Integrated Civil Engineering Design

Project
(Foundation Structure Design)

CIVL 395
HKUST

By : Ir. K.S. Kwan

Date: 4/07

 Foundation Structure Design

Foundation

Control in Hong Kong

Foundation Design Code
Ground Investigation
Common Pile used in Hong Kong
Pile Capacity
Piling Layout
Pile Cap Design
Horizontal Restraints to Piles and Pile Cap
Other Consideration

Building
Development

Superstructure
Ground floor

Soil

Pile Cap
Loading from
superstructure to
be shown on plan
of foundation and
loading schedule

Pile

Foundation Control
in Hong Kong

Building Ordinance
Building Department, PNAP 66
Geotechnical Engineering Office
Register Specialist Contractor (Foundation Works)

PNAP 66

Recognized types of pile foundation

Piling plans submission
Design of pile foundations
Pre-design ground investigation
Pre-drilling
Post construction proof drilling
Quality supervision for piles foundations
Ground-borne vibrations arising from pile driving and similar
operations
Pile foundations in the scheduled areas
Form BA14
Pile record plans and reports
Further on site test
Amendment to approved plans

Foundation Design in Scheduled Areas

Some special requirements for pile foundations in the Scheduled Area
are given in PNAPs 77, 85, 161 and 279
In accordance with the Fifth Schedule of the Building Ordinance,
there are five Scheduled Areas specified in Hong Kong at present.
These areas are:
Mid-levels
North-west New Territories
Mass Transit Railway Protection Areas & Kowloon Canton
Railway Protection Areas
Ma On Shan
Sewage Tunnel Protection Areas

Foundation Design in Designed Areas

Designated areas, such as Northshore Lantau, refer to those
areas with complex geology, which may impose significant
constraints on the foundation design and construction. In some
cases, the foundations might prove to be so costly that
adjustment of the layout of the development or even site
abandonment is warranted. A very comprehensive ground
investigation is usually inevitable in order to identify all the
geological constraints, and it should be carried out before
planning the development. Reference should be made to the
relevant PNAP issued by the Building Authority for the
locations and other information for the designated area

Recognized Types of Pile Foundation

A recognized type of pile foundation is regarded as the piling
system recognized by the Building Authority prior to the approval
of piling plans through the submission of relevant technical details
for assessment, normally by the registered structural engineer in
conjunction with the registered specialist contractor experienced in
such system.. Common types of piles used in Hong Kong
including :
Large Diameter Bored Pile
Drive Steel H-Pile/ Socket Steel H-Pile
Mini Pile
Barrette/ Shaft grouted Barrette

Foundation Plan Details

Plan of Foundation
To show the setting
out/size of all vertical
elements which transmit
all superstructure
loading

Loading Schedule
To show the loading of
all superstructure
including gravity and
wind loading

Foundation
Design Code

HK Code of
Practice for
Foundation
Design
Construction
Testing

 How

to select suitable foundation for

construction?
Cost?
Time?
Risk?

Pile Type
Large Diameter Bored Pile

Cost (HK$/m run)

10,000 ~ 30,000

Driven Steel H-pile

1,000 ~ 2,500

Socket Steel H-pile

3,000 ~ 5,000

Mini-pile

2,000 ~ 3,000

Selection of pile type

Common HK used piles:

Steel H-pile, pipe pile

Large diameter bored pile (LDBP)
Mini-pile, Socket H-pile
Friction Barrette

Factors to be considered

Cost ( size, number, length and installation)

Construction difficulties (plant available in market,
depth of pile, boulder location, programme)

Ground
Investigation

Ground Investigation

Bored hole information to

identify:

Pile Type
Pile Length
Construction Difficulties
Soil Properties
Water table

II

III

To note the
allowable bearing
pressure which is
under working load
i.e. without load factor

How to confirm the rock head level?

Rock
Head

5m
5m ?

Bored Hole Information

SPT N=150
SPT N=100

SPT N=100

SPT N=100
SPT N=200
SPT N=200
SPT N=200
SPT N=180

SPT N=200
SPT N=200

SPT N=200

SPT N=200

SPT N=200

SPT N=200

SPT N=100

SPT N=200

SPT N=200
SPT N=200
Simple for
LDBP bearing
on bedrock

Simple for
H-pile rest on
stiff soil

CDG

Pre-boring
for
corestone
layers

Pre-boring for
corestone layers or rest
on corestones

Grade II/III Rock

 Foundation
240 nos. shaft grout
barrettes, 2.8m x 1.2m
& 2.8m x 1.0m, Length

= 88m

Mega Tower @
Kowloon Station

How many bored holes are required?

