WELL FOUNDATION - METHODOLOGY

1. CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY FOR WELL FOUNDATION

1.1 Setting Out

Necessary references points shall be fixed, away from the zone of blow – ups or
possible settlement resulting from well sinking operations. Such reference points shall
be connected to the permanent total stations with the base lines on the banks.
Reference points shall also be fixed to mark X-X axis (usually along the traffic direction)
& Y-Y axis. A temporary bench mark is normally established near the well, away from
the zones of blow ups or possible settlement.

1.2 Island, coffer dams & Barge operations.

Formation of protected island by constructing a coffer dam is carried out. The material
to be used for construction of coffer dams shall be as per the design.
The material shall be either, MS Steel shell or sheet piles of required size fabricated
at the centralized yard.
Sand shall be filled into the cofferdam by grab or manually, the minimum working
space shall be 2m.

Barge operations: To tackle the well foundations work in foundations, deployment of

floating barge shall be required to approach for transportation of material &
machineries to well foundations.

1.3 Cutting Edge.

MATERIAL REQUIRNMENTS (MAY VARY ACCORDING TO THE DRAWINGS)

Sr. No. Description Location used

1 Angles 150 X150 X 16 Outer tee
2 Angles 75 X 75 X 8 Brackets
3 MS plate 20 mm Cutting edge plate
4 MS plate 12 mm Bent plate & stiffeners
5 MS plate 10 mm Skin plate

TOOLS & PLANTS FOR CUTTING EDGE FABRICATION

Sr No. Tools Required Purpose

1 Rolling machine For bending
2 Hydraulic Jacks For bending
3 Drilling machine Drilling purpose
 4 Electrical welding machine Required for welding
5 Pug cutting machine For curving the plate in desired
curvature & cutting
6 Hand grinding machine/Table
mounted wheel grinder

Fabrication:

Preparation of back angles:-

 Layout of cutting edge is marked on working platform.
 Angle sections are cut of required length.
 A pair of angles shall be placed together back to back & shall be bend to the
required radius by hydraulic press on bending platform.

Preparation of MS plates:-

 The required width & length of the plate as per drawing shall be marked & cut
using pug cutting machine
 Plate shall be bend to required radius.
 The same shall be checked with curvature template &corrected if required.

Preparation of Brackets:-
 Layout of brackets is marked on working platform.
 Angle sections are cut of required size.

Assembly:-
 The primary function of the cutting edge is to cut the soil strata beneath the ground
level & facilitate the sinking operation of the well, to the desired founding level.
 The cutting edge is fabricated at the fabricated yard & consist of back to back angles
welding with the MS plates on the outer periphery of the angles. The angles of size
150x150x16 mm are procured from a groove manufacturers.
 The root of the angles is grounded to provide the “V” cut & is checked with
template & welding is then carried out. The back to back welded angles are bent,
using a hydraulic press to get the required curvature. Before the final assembly of
the angle, grooves are drilled into the angle face, to receive the bond bars.
 The pieces of the cutting edge are then assembles on the platform & joints are
welded to make it an integral unit.
 Stiffeners are then provided as per the design for rigidity & strength. Before the
placement of cutting edge at site, the ground is leveled & the center point is
 established, with respect to the references. The cutting edge are arranged on the
Sheet piles.

1.4 Well curb

Placement of Cutting Edge:-

 Accurate survey shall be carried out by Total Station for fixing the well locations.
 Permanent reference pillars are to be provided at the four sides i.e. along & across
center Line Bridge.
 The ground is levelled by removing the top loose & compacted & rescued levels are
recorded jointly with the engineer’s representatives.
 The fabricated cutting edge is lifted to site by truck or trailer.
 Wooden sleepers are placed at interval of 1.5 m along the circumference of cutting
edge.
Formwork & Rebar fixing:-
Inner formwork

 Inner form panels are first cleaned & standard form releasing agent is applied.
 To make the shutter joints leak proof, suitable foam sheets between shuttering joints
are used to seal.
 Inner formwork shall be erected & all form panels shall be joined to form the true
shape as per the concrete profile.

Rebar Fixing
 The cage is made according to the designed specified.
 Adequate cover of 75mm is provided along the formwork periphery.

Other important related points

 The well curb is supported by brackets which rest on the ground.

