DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

FOUNDATIONS
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Reinforced concrete foundations are designed based on column loads and

moments at base and the soil data. Following are the types of foundations in
order of preference with a view to economy:

(i) Individual footings (isolated footing)

(ii) Combined footings (combination of individual footings

(iii) Strip footings with retaining wall acting as strip beam wherever
applicable.

(iv) Raft foundations of the types (a) slab (b) beam-slab.

The brick wall footings can also be designed. Often plinth beams are
provided to support brick walls and also to act as earthquake ties in each
principal direction.

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Important considerations in design of foundations:

Foundations are the structural elements which transfer loads from the
building or individual columns to the earth. If these loads are to be properly
transmitted, foundations must be designed to prevent excessive settlement
or rotation, to minimize differential settlement and to provide adequate
safety against sliding and overturning.

Depth of foundation:
Depth of foundation below ground level can be obtained by using Rankine’s
formula:
Where, h = minimum depth of foundation

p= gross bearing capacity

= density of soil

= angle of repose or internal friction of soil.

Recommendations of IS456: 2000, Limit state design, bending, shear, cracking and
development length:
To determine the area of foundation required for proper transfer of total load
on the soil, the total load (combination of dead load, live load and any other
load without multiplying it with any load factor) are considered.

Thickness of the edge of footing:

As per clause 34.1.3 of IS456: 2000, the thickness at the edge shall not be
less than 15cm on soils.

Dimension of pedestal:
In the case of plain cement concrete pedestals, the angle between the plane
passing through the bottom edge of the pedestal and the corresponding
junction edge of the column with pedestal and the horizontal plane shall be
governed by the expression.

Where qo = calculated maximum bearing pressure at the base of the

pedestal/footing in N/mm2
Fck = characteristic strength of concrete at 28 days in N/mm2

Fig: Dimensioning of pedestal

Maximum Bending moment in footings:

The bending moment will be considered at the face of column, pedestal or

wall and shall be determined by passing through the section a vertical plane
which extends completely across the footing, and over the entire area of the
footing or one side of the said plane. The reference clause is 34.2.3.1 and
34.2.3.2 of IS456: 2000.

Shear capacity checks for footings:

The shear strength of footing is governed by the following two factors:

a) The footing acting essentially as a wide beam, with a potential diagonal

crack intending in a plane across the entire width, the critical section for this
condition shall be assumed as a vertical section located from the face of the
column, pedestal or wall at a distance equal to the effective depth of the
footing in case of footings on soils.

For one way bending action of footing (one way shear)

For one way shear action, the nominal shear stress in calculated as:

Where, = shear stress

Vu = factored vertical shear force

b = breadth of critical section

d = effective depth

( = design shear strength of concrete based on % longitudinal

tensile reinforcement. Refer table 61 of SP -16)
 Fig: Critical section for one-way shear in foundation
Two way shear (or two way bending action or punching shear) of foundation:
For two way bending action, the following should be checked in punching
shear. Punching shear shall be around the perimeter 0.5 times the effective
depth away from the face of the column or pedestal.

For two way shear action, the nominal shear stress is calculated in
accordance with clause 31.6.2 of IS456: 2000 as follows:

Where = shear stress

bo = periphery of the critical section

d = effective depth

Vu = factored vertical shear force

When shear reinforcement is not provided, the nominal shear stress at the
critical section should not exceed

Where, Ks = 0.5 + Bc (but not greater than 1)

Bc = (short dimension of column or pedestal / long dimension of column or

pedestal)

N/mm2
Note: It is general practice to make the base deep enough so that shear
reinforcement is not required.

Development length of reinforcement bars in foundation:

The critical section for checking the development length in a footing shall be
assumed at the same planes as those prescribed for bending moment in
clause 34.2.3 of code and also at all other vertical planes where abrupt
changes in section occur. Refer clause 34.2.4.3 of IS456: 2000.

Reinforcement in foundations:
The minimum reinforcement in footing slab specified by the code is 0.12%
and maximum spacing specified is 3 times the effective depth or 450mm
whichever is less. (clause 34.3).

Only tensile reinforcement is normally provided. The total reinforcement

shall be laid down uniformly in case of square footings. For rectangular
footings, there shall be a central band, equal to the width of the footing. The
reinforcement in the central band shall be provided in accordance with the
following equation.
Where,

Transfer of load at the base of column:

Clause: 34.4 of IS456: 2000.

The compressive stress in concrete at the base of column or pedestal shall

be transferred by bearing to the top of supporting pedestal or footing.

The bearing pressure on the loaded area shall not exceed the permissible
bearing stress in direct compression multiplied by a value equal to

but not greater than 2.

Where,

A1 = supporting are for bearing of footing, which is sloped or stepped footing

may be taken as the area of the lower base of the largest frustum of a
pyramid or cone contained wholly within the footing and having its upper
base, the area actually loaded and having side slope of one vertical to two
horizontal.
A2 = loaded area at the column base.
For limit state design, the permissible bearing stress specified is 45 fck.
If the permissible bearing stress is exceeded either in the column concrete
or in footing concrete, reinforcement must be provided for developing the
excess force. The reinforcement may be provided either extending the
longitudinal bars into the footing or by providing dowels in accordance with
the code as given by the following:
1. Minimum area of extended longitudinal bars or dowels must be 0.5% of
cross-sectional area of the supported column or pedestal.

2. A minimum of four bars must be provided.

3. If dowels are used their diameter should not exceed the diameter of the
column bars by more than 3mm.

4. Enough development length should be provided to transfer the

compression or tension to the supporting member.

5. Column bars of diameter larger than 36mm, in compression only can be

dowelled at the footing with bars of smaller diameters. The dowel must
extend into the column a distance equal to the development length of the
column bar. At the same time, the dowels must extend vertically into the
footing a distance equal to the development length of the dowel.
Fig: Rigid and spread footings