Large diameter bored piles

At least one for each pile
In case of steep rock at base, more bore holes are required

to determine the founding level

Driven H-pile
10~20 for each blocks for normal ground condition
Additional bored holes at locations with boulder layers

Socket steel H-pile or Mini-pile

Pile tip of every such pile should be within 5 metres from a

pre-drilled hole

Common Pile Types

in Hong Kong
Large Diameter Bored Pile
Driven Steel H-Pile
Socket Steel H-Pile
Mini-Pile

Classification of Foundation

Foundation can be classified

into a number of ways, such as:

Shallow

Pad/Strip Type/Raft
Bearing on soil
(50~300KPa)/rock (3000KPa) to be used
for highhigh-rise building

Deep Foundation

Piled Foundation

End Bearing
Friction

Raft foundation is large combined thick

plate designed to seat and support the
whole or a large part of a structure.

Shallow raft used for highrise building

It is normally founding on
Grade III rock with allowable
bearing pressure 3000Kpa.

The building average loading is

20KPa per floor and thus, the
shallow raft bearing on rock
can accommodate a building
up to 100 storey

Loading Supporting to Pile

Load from a superstructure is transmitted to the

subsoil either by:

End Bearing load is supported by resting onto a

firm stratum such as bed-rock or stratum of subsoil
with the required bearing capacity.

Skin friction load is supported by the frictional

resistance so created between the contact surface of
the pile and the embracing soil.

Shallow Raft

End Bearing Pile :

Large diameter bored pile
Socket Steel H
Mini pile

Friction Pile:
Steel H
Friction Barrette

Tower
Pile Cap
Bed Rock

Bed Rock

Bed Rock

Pile Capacity

LARGE DIAMETER BORED PILE (LDBP)

CAPACITY

Normal size of 1.8, 2.2, 2.5, 2.75 and 3.0m

Bell-out with a gradient not exceeding 30

degree from vertical, and the size not
exceeding 1.5 times the shaft diameter may
be permitted at the pile base to increase the
end bearing capacity

The concrete strength should be reduced by

20% where groundwater is likely to be
encountered during concreting or where
concrete is placed underwater

For piles subject to axial forces only, where

the concrete used is higher than grade 20D

Shaft

Base

Design capacity of LDBP

Capacity of base = Area of base x allowable bearing capacity of rock

(i.e. either 5000Kpa, 7500KPa or 10,000 KPa)

Effective
shaft
diameter
(mm)

Bell-out
diameter
(mm)

Reinforce
ment

Allowable
bearing
capacity
pile (D+L)
(KN)

Allowable
bearing
capacity
pile
(D+L+W)
(KN)

2300

3450

21 T 32

46741

58426

2500

3750

25 T32

55223

69029

Bored Pile Design

(Bearing at different rock level)

Where steep bedrock profile

is identified, the founding
levels of adjacent piles should
not differ by more than the
clear distance between the
pile bases unless the stability
of rock under the piles are
checked by recognized
engineering principles, taking
into account existence of any
adverse joints.

Check bearing stress due to

overlapping - the shaft design
and base stress cannot be
overstressed due to the
additional load

Bored Pile Design- Pile layout

Walls from superstructure

Bored Location

Pile Cap
layout

DRIVEN STEEL H-PILE

CAPACITY

Common H-pile
H 305x305x180 Kg/m3
H 305x305x223 Kg/m3

Founding at level with 3 consecutive SPT N value 200 below

All steel H-piles to be grade 55C complying with BS4360:1986

(fy=415N/mm2)

For driven steel bearing piles with a design safety factor on

driving resistance of 2, the stress in the steel at working load
should not exceed 30% of the yield stress. The design working
stress due to combined axial load and bending may, however be
increased to 50% of the yield stress

All allowable stresses are to be increased by 25% due to wind

effects

Group reduction factor of 0.85 for a group of 5 piles or more

The centre-to-centre spacings are of more than 3 times the

perimeter of the piles or the circumscribed rectangles in the case
of H-piles

Some design capacity of steel H-pile

Pile Type : 305 x305 x 223 Kg/m (55C)

Capacity for 1 to 4 piles

Minimum centre to centre spacing of piles in 1408mm

Design Steel Stress (fy) = 415 N/mm2
B= 325.4
H= 338
Design pile cross-sectional area (A) = 28500mm2

w/o wind = 0.3 x fy x A = 3548 KN

w/wind = 1.25 x 0.3 x fy x A = 4435 KN

Capacity for 5 piles or more

w/o wind = 3548 x 0.85 = 3016 KN

w/wind = 4435 x 0.85 = 3770 KN

SOCKET STEEL HPILE CAPACITY

It is installed by inserting
steel H-piles into prebored holes sunk into
bedrock, and subsequently
grouting the holes with
cementitious materials

