Foundation Engineering–I [GE-502]

MSc Geotechnical Engineering

Lecture # 1
5-Apr-2018

by
Dr. Muhammad Irfan
Assistant Professor
Civil Engg. Dept. – UET Lahore
Email: mirfan1@msn.com
Lecture Handouts: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/foundation-i-fall-2017
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SUGGESTED REFERENCE BOOKS
1- Foundation Analysis and Design
(Joseph E. Bowles)

2- Principles of Foundation Engineering

(Braja M. Das)

3- An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering

(Robert D. Holtz & William D. Kovacs)

4- Foundation Design: Principles & Practices

(Donald P. Coduto)

5- Soil Mechanics
(T. William Lamb & Robert V. Whitmann)
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FOUNDATION TYPES
1. Shallow Foundations Focus of this course
a. D/B ≤ 1 (Terzaghi, 1943); later researchers said D/B
can be up to 3-4.
b. Depth generally less than 3m
2. Deep Foundations

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TYPES OF FOUNDATION FAILURE
1. Due to excessive settlement Focus of our discussions

2. Due to shear failure in soil

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Sendai, Japan
(October, 2011)

5
Sendai, Japan
(October, 2011)

Sendai, Japan
(October, 2011)

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 SOIL SETTLEMENT
From decayed fortunes every flatter shrinks,
Men cease to build where the foundation sinks

Pisa Tower, Italy

The total vertical downward deformation at the surface resulting from the
applied load is called settlement. 7
 TYPES OF SOIL SETTLEMENT
(A) Types w.r.t. Permanence

(i) Permanent/Irreversible Settlement

 Caused by sliding/rolling of soil
particles under applied stress
 Reduction of void ratio
 Crushing of soil particles
 Consolidation settlement

(ii) Temporary Settlement

 Settlement due to elastic
compression of soil
 Generally very small in soils

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 TYPES OF SOIL SETTLEMENT
(B) Types w.r.t. Uniformity
(i) Uniform Settlement
 All the points settle by equal
amount
 Generally occur under rigid
foundations loaded with uniform
pressure and resting over uniform
soil
 Minimal risk to structural stability
 Risk to serviceability (eg. utility
lines, etc.)

(ii) Differential Settlement

 Different parts of the structure settle
by different magnitude 9
TYPES OF SOIL SETTLEMENT
(C) Types w.r.t. Mode of Occurrence
(i) Immediate/Elastic Settlement:
 Caused by elastic deformation of dry/moist/saturated soil
 No change in moisture content
 Occurs immediately after construction
 Computed using elasticity theory
 Important for Granular soils

(ii) Primary Consolidation Settlement:

 Due to expulsion of water from the soil mass
 Dissipation of pore pressure => Increase in effective stresses
 Important for Inorganic clays

(iii) Secondary Consolidation Settlement:

 Volume change due to rearrangement of particles
 Occurs at constant effective stress (i.e. no drainage)
 Important for Organic soils
 Similar to creep in concrete 10
CAUSES OF SOIL SETTLEMENT
CHANGES IN STRESS due to;
1. Applied structural load
i. Excavations
ii. Movement of ground water table
iii. Machine vibrations
iv. Earthquakes
2. Desiccation due to surface drying and/or plant life
3. Changes due to structure of soil (secondary
compression)
4. Mining subsidence
5. Swelling and shrinkage
6. Landslides
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MAGNITUDE OF SETTLEMENT
CALCULATION

Consolidation Settlement

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SETTLEMENT CRITERIA
Settlement most often governs the design as allowable
settlement exceeds before qshear exceeds.

Damage level associated with foundation settlement

 Architectural damage – cracks in walls, partitions,
etc.
 Functional damage – impairment of structural
functionality  Serviceability Limit State
 Structural damage – reduced strength of structural
members  Stress limit state

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 SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(A) Rational Design Approach

Problems?
 Expensive analysis
 Limited accuracy in all predictions especially settlements &
differential settlement
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 SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
 Based upon performance analysis of many structures
 Provide guidelines for maximum settlement and rotation

 Smax = maximum settlement

 δ = ∆s = differential settlement (between any two points)
𝛿𝛿
 = tan 𝛽𝛽 = 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷/𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅
𝑙𝑙
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 SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Rotation/Angular Distortion Thresholds

𝛿𝛿 1
𝑙𝑙
≥
300  Architectural damage
𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
𝛿𝛿 1
≥  Tilting of high structures become visible
𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
250
~ Serviceability Limit State?
𝛿𝛿 1
𝑙𝑙
≥
150  Structural damage likely
𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
~ Stress Limit State?

Practically, serviceability needs to be connected to the functionality of the

building and the tolerable limit
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SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Rotation/Angular Distortion Thresholds

(Lamb & Whitmann;

Fig. 14.8)

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SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Maximum Settlement (Smax) Thresholds
Maximum settlements leading to differential settlements.

