FOUNDATIONS

WHICH FOUNDATION AND WHY?

Shallow Foundations

Deep Foundations

FOUNDATION DESIGN DECISIONS

On account of the fact that there is no
glory attached to the foundations and that
the sources of success or failure are hidden
deep in the ground, building foundations
have always been treated as step-children
and their acts of revenge for lack of
attention can be very embarrassing
Terzaghi Building Research Congress, London,
1951

FOUNDATION SELECTION: REMEMBER

5 S

Site

Soil

Structure

Safety

Sustainabi
lity

HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THIS?

Codes of Practice
Geotechnical models and geology
Evaluation of geotechnical design
parameters
Choice of appropriate design
methods

MORE THAN BEARING AND

SETTLEMENT

Supervisio
n and
quality
control
Experience
of the
contractor
Influence of
constructio
n method

Performan
ce
Requirem
ents

The choice
of
foundation
Ground
conditions
Ground
water
conditions

SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
Typically 1-3m deep and generally more economical if
competent strata located near the ground surface
Require excavations so generally used when the water table
is at depth
Types:

Mass
footings

Pads

Strips

Rafts

SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS THINGS

TO NOTE
Frost
susceptibility
Expansion of
soils when
frozen due to
formation of ice
Changes in
ground moisture
content leading
to shrinking and
swelling

For UK keep foundation depth at least

450mm below ground level
(BS8004:2015)

seasonal wetting and drying (min depth

of foundation 1000mm
trees (removal will change conditions)
refer to NHBC Standards Chapter 4.2

DEEP FOUNDATIONS - WHEN

Inadequa
te
bearing
capacity

Excessiv
e
settleme
nts

Swelling
or
shrinkag
e clays

Founded
on non
engineeri
ng fill

Need to consider

High
ground
water

DEEP FOUNDATIONS PILE TYPES

Driven or
Bored or
displacement replacement

DEEP FOUNDATIONS DRIVEN PILES

Precast
concrete
piles
(typically
0.3m square)
Steel piles
bearing
capacity (H)
or tubular
piles

Capacities up to
3MN

Capacities up to
8MN

Advantages:

Cheap and
quick to install

Consideratio
ns:

Need to
consider
installation
forces (pile
head damage,
bending in
shaft)

Noise and
vibration issues

Unsuitable for
soils with
boulders

Fixed lengths

Progressively
harder to drive
groups

DEEP FOUNDATIONS MINI PILES

Small
diameter
concrete
piles

generally less
than 0.3m

Upto
approximately
25m depth

Capacities:

up to circa
1000kN

Shaft only no
base

Advantages:

Small rigs less

than 2m high,
ideal for
confined
spaces/poor
access

Economic

Disadvantag
es:

Can take
minimal lateral
load

No of piles
required may be
prohibitive

Used for Tension

Piles (single
reinforcement
bar)

DEEP FOUNDATIONS ROTARY

BORED
Capacities

up to
approximately
25MN

Sizes

0.45 to 2.5m
diameter

Under-reamed (up
to 3x shaft
diameter)

Consideratio
ns:

Need support
fluid (bentonite /
polymer mud)
where drilling
below the water
table (Logistics)

Casings
(temporary or
permanent)

Other
Advantages:

Can reinforce full

depth (tension
and crack control)

Can achieve in
excess of 40m
under right
conditions

Option: Base or
shaft grouted (for
extra capacity)

DEEP FOUNDATIONS CFA PILES

Capacities

upto 7MN

Sizes

upto 0.9m
diameter

Advantages:

Relatively fast
and cheap

No need for
casings or
support fluid

Consideratio
ns:

Reinforcemen
t needs to be
plunged
typically 12m
max

Requires
experienced
drilling crew

Not able to
check base
cleanness

THINK ABOUT

MORE THAN EQUATIONS

loading

ground and
groundwater
conditions

previous use of
the site

topography and
geomorphology

available
materials /
construction
techniques

site access

environmental
considerations

economy /
reliability

serviceability
requirements
(settlements)

CDM (health
&safety)

THINK ABOUT GROUNDWATER

Have a sound
understandin
g of the
hydrogeologi
cal
conditions

Consider
seasonal and
long term
water
pressure
changes

Check on
location and
size of any
manmade
water
sources

Consider the
potential rise
in water level
caused by
global
damming
effect of the
structure

Cimate
warming
future
conditions

DESIGN RESPONSIBILITY
Contractor Design
Will have extensive practical experience
Likely to be a sub-contractor so how does he integrate into the design team
Isolating piles from all other design aspects can be problematic

Consultant Design

Part of the overall design team

Possibly less practical knowledge
Conservative design?
Problems: design error or workmanship?

Design responsibility must be clearly defined

For contractor designed piles - performance requirement, how is this
produced?

