Adigrat University

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Civil Engineering

2. TYPES OF FOUNDATION AND THEIR SELECTION

2.1. TYPES OF FOUNDATION

Foundations can be categorized in to two based on their depth of embedment.

a) Shallow Foundation System

i) Spread Foundation ii) Mat / Raft Foundation

b) Deep Foundation System

i) Pile ii) Pile walls iii) Diaphragm wall iv) Caissons

2.1.1. SHALLOW FOUNDATION

Advantages

a) Cost (affordable)

b) Construction Procedure (simple)]

c) Material (mostly concrete)

d) Labor (doesn’t need expertise)

Spread footing foundation: They are known as a footer or footing. It’s an enlargement at the
bottom of a column/ bearing wall that spreads the applied structural loads over a sufficiently
large soil area. Each column & each bearing wall has its own spread footing, so each structure
may include dozens of individual footings.

The foundation consists of concrete slabs located under each structural column and a continuous
slab under load-bearing walls. For the spread foundation system the structural load is literally
spread out over a broad area under the building. Most commonly used type of foundation due to
their low cost & ease of construction.

Most often used in small to medium size structure with moderate to good soil condition and
may be built in different shapes & sizes to accommodate individual needs such as the following:

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

a) Square Spread Footings / Square Footings

b) Rectangular Spread Footings

c) Circular Spread Footings

d) Continuous Spread Footings

e) Combined Footings

f) Ring Spread Footings

a) Square Spread Footings / Pad Foundation: Support a single centrally located column with
reinforcement in both axes which resist/carry tension loads.

b) Rectangular Spread Footings: Useful when obstructions prevent construction of a square

footing with a sufficiently large base area and when large moment loads are present

c) Circular Spread Footings: are round in plan view and most frequently used as foundation for
light standards, flagpoles and power transmission lines.

d) Continuous Spread Footings / Strip Foundation: Used to support bearing walls

e) Combined Footings: useful when columns are located too close together for each to have its
own footing

f) Ring Spread Footings: continuous footings that have been wrapped into a circle. They are
used to support the walls above-ground circular storage tanks. The contents of these tanks are
spread evenly across the total base area and this weight is probably greater that the tank itself.
Therefore the geotechnical analyses of tanks usually treat them as circular foundations with
diameters equal to the diameter of the tank.

Raft foundation: A foundation system in which essentially the entire building is placed on a
large continuous footing. It is a flat concrete slab, heavily reinforced with steel, which carries the
downward loads of the individual columns or walls. Raft foundations are used to spread the load
from a structure over a large area, normally the entire area of the structure. It is consists of a
concrete slab which extends over the entire loaded area. But it may be stiffened by ribs or beams
incorporated into the foundation.

 Raft foundations have the advantage of reducing differential settlements as the concrete
slab resists differential movements between loading positions.

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

 They are often needed on soft or loose soils with low bearing capacity as they can spread
the loads over a larger area.

Mat Foundation often considered to be used when dealing with the following conditions:

a) The structural loads are so high or the soil condition so poor that spread footings would
be exceptionally large. As a general rule of thumb, if spread footings would cover more
than 50% of the building footprint area, a mat or some type of deep foundation will
usually be more economical.

b) The soil is very erratic & prone to excessive differential settlements. The structure
continuity and flexural strength of a mat will bridge over these irregularities. The same is
true of mats on highly expansive soils prone to differential heaves.

c) The structural loads are erratic and thus increase the likelihood of excessive differential
settlements. Again, the structural continuity and flexural strength of the mat will absorb
these irregularities.

d) The lateral loads are not uniformly distributed through the structure and thus may cause
differential horizontal movements in spread footings and pile caps.

e) The continuity of a mat will resist such movement.

f) The uplift loads are larger than spread footings can accommodate. The greater weight and
continuity of a mat may provide sufficient resistance.

g) The bottom of the structure is located below the groundwater table, so waterproofing is
an important concern. Because mats are monolithic, they are much easier to waterproof.
The weight of the mat also helps resist hydrostatic uplift forces from the groundwater.

2.1.2. DEEP FOUNDATION

 Extend several meters below the building
a) Piles
b) Piers
c) Caissons
d) Compensated Foundation
Piles: A slender, structural member consisting steel or concrete or timber. It is installed
in the ground to transfer the structural loads to soils at some significant depth below the
base of the structure.

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

Piles foundation is used when:

 The soil near the surface doesn’t have sufficient bearing capacity (weak) to support the
structural loads.
 The estimated settlement of the soil exceeds tolerable limits
 Differential settlement due to soil variability or non-uniform structural loads is excessive
 Excavations to construct a shallow foundation on a firm soil are difficult or expensive.
Load can be transferred by pile to the ground by 2 way that is:
a) End Bearing Piles: Pile will transmit load into the firm soil layer of the ground such as
rock, gravel, very dense sand OR
b) Friction Piles: Pile transmits the load from the structure to the penetrable soil by
means of skin friction or cohesion between the soil & the embedded surface of the pile.
2.2. Selection of Foundation Type
In selecting the foundation type the following points must be considered:

a. Function of the structure

b. Loads it must carry
c. Subsurface conditions
d. Cost of foundation in comparison with the cost of the superstructure

One should apply the following steps to arrive at decision:

o Obtain approximate information concerning the superstructure.

o Evaluate the subsurface condition in a general way.
o Consider the usual foundation types to judge whether or not:
They could be constructed under the existing conditions
They are capable of carrying the required load
They experience serious differential settlement
o Eliminate the unsuitable foundation types
o Undertake a detailed study of the most promising types
o Prepare a cost estimate
o Select the type with most acceptable compromise between performance and cost

Selection will be based on the following points.

1. Wall/Continuous footing
o Used to support load bearing wall or when there are closely spaced column in rows

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

2. Isolated footing
o Selected for small loading on good soils
o The most widely used type among all foundation types because they are usually more
economical than others
o Requires least amount of equipment and skill for construction

3. Combined footing
o Selected when the areas required for individual footings are such that they come very
near each other.
o Also preferred in situations of limited space on one side owing to the existence of the
boundary line of private property

4. Strap footing
o Preferred when the footing of an exterior column cannot extend into an adjoining private
property

5. Mat foundation
o Selected when the allowable soil pressure is low to be supported by footing
o Adopted when individual column footings would tend to be too close or tend to overlap
(when the area of all the footings appears to be more than 50 per cent of the area of the
structure in plan, a raft should be considered)
o This is considered suitable when differential settlements arising out of footings on weak
soils are to be minimized

6. Pile foundation
o Usually used when the soil at or near the ground surface is not capable of supporting a
structure
o Used when there is large horizontal force or uplift force
o For bridge abutment subjected to large scour

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.

 Adigrat University
College of Engineering and Technology
Department of Civil Engineering

Examples:

1. It is proposed to build a highway bridge and it is predicted that during major flood
conditions, there could be a scour that could remove sediments down to depth of 10m.
What type of foundation will you recommend?
2. What type of foundation will you recommend for the following conditions?

Foundation engineering –I class notes by Solomon G.Z.