Foundation Engineering and Design

ground

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 Typical Geotechnical Project

Geo-Laboratory Design Office

soil properties
~ for testing ~ for design & analysis

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construction site
 Shallow Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for firm soils or light loads

firm
ground

bed rock 4
Shallow Foundations
 Deep Foundations
~ for transferring building loads to underlying ground
~ mostly for weak soils or heavy loads

P
I
L
E
weak soil

bed rock 6
Pile driving rig – Ross River Dam

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Pile driving rig – Ross River Dam

A pile group

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 Deep Foundations

Driven timber piles, Pacific Highway 9

Pier Foundations for Bridges

Millau Viaduct in France (2005)

 Cable-stayed bridge
 Supported on 7 piers, 342 m apart
 Longest pier (336) in the world

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Pier Foundations for Bridges

Millau Viaduct in France (2005) 11

 Retaining Walls
~ for retaining soils from spreading laterally

retaining
wall

Road
Train

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 Reinforced Earth Walls
~ using geofabrics to strengthen the soil

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 Sheet Piles
~ sheets of interlocking-steel or timber driven into
the ground, forming a continuous sheet

warehouse

ship

sheet pile

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 Sheet Piles
~ resist lateral earth pressures
~ used in excavations, waterfront structures, ..

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Sheet Pile At Woolcock St SIMILAR TO
THOSE AT Egyptians Gaza Border!

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 Sheet Piles
~ used in temporary works

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 Cofferdam
~ sheet pile walls enclosing an area, to
prevent water seeping in

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 Cofferdam
~ sheet pile walls enclosing an area, to
prevent water seeping in

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 Shoring
propping and supporting the exposed walls to
resist lateral earth pressures

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Excavations

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 Typical Safety Factors
Type of Design Safety Probability of
Factor Failure

Earthworks 1.3-1.5 1/500

Retaining 1.5-2.0 1/1500

structures
Foundations 2.0-3.0 1/5000

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Some Civil Engineering marvels ….

foundations soil
exploration

tunneling

… buried right under your feet. 24

Great Contributors to the Developments
in Geotechnical Engineering
Karl Terzaghi C.A.Coulomb M. Rankine
1883-1963 1736-1806 1820-1872
Geotechnical Engineering Landmarks
 Leaning Tower of Pisa
Our blunders become monuments!

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FOUNDATION
ENGINEERING

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 Importance & Purpose
 All engineered construction resting on the earth must be carried by
some kind of interfacing element called a foundation

 Foundation is the part of an engineered system that transmits to, and

into, the underlying soil or rock the loads supported by the foundation
and its self-weight

 The term superstructure is commonly used to describe the engineered

part of the system bringing load to the foundation, or substructure. The
term superstructure has particular significance for buildings and
bridges; however, foundations also may carry only machinery, support
industrial equipment (pipes, towers, tanks), act as sign bases, and the
like.

 The Foundation as that part of the engineered system that interfaces

the load-carrying components to the ground.

 It is evident on the basis of this definition that a foundation is

the most important part of the engineering system.
 Minimum Required For
Designing A Foundation
1. Locate the site and the position of load. A rough estimate
of the foundation load(s) is usually provided by the client
or made in-house. Depending on the site or load system
complexity, a literature survey may be started to see how
others have approached similar problems.

2. Physically inspect the site for any geological or other

evidence that may indicate a potential design problem
that will have to be taken into account when making the
design or giving a design recommendation. Supplement
this inspection with any previously obtained soil data.

3. Establish the field exploration program and, on the basis

of discovery (or what is found in the initial phase), set up
the necessary supplemental field testing and any
laboratory test program.
 Minimum Required For
Designing A Foundation Cont’
4. Determine the necessary soil design parameters based on
integration of test data, scientific principles, and engineering
judgment. Simple or complex computer analyses may be involved.

5. For complex problems, compare the recommended data with

published literature or engage another geotechnical consultant to
give an outside perspective to the results.