 After this reinforcement bars are fixed according to the design.
 The outer form of the well curb is fixed.
 Concreting is done using concrete pumps & transit mixers. The concrete is laid out at
the rate of 0.75 m/hr. in layers.
 50 mm needle vibrators are used for compacting the concrete.
 The outer form is removed after 24 hours after the concreting is done followed by
hessian laying & continuous curing.
 The inner form is removed 72 hours after the concreting.
 Now the dredging inside the well curb is carried out manually.

1.5 Well staining

 When the well curb is partially sunk into the ground, the well staining activity begins.
 Its build in the lifts of 2.5 meters & sunk into the ground.
 For casting the staining, the inner form made of steel, is positioned & aligned vertically.
The reinforcement is fixed as per the drawing. Followed by covering of outer form
work.
 Concreting is then done in the clock wise directions in the layers.
 After 24 hours of curing, De - shuttering is done.
 Gauge markings is provided.

1.6 Well sinking

 Wells are sunk into the ground by their own weight.

 The soil underneath the cutting edge is removed by dredging using a grab.
 This activity is carried out till the wells are sunken to the desired level.
 The soil in soft strata can be removed only by grabbing, but in hard strata chiseling &
loosening is done inside the dredge hole.
 After the well is sunk to the desired level, the cycle of concreting & dredging is again
repeated till the well reaches the agreed founding level.

1.7 Corrections

 Readings are taken during sinking, on the gauge marks, to measure any shits or tilts.
 If noticed, is corrected by eccentric dredging or by placing eccentric knetledge loads.

1.8 Bottom Plug

 After the well is sunk to the required depth, the base of the well is plugged with
concrete. This is called the bottom plug.
 It acts like an inverted dome supported by the staining on all the sides and transmits
the load to the subsoil and acts as a raft against soil pressure from below.
 Minimum grade of concrete used in bottom plug is M15.

1.9 Top plug

  The top plug is an unreinforced concrete plug, generally provided with a thickness of
about 600 mm beneath the well cap to transmit the loads from the pier to the
staining.
 Minimum grade of concrete used in top plug is M15.
 The space inside the well between the bottom of the top plug and the top of bottom
plug is usually filled with clean sand, so that the stability of the well against
overturning is increased.

Note: - If “N” Value is greater than 80, sinking process will be effected at actual

TIME CYCLE REQUIRED

Sr. No Particulars Duration (Days)
A Well curb Casting
1 Ground preparation for cutting edge placing 1
2 Fabricated cutting edge placing 1
3 Cutting edge welding 5
4 Well curb inside shuttering/staging 2
5 Vertical bars fixing – welding etc. 2
6 Binders/links fixing 1
7 Outside shuttering fixing 2
8 Checking & concreting 2
9 De-shuttering 1
Total Duration 17
B Well sinking 1m/day, so 4m lift 4
C Well steining lift 2.5m
1 Reinforcement fixing 2
2 Inner & outer shuttering 3
3 Checking & concreting 2
4 De-Shuttering & sinking 2
Total Duration 9
D Bottom plug, sand filling & well cap
1 Cleaning, checking for bottom plug 1
2 Bottom plugging 1
3 Sand filling 4
4 Top plugging 3
 5 Reinforcement for well cap 3
6 Outer shuttering for well cap 2
7 Checking & concreting 1
8 De-shuttering 1
Total Duration 14

PLANTS & EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED FOR WELL FOUNDATION

Sr. No Plant description Capacity No Remarks
required
1 Vibro Hammer - 1 For sheet pile installation
815
2 Crawler crane 75 T 2 For well sinking & shifting
purposes
3 Shell grab 0.5-0.9 cum 2 For well excavation
4 Diesel generator 82.5 kVA 1 For power supply
5 Welding machine - 4 For cutting edges,
fabrication, shuttering,
staging etc.
6 Batching plant 18 cum/hr. 2 Concreting process
7 Concrete pump 2
8 Transit mixer 6 cum capacity 4 6 cum
9 Total station - 1 For survey
10 Auto level - 1 For leveling work
machine
11 JCB - 2 For handling well
12 Vibrators Electrical, needle 5 For concreting
& shuttering
vibrators
TYPICAL DRAWING (WELL SINKING)