Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of

earth materials. It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics for the solution of its
respective engineering problems.

3 branches of Geotechnical Engineering

• Soil Mechanics
• Rock Mechanics
• Foundation Engineering

Foundation engineering is a branch of geotechnical engineering which applies soil mechanics, structural
engineering, and project serviceability requirements for design and construction of foundations for
onshore, offshore, and in-land structures.

A foundation is the lowest part of the building structure. It is the engineering field of study devoted to
the design of those structures which support other structures, most typically buildings, bridges or
transportation infrastructure.

2 Types of Foundation
• Shallow Foundations
Foundations with a depth of embedment-to-width ratio of approximately less than four can be
considered as a shallow foundation.

2 Types of Shallow Foundations

Spread Footing- Enlargement of a load-bearing wall or column to spread
Mat Foundation- A concrete pad where the entire structure is supported

• Deep Foundations
Foundations with a depth of embedment-to-width ratio of foundations greater than four can be
considered as deep foundations

2 Types of Deep Foundations

Pile Foundation
FRICTION PILES - shear resistance along the surface of the pile
END BEARING PILES - load is transmitted at the tip to a firm stratum of soil

Drilled Shaft Foundation- -Shaft drilled in the subsoil is then filled with concrete