The allowable axial

working stress or the
combined axial and
flexural stresses should
not greater than 50% of
the yield stress of the steel
H-pile

No group effect reduction

factor

Design Parameter

H section 305 x305x 180Kg/m UPB Grade 55C, Internal diameter of casing =
550mm

Cross section area As = 0.0229 m2

Perimeter of pile = 1882.6 mm
Zx =0.002508 m3, Zy = 0.000847 m3
Yield strength fy = 430 Mpa
Design bond strength between the grout and steel H-pile

Design bond strength between the grout and rock

Under compression or transient tension = 0.7 MPa

Under Permanent tension = 0.35 MPa

Design Socket Length = 4000mm

Grout above water = 0.6 MPa

Grout under water = 0.48 MPa

Capacity W/o wind in compression = 3600 KN

Capacity W/wind in compression = 4500 KN

Pile capacity

Axial capacity

Due to steel strength = 0.5 fy As = 4923.5 > 3600

Due to bond strength between H-pile & grout = 0.48 x 1882.6 x 4000/1000 = 3615 KN
Due to bond between grout & rock = 0.7x550x3.14x4000/1000 = 4838 KN

Mini pile

A mini-pile usually consists of one or

more steel bars encased by grout inside
a drill hole not exceeding 400mm in
diameter. It is mainly used to resist
compression or tension loads on sites
with difficult access.
The structural capacity of a mini-pile
should be derived solely from the steel
bars. Contributions from the grout and
steel casing should be ignored
The allowable capacity should be
derived from the bond strength
between the grout and rock

Mini Pile Design

Number of steel bar in mini pile : 4 no. 50mm dia.

Permissible compressive stress = 175 KPa
(Permissible tensile stress = 230 KPa)
Socket internal diameter = 190mm
Design bond strength between rock & grout (Ref. CoP
Fdn 2004 Table 2.2)

Design Socket Length

Under compression or transient tension = 700 KPa

(Under permanent tension = 350 KPa)
Design capacity (W/o wind) in compression = 1370 KN
Design capacity (W/ wind) in compression = 1710 KN

Soil

Pile Capacity

Due to reinforcement strength

Due to bond strength

Compressive capacity = 1963 x 175 x 4/1000 = 1374

KN > 1370
Capacity = 700 x 190 x 3.14 x 3300 /10002 = 1378 KN

Bond between grout & steel bar

ultimate anchorage bond stresses for concrete grade 30

and deformed bars Type 2 in compression is 3.5
N/mm2
Bond strength in compression = 3.5 x ( 50 x 3.14) x
3300 x 0.4 x 4/1000 = 2901 > 1370

Rock

Negative Skin Friction

NEGATIVE SKIN FRICTION

(NSF)
Where pile foundations are installed
through strata which are likely to undergo
consolidation after foundations are in place,
the frictional resistance of the strata and the
overlying soils shall not be taken into
account in the determination of the load
carrying of the foundations. The downward
frictional force exerted from the strata and
the overlying soils is named as NSF.
Possible additional load up to 20% of pile
capacity
Possible attributed by the clayey soil
settlement with time or de-watering from
construction activities

Pile Layout

Minimum pile spacing

For driven piles and other piles which derive their capacity mainly from
frictional resistance, the minimum pile spacing shall be not less than the
length of the perimeter of the pile or 1m, whichever is the greater, and the
piles shall be placed at not less than half the length of the perimeter of the
pile or 500mm, whichever is the greater, from the site boundary.

For mini-piles, which derive their capacities mainly from bond strength
between grout and rock, the minimum pile spacing should be 750mm or 2
times the outer diameter, whichever is the greater

For bored piles and the like which derive their capacities mainly from end
bearing, the minimum clear spacing between the surfaces of adjacent piles
should be based on practical considerations of positional and verticality
tolerances of piles. It is recommended to provide a nominal minimum clear
horizontal spacing of 500mm between shaft surfaces or edge of bell-outs,
as appropriate

Pile Layout of
Driven H pile

Pile Layout of Bore

Pile

Pile Cap Design

Pile layout related to the pile cap assumption

For rigid cap, arrange the pile

C.G. to coincide the loading C.G.
Arrange the piles to the edge of
the cap to obtain larger stiffness.
(Less pile but more reinforcement
at cap)
For flexible cap approach,
arrange pile near the
column/wall. (More pile but
less reinforcement at cap)

Rigid Cap

Flexible Cap

Deformed
shape of
Rigid Cap

Deformed
shape of
Flexible Cap

Thickness of a Rigid Cap

(Dr. J.S. Kuang HKUST)

