BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

CEng 3083

CHAPTER THREE
FOUNDATIONS

INSTRUCTOR- Tibebu G.
CONTENTS

3.1. Introduction

3.2.Functions of foundation

3.3.Essential requirements of a foundation

3.4. Types of foundation

3.5. Foundation Failure

3.1. Introduction

Every building consists of two basic parts:

 The Super-structure and

 Sub-structure (foundation).

Foundation is that part of the structure which is in direct contact with

the ground to which the loads are transmitted.

The function of a foundation is to distribute the load of superstructure

over a larger area
Cont.….
Cont.….

A foundation should be sufficiently strong to prevent excessive

settlement as well as unequal settlement.
Unequal settlement or differential settlement may be caused by:
 Weak sub-soils, such as made up ground,
 Shrinkable and expansive soil (such as clay),
 Frost action,
 Movement of ground water, and uplift pressure
 Excessive vibrations, due to traffic, machinery etc.,
 Slow consolidation of saturated clays, and
 Slipping of strata on sloping sites.
CONT…

 All foundations settle to some extent as the soil around and beneath
them adjusts itself to the loads of the building. Foundations on
bedrock settle a negligible amount.

 Foundations on certain types of clay may settle to an alarming

degree, allowing buildings to subside by amounts that are measured
in feet or meters.
Cont.…

(A）Building Before Settlement Occurs

（B）Uniform Settlement
(C) Differential Settlement
3.2. Functions of foundation

Foundations serve the following purposes:

1. Reduction of load intensity: Foundation distribute the loads of

superstructure, to a larger area so that the intensity of the load at its
base does not exceed the safe bearing capacity of the sub-soil.

2. Even distribution of load: foundations distribute the non uniform

load of the superstructure evenly to the sub soil.

3. Provision of level surface: foundations provide levelled and hard

surface over which the superstructure can be built.
Cont.….

4. Lateral stability: it anchors the superstructure to the ground, thus

gives lateral stability to the superstructure against various horizontal
forces such as wind ,rain , earthquake etc.

5. Safety against undermining: it provides safety to the structure

against scouring due to burrowing animal and flood water.

6. Protection against soil movements: Distress or failure due to

expansion or contraction of the sub-soil due to moisture variation in
clayey & black cotton soils are minimized by the provision of special
type foundations.
 3.3.Essential requirements of a foundation

1. The foundations shall be constructed to sustain all loads and transmit

them to the sub soil with out causing settlement which would impair the
stability of the building or adjoining structure.

2. Foundation base should be rigid so that differential settlements are

minimized, specially for the case when super-imposed loads are not
evenly distributed.

3. Foundation should be taken sufficiently deep to guard the building

against damage or distress caused by swelling or shrinkage of sub-soil.

4. Foundations should be so located that its performance may not be

affected due to any unexpected future influence.
3.4. TYPES OF FOUNDATION

Foundations may be broadly classified under two heads:

1. SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
2. DEEP FOUNDATIONS
3.4.1.SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
Shallow foundations are those founded near to the finished ground
surface. generally where the founding depth (Df) is less than the width
of the footing and less than 3m.

• Shallows foundations are used when surface soils are sufficiently

strong and stiff to support the imposed loads(unsuitable in weak or
highly compressible soils)
Types of Shallow Foundation

 Spread footings
 Combined footings
 Strap footings
 Mat foundation
 3.4.1.SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS

1.SPREAD FOOTINGS
• Spread footings are those which spread the super-imposed load of wall
or column over large area. Spread footings support either a column or
wall.
• They are most widely used foundation types since they do not require
special equipment and skill for construction and are usually economical.
• Spread footings may be of the following types:
 Isolated footings;-Single footing, Stepped footing, Slopped footing

 Wall footings;-Without step, Stepped footing.

 Grillage foundation;-Steel grillage, Timber grillage

Cont.….

ISOLATED FOOTINGS

 Footing which are provided under each column independently are

called as isolated footing.

 These footings are sometimes known as column footings and are

used to support the individual columns and other concentrated load.

 Most column footings are slab footings with two-way

reinforcements and constant depth.
Cont.…

Stepped footing
Cont.….
Wall Footings (Strip Footings)

• Strip foundation also called wall footing .it is a strip type footing
which follow the path of super structure wall.

• Strip foundations are used to support a line of loads, either due to a

load-bearing wall, or if a line of columns need supporting.

• A wall footing may have a base course of concrete may be entirely

built up of one material , e.g. bricks or stones.
CONT…
Cont.…..

GRILLAGE FOUNDATIONS

• They consist of steel beams arranged in layer straight angles to one

another and embedded in concrete.

• They are generally provided for heavily loaded steel column and
used in locations where bearing capacity of soil is poor.
Cont.…

2.COMBINED FOOTINGS
 A spread footing which supports two or more columns is termed as
combined footing.
 Footings of this type are most frequently used to support walls and
columns, which are close to the property line(limited space).
 Combined footings are essential whenever:
 The projections of columns are not possible on one side due to
limited available space and
 When the spacing of two consecutive columns are close for
isolated footing.
 The combined footing for columns will be rectangular in shape if
they carry equal load or trapezoidal shape for unequal loads.
Cont.…
Cont.….

3.STRAP FOOTINGS (CANTILEVER FOOTING)

 If the independent footing of two columns are connected by a beam,
it is called a strap footing.

 They serve the same function as combined footings by permitting a

column load to be placed near the edge of the footing.

 It is used where a large spacing between two columns create a

situation where a continuous footing is uneconomical due to the
usage of large quantity of concrete.
Cont.….
 Cont.….

4. MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATION

• A raft or mat is a combined footing that covers the entire area beneath
the structure and supports all the walls and columns. It is used where:
 The allowable soil pressure is low,
 The building loads are heavy,
 The use of spread footings would cover more than half the area,
 The soil mass contains compressible lenses (week zone).
 The soil is sufficiently erratic so that differential settlement would
be difficult to control.
• Raft foundation is also used to reduce settlement above highly
compressible soils, by making the weight of the structure and raft
proximately equal to the weight of the soil excavated (Floating).
Cont.…

Raft foundation is not suitable:

For steeply sloping sites where excavation would be excessive,
To framed buildings with heavy concentrated loads where raft
thickness and reinforcement would be excessive.
Rafts may be divided into three types, based on their design and
construction
i. Solid slab system: is a solid reinforced concrete slab generally
uniform thickness.
ii. Beam slab system: consists of up-stand or down-stand beams that
take the loads of the walls or columns and spread them.
iii. Cellular system: consists of top and bottom slab separated by and
reinforced with vertical cross ribs in both direction.
Cont.…
4.4.2.DEEP FOUNDATIONS

 Deep foundations are those founding too deeply below the finished
ground surface for their base bearing capacity to be affected by
surface conditions, this is usually at depths >3 m below finished
ground level.
 Deep foundations can be used to transfer the loading to a deeper,
more competent strata at depth if unsuitable soils are present near
the surface.
Types of Deep Foundation
 Pile Foundation

 Pier Foundation

 Well or Caissons Foundation

 1.PILE FOUNDATION

This is an element of a construction placed in the ground either vertically

or slightly inclined to increase the load carrying capacity of the soil.

Pile foundations may be adopted:

i. Instead of raft foundation where no firm bearing strata exists at any

reasonable depth and the loading is uneven.

ii. When a firm bearing strata does not exist but at a depth such as to
make strip or spread footing uneconomical

iii. When pumping of sub-soil water would be too costly or timbering

to excavations too difficult.
Cont.…

Based on basic design function Piles may be of four types:

i. End bearing pile

ii. Friction pile

iii. Combined end bearing and friction pile

iv. Compaction pile

Cont.….

End bearing piles: Transfer load through water or soft soil to a

suitable bearing stratum.

 Such piles act as column to carry heavy loads safely to hard strata.

 Multi-storied buildings are invariably founded on end bearing piles,

so that the settlements are minimized.

Combined end bearing and friction piles: Transfer the superimposed

load both through side friction as well as end bearing.
Cont.….

Friction piles: are used to transfer loads to a depth of a friction-load

carrying material by means of skin friction along carrying the length of
the pile.

 Such piles are generally used in granular soil where the depth of
hard stratum is very great or there is no harder stratum.

 The building load is supported by the surface friction between the

pile and the soil.

• Compaction piles: are used to compact loose granular soils, thus

increasing bearing capacity.
Cont.….
Cont.…

Based on the method of construction piles may be classified as:

i. Replacement piles: these are often called bored piles since the
removal of the soil to form the hole for the pile is always carried out by a
boring technique.
ii. Displacement piles: these are often called driven piles since they are
usually driven into the ground displacing the earth around the pile shaft.
 2.PIER FOUNDATION

• Consists of cylindrical column of large diameter to support and transfer

large super imposed loads to the firm strata below.
• The difference between pile foundation and pier foundation lies in the
method of construction. The major differences are:
1. Pier foundation transfer load only through bearing
2. Pier foundation are shallower in depth than pile foundation.
3. Pier foundation is preferred where the top strata consists of
decomposed rock overlaying a strata of hard rock.
4. Pier foundations are preferred in case of stiff clays, which offer
large resistance to the driving of a bearing pile.
5. In case of piers, the excavation can be carried to the desired depth
easily.
Pier foundations may be of the following types:
i. Masonry concrete pier, or
ii. Drilled caissons
 When a good bearing stratum exists up to 5m below ground level, brick,
masonry or concrete foundation piers in excavated pits may be used.

 A drilled caisson is largely a compressed member subjected to an axial

load at the top and reaction at the bottom.

 Drilled caissons are generally drilled with the mechanical means.

Cont.….

Drilled caissons may be of three types:

i. Concrete caisson with enlarged bottom

ii. Caisson of steel pipe with concrete filled in the pipe

iii. Caisson with concrete and steel core in steel pipe

Cont.….
3.WELL FOUNDATION (CAISSONS)

• They are box like structure- circular or rectangular- which are sunk
from the surface of either land or water to the desired depth.
• They are much large in diameter than the pier foundation or drilled
caissons.
• Well foundations are used for major foundation works, such as for:
 Bridge piers and abutments in rivers, lakes etc.
 Break waters and other structures for shore protection
 Large water front structures such as pump houses.
• Well foundations or caissons are hollow from inside, which may be
filled with sand and are plugged at the bottom.
• .
• Well foundations are not used for building.
Cont.…..

Open caissons
 3.5.FOUNDATIONS FAILURE

Causes of foundation failure Sites with potential hazards

Foundations may fail due to the 1. Clay of high shrinkage or
following reasons: swelling potential
1. Unequal settlement of subsoil 2. Sloping ground
2. Unequal settlement of masonry 3. Deep fill
3. Sub-soil moisture movement 4. Mining areas
4. Lateral pressure on the walls 5. Peat or other soft soils (partly
5. Lateral movement of sub soil decomposed vegetable matter)
6. Weathering of sub-soil due to 6. Old building foundations and
trees basements
7. Atmospheric action 7. Ground waters
FOUNDATION FAILURE
Sites with potential hazards

iv. Mining areas v. Peat or soft soil vi. Old foundation