Zhejiang University of Technology

College of Civil Engineering and Architecture

2019 Summer Short Term Course

Course： Soil Mechanics and Foundations (II)

Topic： Term Project for Foundation Design

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September 2019
 Term Project for Foundation Design

Course：Soil Mechanics and Foundations (II)

Class：Civil Engineering 2016 Class and others Semester：2019 Summer short term
Course Duration： Sep.7th to Sep. 11th, 2019 Score：1

1. Objectives
To apply the principles of soil mechanics, foundation engineering, and relevant specifications and
codes to the design of foundation.

2. Problem Definition
The problem analyzed in this project is to design a foundation for a six-story building with frame
structure. The upper loads are transmitted by columns (0.6m´0.6m) to the foundation, as shown in
the Fig. 1. The top 1.5m is the fills and the underlying soil has a bearing capacity of fa=110kPa (1.5m
to 11m), as given in Table 1. Ground water table is 1.5m below the ground surface. Please design the
foundation.

Fig. 1 The plan of the columns transmitting the upper loads.

Table 1 Properties of soil in the construction site.
Depth (m) g (kN/m3) Es (kPa) fa (kPa)
0～1.5 17 - -
1.5~11.0 18.5 4.0 110.0
11.0～18.0 19.0 6.0 150.0
3. Design Procedures
l Conduct literature surveys (refer to references) and select specifications and codes for the design.
l Select foundation type based on the upper loads and geological conditions of construction site.
l Determine the size of foundation by satisfying the bearing capacity requirements.
l Determine the sectional height of foundation by checking the shear and punching strength.
l Determine the reinforcement based on the principles of concrete structure.
l Check the foundation size by deformation calculation.
l Plot construction drawings, including the layout of the foundations, and the sectional design
drawings, and reinforcement.

4. Determination of Final Grade

l Design report with design considerations and calculations (50%).
l Drawings in A2 paper including the layout, section, and reinforcement of foundation (50%).

5. Submission
l The deadline is 5 p.m. on September 18, 2019 for the submission (hard copy) of design report
and drawings.
l Late penalty will be 5% on the day it is due and 10% for each day thereafter.
l Identical work will be given zero without any inquiry.

6. References

[1] Braja M. Das. (2016). Principles of Foundation Engineering, eighth edition. Cengage Learning.

[2] R.F. Craig (2004). Craig’s Soil Mechanics, seventh edition, by E & FN Spon Press.

[3] McCormac, Jack C. & Brown, Russell H. (2014). Design of Reinforced Concrete, ACI 318-11

Code Edition, ninth edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

[4] European Committee for Standardization (CEN, 2004). Eurocode 7: Geotechnical Design - Part1:

General Rules. Reference No. EN 1997-1:2004. Brussels, Belgium.

[5] Geotechnical Engineering Office (2006). Foundation Design and Construction, The Government

of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, GEO Publication No. 1/2006.