 Masonry structures  1” – 2”
 Framed structures  2” – 4”
 Silos, mats  3” – 12”

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 SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Maximum
Settlement (Smax)
Thresholds

(Lamb & Whitmann;

Table 14.1)

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 SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Correlation Between Maximum Settlement (Smax) and Angular
Distortion (δ/l)
Correlation between angular distortion to maximum settlement based upon 95
buildings. Fifty six (56) out of them were damaged. (Grant et al. (1974))
Architectural damage
threshold ~ Serviceability
Limit State

Serviceability thresholds in common engineering practice

 Isolated footings (Square, Strip, etc)  Smax = 1” (25.4 mm)
 Raft/Mat footings  Smax = 2” (50.8 mm)
Empirical Criteria;
Sands  ∆s ≈ 2/3 x Smax
Clays  ∆s ≈ 1/3 x Smax 20
SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach
Correlation Between Maximum Settlement (Smax), Differential
Settlement (δ) and Angular Distortion (δ/l)
Verification by Bjerrum (1963) based upon case studies and experiments

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SETTLEMENT BASED DESIGN
(B) Empirical Design Approach

Can max. differential settlement (δ) be greater than max. total

?
settlement (Smax)

δ Smax

 Possible when one part of the structure heaves while the other
settles
 Common in tanks on sand

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CASE HISTORY

Partition wall

Vertical crack

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 CASE HISTORY

 Uplifting (300 mm) of base slab during monsoon

 Hydrogeological survey using GPR, seismic refraction survey and infiltrometer
testing conducted to reveal the root cause
 Peculiar subsurface profile, and development of excessive hydraulic head below
the tank were the main causes
 Remedial measure: provision of dewatering wells around the tank periphery
Shirode, N. P., Birid, K. C., Gandhi, S. R., Nair, R. (2017). Uplift of an Underground Tank in Northern Malabar Region, India,
Vol. 4, Issue 2, p.134-146. doi: 10.4417/IJGCH-04-02-04 24
 SETTLEMENT TYPES
Time
Settlement

Si  Granular Soils Sc, Sc(s)  Cohesive Soils

Consolidation Theory Empirical Correlations
Elasticity Theory

 Principally, both types of settlements utilize soil compressibility

 Consolidation is however, time dependent
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SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS
- General Principles -
Factors influencing settlement (mathematically)
 Net applied stress - ∆q
 Compressibility of soil - 𝑐𝑐 = 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆⁄𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿
For clays  c = f(t)
i.e. time dependent variation in compressibility

S = ∆q x c x f(B)

Where,
S = settlement [L]
∆q = net load [F/L2]
c = compressibility [L/(F/L2)]
f(B) = size effect [dimensionless]

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SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS
- Soil Compressibility ‘c’ -
S = ∆q x c x f(B)

Determination of soil compressibility “c”

 Lab Tests (consolidation test, triaxial test, etc.)
 Plate load test
 SPT
 CPT, etc.
c is influenced by:
 Width of the footing (B)
 Depth of the footing (Df)
 Location of GWT
 Type of loading – Static or repeated
 Soil type and quality (mainly Modulus)
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SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS
- Net Stress ‘∆q’-
S = ∆q x c x f(B)
Net stress acting on soil layer (whose settlement is to be computed), due to
foundation pressure.

Stress Distribution in Soil with Depth

 Intensity of stress decreases with depth.
 Intensity of stress decreases radially from the point load.

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 SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS
- Vertical Stress Increase in Soil at a Depth -

Theoretical solutions based upon

theory of elasticity assuming load on
infinite, homogenous, isotropic,
elastic half space.

Why Assume?
Homogenous Uniform throughout. Same properties at every point

Isotropic Identical in all directions; invariant w.r.t. direction

Is soil behavior
Elastic Capable of recovering shape elastic?

Half space A body having infinite lateral extents and depth with
loads applied to its horizontal surface
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 SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS
- Vertical Stress Increase in Soil at a Depth -
Use of elastic solutions reasonable?

Is soil behavior
elastic?

‒ We are practically interested in service loads

which are approximately equal to dead loads.
 Design Load = (DL x F.S.) + (LL x F.S.)
 Service load == DL  within elastic zone
‒ Simple and straight forward approach
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SHEAR FAILURE OF FOUNDATION

Shear Failure of Silo Foundation (Tschebotarioff, 1951)

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REFERENCE MATERIAL
Soil Mechanics
T. William Lamb & Robert V. Whitmann
Chapter #14

An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering

Robert D. Holtz & William D. Kovacs
Chapter #10

Grant. R, Christian J., T, and Van Marcke E., H. (1974) “Differential Settlement of
Buildings’’ Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE. 121 (7). pp 521 – 534.

Shirode, N. P., Birid, K. C., Gandhi, S. R., Nair, R. (2017). Uplift of an Underground
Tank in Northern Malabar Region, India, Vol. 4, Issue 2, p.134-146. doi:
10.4417/IJGCH-04-02-04

CONCLUDED
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