STD307B – Unit 3

Reinforced Concrete Foundations

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
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STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Foundations
Foundations are structural Different types of
elements that transfer all foundations:
loads into the ground. They - Isolated✓
form a critical component of - Combined
a structure and may be deep Shallow
(as in the case of piles) or - Strapped foundations
shallow (which is the type - Strip
that will be covered in this - Piled
module). - Rafts

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Factors influencing choice of
foundation
• Soil conditions
• Proximity of boundaries
• Allowable differential settlement
• Types of loads
• Site conditions
In choosing the type of foundation to adopt, consider
those which are safe, practical and least costly.

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Isolated bases
• Also referred to as spot or pad foundations
• Resist axial load alone or axial and bending moments
• Usually rectangular
• Supports a single column which is centred (wherever
possible)
• Due to proximity of boundaries, it may be necessary to
position the column eccentrically on the base, which
will result in an additional moment applied to the base
resulting from the eccentricity of the axial load

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Four possible cases
• Centric column with axial load only
• Centric column with axial load and moment✓
• Eccentric column with axial load only
• Eccentric column with axial load and moment

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Axial load and bending moment
• Pressure below the base will be assumed to vary linearly
between a min and max value in the plane of bending
• Base should be proportioned such that the eccentricity
of the resultant force 𝐸𝑐𝑐 falls within the middle third of
the base, and that the max working pressure (𝑃) does
not exceed allowable bearing pressure (𝑃𝑏)
𝑃 < 𝑃𝑏

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Working pressure
• Total bending moment: 𝑀 = 𝐷𝑀 + 𝐿𝑀
• Self-weight: 𝑆𝑊 = 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 × 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
• Total axial load: 𝑁 = 𝐷𝑛 + 𝐿𝑛 + 𝑆𝑊
𝑀 𝐿
• 𝐸𝑐𝑐 = 𝑁
< 6
∴ resultant is in middle third
𝑁 6𝐸𝑐𝑐
• Max and min working pressure: 𝑃 = 1±
𝐿𝐵 𝐿
• 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 < 𝑃𝑏 and 𝑃𝑚𝑖𝑛 > 0

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Bending
• Designed at ULS, pressure needs to be
recalculated using the appropriate factors
• Ground pressure below the foundation will
tend to curl the base up around the column
• Base may be designed as an inverted
cantilever slab bending about each face of
the column
• Reinforcement designed to resist the
ultimate moment about both axis
• Design for a 1 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒 width (𝑏 = 1000𝑚𝑚)

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Ultimate pressure
• Max moment: 𝑀 = 1,5𝐷𝑀 or 𝑀 = 1,2𝐷𝑀 + 1,6𝐿𝑀
• Max axial load: 𝑁 = 1,5𝐷𝑛 + 0𝐿𝑛 or 𝑁 = 1,2𝐷𝑛 + 1,6𝐿𝑛
• Note that the self-weight of the base has been omitted in
calculating the ultimate pressure since, although it would
increase the pressure, it would be acting in the opposite
direction to the pressure when calculating the shear force
and bending moment.
𝑀 𝐿
• 𝐸𝑐𝑐 = < ∴ resultant in middle third
𝑁 6
𝑁 6𝐸𝑐𝑐
• Max and min ultimate pressure: 𝑃 = 1±
𝐿𝐵 𝐿

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Bending in the long direction
𝐿−𝑏𝑐𝑜𝑙
• Distance from column face to edge: 𝑑𝑒𝑐 = 2
• Pressure at column face: 𝑃𝑐𝑜𝑙 = 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 −𝑃𝑚𝑖𝑛𝐿 ×(𝐿−𝑑𝑒𝑐) + 𝑃𝑚𝑖𝑛
• Total ultimate moment in the long direction:
𝑃𝑐𝑜𝑙 × 𝑑𝑒𝑐 2 𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑃𝑐𝑜𝑙 2
𝑀𝑥𝑥 = + × 𝑑𝑒𝑐 × × 𝑑𝑒𝑐
2 2 3
𝜑
• Effective depth of reinforcement: 𝑑 = 𝐻 − 𝑐 − 2 (Omit shear links)
100𝐴𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑
• Reinforcement: 𝑀𝑖𝑛 (0,13%) < 𝑏𝐻
< 𝑀𝑎𝑥 (4%)
• Minimum distance between bars: max(ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑔 + 5, 𝜑)
• Maximum spacing of bars: min(3𝑑, 750)
100𝐴𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑
• For adequate crack control: < 0.3%
𝑏𝐻

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Bending in the short direction
• Stress under base acting in the rectangular area:
𝑃𝑚𝑎𝑥 +𝑃𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
2
• Distance from column face to edge: 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑛 = 𝐵−ℎ2 𝑐𝑜𝑙
• Total ultimate moment in the short direction:
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 × 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑛2
𝑀𝑦𝑦 =
2
𝜑
• Effective depth of reinforcement: 𝑑 = 𝐻 − 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 − 𝜑 − 2
100𝐴𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑
• Reinforcement: 𝑀𝑖𝑛 (0,13%) < 𝑏𝐻
< 𝑀𝑎𝑥 (4%)
• Minimum distance between bars: max(ℎ𝑎𝑔𝑔 + 5, 𝜑)
• Maximum spacing of bars: min(3𝑑, 750)
100𝐴𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑
• For adequate crack control: < 0.3%
𝑏𝐻

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Reinforcement layout for bending in
the long direction
• Square base: spaced equally in both directions
• Rectangular base: spaced equally in the long span

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Short span
• Concentrate most of the
reinforcement over a band
with a width equal to the
smaller dimension of the • Use the reinforcement
base and centred on the provided in the short
column direction for the sections
that are not part of the
• 𝛽1 = the ratio of the longer centre band
side to the shorter side,
𝐿
i.e. 𝐵

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Distribution of reinforcement
𝐿
• 𝛽1 = 𝐵
2
• 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 =
𝛽1 +1
• 𝐴𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑞 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 = 𝐴𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑞 × 𝐿
• 𝐴𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑 = 𝐴𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑞 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 × 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝐴𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑
• 𝐴𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑞 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝 (𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝐵) =
𝐵
• Provide reinforcement for central strip
• Calculate no. of bars

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Tables of the area and mass of
reinforcing bars - SANS 10144:2012

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Detailing

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
Exercise 3-14
Centric axial load and applied moment
A 450x450 column is to support the applied nominal loads as tabulated:
Axial load Moment
Dead 800kN 60 kNm
Live 300kN 40 kNm
It is proposed that the base be 3,75m long, 2,75m wide and 0,5m deep. The safe bearing
pressure is 150kPa. Check that the size of the base is suitable for the applied loads and
calculatable suitable reinforcement for very severe exposure conditions.
• fcu = 25MPa
• Assume Y16 bars

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
References
• SABS 10100-1 (2000): The structural use of concrete, Part 1:
Design.

• SANS 10160-1 to 8 (2011): Basis of structural design and actions

for buildings and industrial structures.

• Robberts, J.M. & Marshall, V. (2010): Analysis and Design of

Concrete Structures.

• Parrott, G. (2008): Reinforced Concrete Design to SANS 10100-

1:2000.

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering
THANK YOU

STD307B – 2020 Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Mr. R. Fakir Department of Civil Engineering