ICE SPECIFICATION FOR PILING AND

EMBEDDED RETAINING WALLS
Particular specification only to be
completed
Contractor or consultant design
Performance Criteria (settlement)
Concrete
Steel

NOISE AND VIBRATION

Sensitivity of people ppv approx. 0.15mm /
sec
Sensitivity of equipment ppv approx. 5mm
/ sec for telephone exchange
Sensitivity of buildings ppv> 10mm / sec

LOGISTICS
Plant Movement

Piling Rig
Concrete Plant
Bentonite / Polymer
Reinforcement cages being positioned

Storage
Reinforcement cages
Concrete / Polymer batching plant

Security

FOUNDATION DESIGN

FOUNDATION DESIGN

FOUNDATION DESIGN

NEGATIVE SKIN FRICTION

Occurs when adjacent ground settle by more than the pile

Relative movement between fill and pile shaft

Relative movement between underlying compressible stratum
Consolidationof compreesible layers
Dewater

All soil layers above settling layer impose negative skin friction
Measures to counteract
Tolerate additional pile settlement
Accelerate the process so as to be complete by the time pile is installed
Install longer piles to resist

PILE SPACING

Pile spacing generally 2.5 to

3.0 x Largest Diameter

Pile spacing generally

2.5 to 3.0 x largest
pile diameter

PILING TOLERANCES
V
75mm in plan normal

Out of position piles have moment induced in head

M=Vd
Therefore more reinforcement required

1 in 75 vertically normal
Out of vertical piles have lateral force on head
H = V tan

Effects reduce with depth (lateral pile

analysis)

LATERAL LOADED PILES - ALP

DESIGN PROCESS

Ultimate Bearing
Capacity: considers
the failure mode of
the soil

Maximum safe
bearing pressure
factored capacity

Allowable bearing
capacity design
capacity accounting
for required
settlement limits
(total / differential)

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM A

A load take down has revealed that the
characteristics load at the column positions is
35ookN. A small site investigation has been
undertaken and the following reported:
Clay from ground level to 30.0m depth
An SPT (N) trend equivalent to 22 +2z (where z =
depth below ground level)
Average Plasticity Index value of 35%

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM A

PAD SIZE
Consider 1 1.2m deep square pad
footing:
Use Equation:
V/A = 5.14 x Sc x Cu +q
Sc = 1.2 for a square or a circle
PI>30% use Cu = 4.5N
Unit weight of soil = 20kg/m^3
Apply overall Factor of Safety of 2.5

V=Load
A=Area
q = overburden
Sc = shape factor
Cu = shear strength

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM A

SETTLEMENT
= settlement

Use Equation:
= q B (1-n2) Is/E

q = load
B = foundation width
n =poissions ratio
Is = shape factor

n =0.5
Is = 1.2 (centre of a square foundation)
E = 2000 Cu

E = stiffness
Cu = Shear stiffness

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM A

PILE
Consider a 0.75m diameter
pile 25m long
Assume water to ground level Qs = Total Shaft
Use following equations:

Qb = Total Base

Qs = qs x As, qs = aCu ave

Qtotal = Total Capacity

Qb = qb x Ab, qb= Nc Cu base

As= Area of shaft

Qs +Qb = Qtotal

Ab= Area of Base

Apply overall Fos = 2.5

Apply Skin Friction FOS = 1.2

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM A

CHECK CONCRETE STRENGTH

Maximum pile load

Use Equation:
0.25 fcu A
Assume C35 Concrete

fcu = concrete strength

A = Area

FOUNDATION ON SAND: PROBLEM B

A load take down has revealed that the
characteristics load at the column positions is
35ookN. A small site investigation has been
undertaken and the following reported:
Medium dense sand from ground level to 30m depth
A peak angle of shearing resistance p = 34 (c=0)
Groundwater is at 2.0m depth
Average N below base of 29 blows/300mm

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM B

PAD SIZE
Consider a 1.2m deep square pad footing:

V=Load

Use Equation:

A=Area

V/A = q Nq sq + 0.5 B N s

B= Foundation Width

sq = 1.56 s = 0.7 for a square or circle

q = effective overburden
pressure

Nq = 30 N = 38
= 20kPa
Apply Overall FOS = 2.5

Nq, N = Bearing capacity factors

Sq, s = shape factors
= effective stress

FOUNDATION ON SAND: PROBLEM B

SETTLEMENT
= settlement

Use Equation:
= q B (1-n ) Is/E
2

n =0.25
Is = 1.2 (centre of a square foundation)
Ev = 2000 N

q = load
B = foundation width
n =poissions ratio
Is = shape factor
Ev = stiffness

FOUNDATION ON SAND: PROBLEM B

PILE
Consider a 0.9m diameter pile Qs = Total Shaft
25m long
Qb = Total Base
Assume water to ground level
Qtotal = Total Capacity
Use following equations:

Qs = qs x As, qs = sv ave Ks tan ds

Qb = qb x Ab, qb= Nq sv base
Qs +Qb = Qtotal

As= Area of shaft

sv ave = average effective stress
Ks - coefficient of earth pressure at rest
ds soil / pile interface

Ks = 0.7, ds = 34 Nq = 50

Nq bearing capacity factor

FOUNDATION ON CLAY: PROBLEM B

CHECK CONCRETE STRENGTH

Maximum pile load

Use Equation:
0.25 fcu A
Assume C35 Concrete

fcu = concrete strength

A = Area

FOUNDATION SOLUTIONS
Groun
d
Impro
vemen
t

SHALLOW
FOUNDATIONS

Ston
e
Colu
mns
DEEP
FOUNDATION
S

Settl
emen
t
Redu
cing
(piled
raft)