit can create an unstable condition.
can hold water.

4-GRAVEL
can be well compacted and allows water to drain freely.
do not hold water.
the variety in particle sizes in gravel means that even when closely packed it
still contains voids and drains well.
least likely to be affected by drying out.

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 LOADS
The various loads that are likely to be considered are
(i) dead loads,
(ii) live loads,
(iii) wind and earthquake forces,
(iv) lateral pressures exerted by the foundation earth on the embedded
structural elements, and
(v) the effects of dynamic loads.

In addition to the above loads, the loads that are due to the subsoil
conditions are also required to be considered. They are
(i) lateral or uplift forces on the foundation elements due to high water table,
(ii) swelling pressures on the foundations in expansive soils,
(iii) heave pressures on foundations in areas subjected to frost heave &
(iv) negative frictional drag on piles where pile foundations are used in
highly compressible soils.
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 DEPTH AND LOCATION OF FOUNDATION
 Depth and location of foundation depends on

1. Zone of significant volume changes in soil.

2. Ground water
3. Underground defects
4. Adjacent structures and property lines.
 DEPTH AND LOCATION OF FOUNDATION …Cont’d
Zone of significant volume changes in soil
oClays having high plasticity shrink and swell considerably up on drying and wetting
respectively.

oVolume change is greatest near ground. Decreases with increasing depth. Volume
changes usually insignificant below a depth from 1.5-3.0 m and does not occur below
volume changes.

Ground water
oPresence of water reduces soil bearing capacity, larger footing size more cost.
During construction pumping is necessary – adds to the cost of construction.

Underground defects

oFooting location affected by underground defects faults, caves, mines, sewer lines ,
underground cables and utilities.
 DEPTH AND LOCATION OF FOUNDATION …Cont’d
Adjacent structures and property lines:

Part extending Structures may be damaged by the construction of new

Property line foundations, as a result of vibrations, undermining by
property line
excavation or lowering of the water table. After new
foundations have been constructed, the (new) loads they
place on the soil may cause settlement of previously existing
structures as a result of new stress pattern in the
surrounding soil.

New Footing
In general, deeper the foundations and
closer to the old structure, greater will be the 450 Existing
potential for damage to old structures. Limit for bottom of Footing
deeper Footing
 STEPS IN THE CHOICE OF FOUNDATION TYPES

1. Information regarding the nature of the superstructure and the probable

loading is required, at least in a general way.
2. The approximate subsurface conditions or soil profile is to be ascertained.
3. Each of the customary types of foundation is considered briefly to judge
whether it is suitable under the existing conditions from the point of view of
the criteria for stability—bearing capacity and settlement.
4. More detailed studies, including tentative designs, of the more promising
types are made in the next phase.
5. Final selection of the type of foundation is made based on the cost—the
most acceptable compromise between cost and performance.

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 SUMMMARY

Besides the two well known criteria for stability of foundations—

bearing capacity and settlement—the depth at which the
foundation is to be placed, is another important aspect as
mentioned earlier.
For small loading on good soils, spread footings could be
selected. For columns, individual footings are chosen unless they
come too close to one another, in which case, combined footings
are used.
For a series of closely spaced columns or walls, continuous
footings are the obvious choice.

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 SUMMMARY …. Cont’d

When the footings for rows of columns come too close to one
another, a raft foundation will be the obvious choice. In fact, when
the area of all the footings appears to be more than 50 per cent of
the area of the structure in plan, a raft should be considered.
In case a shallow foundation does not answer the problem on
hand, in spite of choosing a reasonable depth for the foundation,
some type of deep foundation may be required.
A pier foundation is justified in the case of very heavy loading as
in bridges. Piles, in effect, are slender piers, which are used to
bypass weak strata and transmit loading to hard strata below. As
an alternative to raft foundation, the economics of bored piles is
considered.
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 EXAMPLE 2.1
 Certain guidelines are given in next table with regard to the selection
of the type of foundation based on soil conditions at a site.
 For the design comments it is assumed that a multi-storey
commercial structure, such as an office building, is to be constructed.

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 BURJ
KHALIFA

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Thank you!!!

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