A proposed design formula for estimating the

thickness of a rigid cap:
t = 40 (N + 20) (mm)

where t Cap thickness

N Number of storey

(For 40 stories,
t=2.4m)

As the Rigid Cap Analysis

Method is based on the
assumption that the Pile Cap is
infinitely rigid.
The usual practice by designers
in the Rigid Cap Analysis is to
treat the cap as a beam with the
applied load and solved pile
reactions, calculate the shear and
moments in the beam. The
Cap is thus having a uniform
bending moment or shear along
the entire section of the
simulated beam

For Flexible Cap

Analysis , the bending
moment along the midstrip Tand side-strip are of
f
different
signs as shown.
So the Flexible Cap
analysis is more realistic
design for pile cap in
catering for local effects

Pilecap can be sized

as one single cap or
isolated caps to suit
the sign

Computer Software for Foundation Design

The software used for foundation design mainly to find out the piling
load and pilecap design

CAPBS

LIFORM

SAFE

VDISP

CAPBS (or LIFORM)-Rigid Cap Approach

Consider X and Y directions separately as a rigid beam

Local stress cannot be found

Torsional effect consideration is calculated by equilibrium (LIFORM)

Simple data input

SAFE (Rigid or flexible approach)

Consider X and Y directions simultaneously

Local stress can be found (e.g. torsional effect)

Horizontal Restraints
to
Piles and Pile Cap

Horizontal Restraints to Piles and Pile Cap

Wind shear force from super-structure

Piles and pile caps shall have

adequate lateral stability and
be able to cope with any
allowed construction
tolerance.

For driven piles and small

diameter piles, adequate
horizontal restraints in at
least 2 directions shall be
provided to individual piles
or pile caps

The allowable horizontal

movement is about 25mm

Soil passive load

Drag Wall/ Wing Wall to resist lateral load

Pile Cap on Plan

Drag Wall
Wing Wall

Pile foundation near

slope

Where the
foundation has
imposed additional
loads on slopes or
retaining walls, or the
groundwater regime
has been affected, the
stability of the
affected slopes or
retaining walls should
be checked as part of
the foundation design
Flexible material to
avoid any lateral
pressure on slope

Slope

Other Consideration

Piles Providing Resistance Against Uplift,

Overturning and Buoyancy

Where piles are required to provide anchorage

resistance against uplift, overturning and/or
buoyancy, it should be demonstrated that the
piles and the supporting ground have adequate
anchorage capacities to satisfy the
requirements

The above requirements may be deemed to be

satisfied by demonstrating that each pile in a
pile foundation satisfies the following
condition individually

Dmin + 0.9 Ru 2.0 Ia -1.5U 1.5W 0

Dmin = Minimum dead load

Ru = Ultimate anchoring resistance of the pile
Ia = Adverse imposed load including live and soil
loads
U= Uplift due to highest anticipated groundwater
table
W= Wind load

Pile in
tension

Rock

Anchor come from the friction

between rock and grout of pile

Settlement of Foundation

The average settlement is

limited at 20mm and
differential is controlled by
1/1000

Pile bearing on rock

Differential settlement come

from elastic shortening of pile

Pile by friction on soil

The average settlement can

be estimated by Tomlinsons
Equivalent Raft approach or
computer modeling (e.g
PIGLET, VDISP)

Foundation near MTRs Structure

PNAP 77

The protection boundary is about 30m

outside the outer surface of the MTR
structure but it encompasses the whole of
any lot where any part lies within the 30m
distance.

No pile, foundation, borehole, well, soil nail,

horizontal drain or other geotechnical
installation should be driven or constructed
within a distance of 3m from any point of
the underground railway structures

The vertical or horizontal pressure change

on any underground structure due to the
above works, including filling. Dewatering
etc. and due to additional loads transmitted
from foundations shall not exceed 20 KPa

MTR

Foundation on ground
with abandoned pile

Re-access the capacity of

existing pile for re-use

Select space for new pile

location in particular the Hpile

Raking Pile

Where raking mini piles are

used to resist lateral forces,
care should be taken to
ensure equilibrium of forces
and moments are
maintained, taking into
consideration the lack of
bending stiffness of the
piles and the effectively
hinged conditions at the
pile heads and bases

Foundation with basement

Besides providing additional space

below ground level for a building,
loads from the superstructure are
also transferred through the
structure of a basement to the
foundation
Such arrangement provides
considerable rigidity to tall
buildings base on the principle of
buoyancy, that is, the basement
box will displace the soil
embedding it and balance the
combined weight of the entire
structure

Q&A
If you have any questions about the structural design, please
forward email (with your Name and Student ID no.)
to : akskwan@gmail.com