Types of foundations and their construction
practices for normal and adverse site
conditions.
Necessity of foundations
Necessity of foundations
Shallow foundations are those
where the depth by breadth
ratio is less than or equal to 2
When this ratio exceeds 2 you
can say its deep foundations
Types of foundations
The main components of the foundation are the pile cap and the piles.
Piles are long and slender members which transfer the load to deeper soil or
rock of high bearing capacity avoiding shallow soil of low bearing capacity The
main types of materials used for piles are Wood, steel and concrete.
Following are the situations when using a pile
foundation system can be used
•When the groundwater table is high.
•Heavy and non-uniform loads from superstructure are
imposed.
•Other types of foundations are costlier or not feasible.
•When the soil at shallow depth is compressible.
•When there is the possibility of scouring, due to its
location near the river bed or seashore, etc.
•When there is a canal or deep drainage systems near the
structure.
•When soil excavation is not possible up to the desired
depth due to poor soil condition.
•When it becomes impossible to keep the foundation
trenches dry by pumping or by any other measure due to
heavy inflow of seepage.
What is pier foundation?
➢ Pier foundation:- A pier is a vertical column of a relatively larger cross-section
than a pile. A pier is installed in a dry area by excavating a cylindrical hole of a
large diameter to the desired depth and then backfilling it with concrete.
➢ A distinction between a cast-in-situ pile and a pier is rather arbitrary. A cast-in-
situ pile greater than 0.6 m diameter has generally termed a pier.
➢ The difference between the pile foundation and pier foundation lies in the
method of construction. Though pile foundations transfer the load through
friction and bearing, pier foundations transfer the load only through the bearing.
➢ Generally, the pier foundation is shallower in-depth than the pile foundation. Pier
foundation is preferred in a location where the top strata consist of decomposed
rock overlying strata of sound rocks. In such a condition, it becomes difficult to
drive the bearing piles through decomposed rock.
➢ In the case of stiff clays, which offer large resistance to the driving of a bearing
pile, a pier foundation can be conveniently constructed.
ADVANTAGES OF PIER FOUNDATION:
• The pier foundation saves money and time because it does not require extensive excavation and
much concrete which causes minimal disruption to the soil environment.
• The space between the house and the ground is sufficient to install utilities such as plumbing and
electrical wiring between them.
• It is comfortable for walking on the floor, which does not rest on a solid surface and it is good for
those who have stiffness and back pain.
• Inspection is possible because the diameter of the shaft is large.
• Workers can easily find the space between the house and the ground to solve issues related to
plumbing and electrical as there is enough space to crawl.
• Ground vibration that is normally associated with driven piles is absent in the case of drilled pier
construction.
• Bearing capacity can be increased by under-reaming the bottom (in non-caching material).
DISADVANTAGES PIER FOUNDATIONS:
• The installation of drilled piers requires careful supervision and quality control of all materials
used in construction.
• The method is bulky so adequate storage space is required for all materials used in construction.
• The construction of piers in a heavy flow of groundwater due to the pressure of the artesian is
very difficult.
