FOUNDATIONS
Definition
The foundation system of a building, its substructure, is a critical link in the transmission
of building leads down to the ground. Bearing directly on the soil, the foundation system
must not only distribute vertical loads so that settlement of the building is either
negligible or uniform under all parts of the building: it also has anchor the superstructure
of the building against uplift and racking forces. The most critical factor in determining
the foundation system of a building is the type and bearing capacity of the soil to which
the building loads are distributed.
Foundation systems are presented in three categories according to the geometric
analogies of point, line and plane. Each foundation presented here can accept certain wall
and floor systems. It must be understood that the choice of foundation system and
material affects and is affected by the soil which supports the building as well as the
potential form of the superstructure.
Function
A buildings foundation system is its substructure that designs to distribute loads and
weight from building to the ground so that buildings erosion would be reduce or stabilize.
Buildings that built on existing natural stones will not have erosions due to stones
stability while buildings built on the ground will go through erosions process because
pressure from the loads bear from above parts. Foundations must be design to erosion can
be stop or minimize by distributing the process evenly below the building. Erosion
process must be stop to avoid damage to piping and mechanical system underneath the
building. Evenly distributed loads also avoid erosion that might cause damage to the
superstructure.
Type of foundation
There is four (4) main foundations which is pad foundation, strip foundation, raft
foundation and piling foundation.
Strip Foundation
Strip foundation can be classified into two types; wide strip and narrow strip foundation.
These foundation commonly constructed horizontally underneath walls with chosen
thickness according to the loads that need to be distribute. Nowadays, foundations are
built using concrete where this material is easily spread and manipulated. When concrete
completely hard, it achieve strength to bear loads. Before Portland cement being used,
bricks are laid act as foundations. These bricks are constructed directly on top of the
compact ground or layers of stones or gravels.
Width of the foundations are depends on ground strength and loads that beard.
The stronger the ground, the narrower the width of the foundations. Minimum width for
strip foundation is 450 where it is enough to carry such loads for normal double storey
building on normal ground type and also gave enough space for bricks to be laid in the
ditch. Minimum thickness for strip foundation is 150 or equal to wall thickness.
Narrow strip
For foundations that able to support loads which are only required a little bigger size than
the wall or equal, the ground need to be dig to form a ditch that 0.9 m deep minimum
where concrete will be filled in it. This method is much more cheaper by digging ditch to
be filled with concrete rather than building retaining wall underneath the ground.
Normally the ditch was dig by machinery.
Wide strip
For loads that more than the ground capability to bear, wide strip foundation must be
used. The thickness of the foundation not necessarily must equal to the width of the
foundation. Just enough with the minimum thickness (150 m) with the installation of steel
bar. This reinforced wide strip foundations are much more cheaper and stronger.
Pad Foundation
On made up ground and ground with poor bearing capacity where a firm, natural bed of,
for example, gravel or sand is some few metres below the surface, it may be economic to
excavate for isolated piers of brick or concrete to support the load of buildings of some
four storeys in height. The piers will be built at the angles, intersection of walls and under
the more heavily loaded wall such as that between windows up the height of the building.
Pits are excavated down to the necessary level, the sides of the excavation temporarily
supported and isolated pads of concrete are cast in the bottom of the pits. Brick piers or
reinforced concrete piers are built or cast on the pad foundations up to the underside of
the reinforced concrete beams that support walls as illustrated in Fig. 11. The ground
beams or foundation beams may be just below or at ground level, the walls being raised
off the beams.
