Kurdistan Regional Government 1

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Affairs

University of Duhok
Directorate of Quality Assurance

Course Book
Course title Foundation Engineering

1 Dr. Rafi’ Mahmoud Sulaiman

Dept./ School Faculty of Engineering / Water Resources Engineering Department

Contact details Tel: +964 770 3015 666 Email:
lecturer in rafimahmoud@rocketmail.com
charge
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Dept./ School ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact details
Tel: Email:

Coordinator’s name Mr. Fawaz Khaleel Aswad / Department of Civil Eng.

Contact details Tel: +964 750 Email: fawaz_khll@uod.ac

Course overview

Foundation Engineering is the science of applying engineering judgments and principles of soil mechanics to
solve interfacing problems and retaining structures.
Generally, it deals with two problems:
1. Evaluate the ability of soil to carry a load without shear failure or excessive settlement,
2. To design a proper structural member that can transmit the loads from superstructure to subsoil or rock
with taking economics into consideration.

Course Objectives
At the end of the course students could be able to:
 Prepare a soil exploration report for any site project,
 Calculate the allowable bearing capacities of soils under different types of shallow foundations,
 Calculate the total components of settlements for any soil layers profile,
 Design and analysis of different types of shallow foundations,
 Design and analysis of common types of retaining walls,
 Determine the allowable bearing capacities of single and group of piles.

Course Reading List and References

Magazines and review

Main references Useful references
(Internet)
1. Principles of Foundation 1. The Design of Foundation for  Journal of Soil Mechanics and
Engineering, Baraja, M. Das, 2004. Buildings, Kavangh and Jhonson.
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2. Shallow Foundations: Bearing 2. Foundation Engineering Foundations Division, ASCE.

Capacity and Settlement, Baraja, Handbook, Winterkorn and Fang.  Journal of Geotechnical
M. Das, 1999. Engineering Division, ASCE.
3. Foundation Analysis and Design, 3. Foundation Design, Teng.  Journal of Soil Dynamics and
th
Joseph E. Bowles, 4 edition, Earthquake Engineering.
1996.  Canadian Geotechnical Journal.
4. Pile Foundation, Poulos and Davis. 4. Foundation Design and  Journal of Computers and
Construction, Tomlinson. Structures.

Subjects
lecturer’s name Dr. Rafi’ M. S. / Assist. Professor / Department of Civil Eng.
No. Subject weeks

1 Introduction 1.0
Subject objective: To know the main principles and requirements required for design of foundations.

Scientific content of the subject:

Definitions, Foundation Classification, Foundation Design Requirements, Types of Failure in Soil at Ultimate
Load, Settlement at Ultimate Load, Types of Failure in Foundations, Types of Foundations.

Subject references:
1. Principles of Foundation Engineering, Baraja, M. Das, 2004.
2. Shallow Foundations: Bearing Capacity and Settlement, Baraja, M. Das, 1999.
th
3. Foundation Analysis and Design, Joseph E. Bowles, 4 edition, 1996.

2 Site Investigation 2.0

Subject objective: To know the methods of drilling, select required number of boreholes, their spacing between
them and depth for each borehole, choice of suitable lab. and field tests, in addition to, all
requirements for preparing a site soil investigation report.

Scientific content of the subject:

Geotechnical Engineering, Site Investigation, Foundations, Earth-Retaining Structures, Scope of Exploration,
Phases of Soil Investigation, Subsurface Exploration, Guidelines for Spacing, Number and Depth of Exploratory
Borings, Boring, Sampling, Testing, Test Pits, Core Boring in Rocks, Field Tests, Laboratory Tests, Logs of
Boring, Report.

Subject references: As above.

3 Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations 2.0

Subject objective: To estimate the bearing capacity of shallow foundation with different types of soils and
subjected to different loading conditions on level ground surface or near slope and layered
soils.
Scientific content of the subject:
Modes of Failure, Bearing Capacity, Ultimate Bearing Capacity, Net Allowable Bearing Capacity, General
Bearing Capacity Equations, Factor of Safety, Effect of Water Table, Bearing Capacity for Footings on Slopes,
Bearing Capacity for Footings on Layered Soils, Bearing Capacity for Footing on Sand using SPT results or on
Clay using Skempton's Charts.
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Subject references: As above.

4 Settlement of Buildings 2.0

Subject objective: To calculate all the settlement components of different soils by several methods.
Scientific content of the subject:
Types of Settlements, Immediate Settlement, Primary Consolidation Settlement, Secondary Consolidation
Settlement, Settlement in Clay, Settlement in Sand, Total Settlement.

Subject references: As above.

5 Structural Design of Shallow Foundations 3.0

Subject objective: To design or analyze all common types of shallow foundations under both concentric or
eccentric loads and moments in one or two way directions.

Scientific content of the subject:

General Criteria, Spread Footings Design under Concentric Loads, Spread Footings Design under Eccentric
Loads, Bearing Plates and Anchor Bolts, Pedestals, Wall Footings, Special Foundations, Rectangular Combined
Footing, Trapezoidal Shaped Footing, Strap Footing, Compensated Foundations, Types of Mat Foundations,
Structural Design of Mat Foundations.

Subject references: As above.

6 Analysis and Design of Earth Retaining Walls 2.5

Subject objective: To design or analyze gravity, or cantilever, or counter fort retaining walls.
Scientific content of the subject:
Elastic and Plastic Equilibriums in Soils, Earth Pressure at Rest, Rankin's Earth Pressure Theory, Coulomb's
Earth Pressure Theory Effect of Surcharge Load, Graphical Methods for Calculating the Earth Pressure for
Cohesionless Soils, Uses of Retaining Walls, Common Types of Retaining Walls, Level and Sloping Backfill,
General Design Consideration, Stability Considerations, Structural Requirements, Design Examples, Structural
Design Considerations (Joints, Outlet Works and Backfill Drainage).

Subject references: As above.

7 Pile Foundations (Single and Group of Piles) 2.5

Subject objective: To calculate the allowable bearing capacities of driven or bored single or piles groups.
Scientific content of the subject:
Piles, Ultimate Bearing Capacity of a Single Pile, Allowable Load on Piles in Cohesionless Soils, Allowable Load
on Piles in Cohesive Soils, Pile Formulas Based on Static and Dynamic Approaches, Pile Groups, Negative Skin
Friction, Efficiency of Pile Groups, Settlement of Pile Groups.

Subject references: As above.