6. Design the foundation using the soil parameters from step 4. The
foundation should be economical and be able to be built by the
available construction personnel. Take into account practical
construction tolerances and local construction practices. Interact
closely with all concerned (client, engineers, architect, contractor)
so that the substructure system is not excessively overdesigned and
risk is kept within acceptable levels. A computer may be used
extensively (or not at all) in this step.
 FOUNDATIONS: CLASSIFICATIONS

 Foundations may be classified based on where the

load is carried by the ground, producing:

 Shallow foundations—termed bases, footings,

spread footings, or mats. The depth is generally
D/B < 1 but may be somewhat more.

 Deep foundations—piles, drilled piers, or drilled

caissons. Lp/B > 4+
Foundations: Classifications

Definition of select terms used in foundation engineering

 Other foundations Type

Shallow Foundations Deep Foundations

 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
 Foundation elements must be proportioned both to
interface with the soil at a safe stress level and to limit
settlements to an acceptable amount
 Excessive settlement problems are fairly common and
somewhat concealed
 In summary, a proper design requires the following:
1. Determining the building purpose, probable service-life
loading, type of framing, soil profile, construction methods,
and construction costs
2. Determining the client/owner's needs
3. Making the design, but ensuring that it does not excessively
degrade the environment, and provides a margin of safety
that produces a tolerable risk level to all parties: the public,
the owner, and the engineer
 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
That May Have To Be Taken
Into Account At Specific Sites
1. Depth must be adequate to avoid lateral squeezing of material from
beneath the foundation for footings and mats. Similarly, excavation for
the foundation must take into account that this can happen to existing
building footings on adjacent sites and requires that suitable precautions
be taken. The number of settlement cracks that are found by owners of
existing buildings when excavations for adjacent structures begin is truly
amazing.

2. Depth of foundation must be below the zone of seasonal volume

changes caused by freezing, thawing, and plant growth. Most local
building codes will contain minimum depth requirements.

3. The foundation scheme may have to consider expansive soil conditions.

Here the building tends to capture upward-migrating soil water vapor,
which condenses and saturates the soil in the interior zone, even as
normal perimeter evaporation takes place. The soil in a distressingly
large number of geographic areas tends to swell in the presence of
substantial moisture and carry the foundation up with it.
 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
That May Have To Be Taken
Into Account At Specific Sites
Cont’

4. In addition to compressive strength considerations, the foundation

system must be safe against overturning, sliding, and any uplift
(flotation).

5. System must be protected against corrosion or deterioration due to

harmful materials present in the soil. Safety is a particular concern in
reclaiming sanitary landfills but has application for marine and other
situations where chemical agents that are present can corrode metal
pilings, destroy wood sheeting/piling, cause adverse reactions with
Portland cement in concrete footings or piles, and so forth.

6. Foundation system should be adequate to sustain some later changes

in site or construction geometry and be easily modified should changes
in the superstructure and loading become necessary.
 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
That May Have To Be Taken
Into Account At Specific Sites
Cont’

4. The foundation should be buildable with available

construction personnel. For one-of-akind projects there
may be no previous experience. In this case, it is
necessary that all concerned parties carefully work
together to achieve the desired result.

 The foundation and site development must meet local

environmental standards, including determining if the
building is or has the potential for being contaminated with
hazardous materials from ground contact (for example,
radon or methane gas). Adequate air circulation and
ventilation within the building are the responsibility of the
mechanical engineering group of the design team.
Selection Of Type
Selection Of Type
 Selection Of Type

Where the groundwater table (GWT) is present, it is common to

lower it below the construction zone either permanently or for the
duration of the construction work.

 If the GWT later rises above the footing level, the footing will
be subject to uplift or flotation, which would have to be taken into
account.
Flow Diagram to Select A Foundation
 Recipe for Success

I like Foundation… I like Foundation…I like Foundation

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 Soil Testing

Variety of Field Testing Devices 74