Timothy Jay Adrian P.

Rojo
December 7, 2021

Activity: research the significant depth of footings for various types of soil.

A foundation/footing is a lower portion of building structure or substructure that transfers its all
coming loads of structure to the ground. The design of size and depth of foundation depends on the
total load on the building and the type of sub soil and its bearing capacity.

Foundations are generally broken into two categories mainly, shallow foundations and deep
foundations.

Foundation with depth less than 3 meter are shallow foundations. Such foundations are used for
structures that do not carry much load. They are also used in case the soil has high bearing capacity.
Examples of Shallow Foundation is isolated footing, combined footing, strap footing and raft footing.
Foundations with depth greater than 3 meter are deep foundations. They are deep below the finished
ground surface such that their base bearing capacity is not affected by surface conditions.

General selection of foundation based on different types of soil:

1. Clay Soil

What are the problems created foundation in clay soil? Soils rich in clay and silt have the
greatest potential to damage a foundation. Clay absorbs water easily, expanding in volume as it
becomes more saturated. So-called “expansive clays” can cause foundations to crack, heave and
shift.

When clay soils dry out, they shrink and crack, leaving gaps around a house where water from
the next storm can penetrate easily and repeat the expansion cycle. Clay-rich soils can cause
more foundation damage by expanding than by contracting.

There is different grade of clay soil present in all over the world United States of America,
England, continent Asia and India. First Clay soil with the higher plasticity have higher moisture
content, and their expansion and contracting volumetric change is increase that is more
adversely affect on foundation of building, 2nd type clay soil have medium plasticity have Less
moisture content compared to high plasticity, its moderate effect on foundation, third type clay
have low plasticity,less moisture content,at low risk for foundation of building.

Foundation depth in clay soil:- Foundation depth in clay soil depend on plasticity nature of
volumetric expansion and contracting, depth of foundation of footing in clay soil of higher
plasticity, it could be 1m (1000mm) deep, of medium plasticity, it could be 0.9m (900mm) deep
and for low plasticity, it could be 0.75m (750mm) deep beneath the soil where hard strata of soil
have been found.
 Minimum depth of foundation in clay soil:- according to volumetric changes expanding and
shrinkage nature and plasticity condition, minimum depth of foundation of footing in clay soil is
kept around 0.75m(750mm) deep beneath the soil where hard strata of soil have been found.

Maximum depth of foundation in clay soil:- according to volumetric changes expanding and
shrinkage nature and plasticity condition, maximum depth of foundation of footing in clay soil is
kept around 1m(1000mm) deep beneath the soil where hard strata of soil have been found.

How deep should Foundation be in Clay soil:- it is not easy task, first we do soil test, it is either
clay soil with higher plasticity or low plasticity get the report, higher plasticity and higher risk of
foundation of footing, lower plasticity, low risk of foundation of footing of building. Foundation
of footing should be 1m to 3m deep in clay soil, where hard strata of soil have been found.

What type of foundation is best for clay soil? Usually clay has a higher moisture content and
when the moisture content becomes stable upto certain depth it becomes suitable for the
substructure. Raft foundation is best to use when the clayey soil is compact and hard. Even strap
foundation can also be used. Soft clayey sand is prone to expansion and shrinkage need to be
provided with pile formation.

2. Loam Soil
- Loam is the ideal soil type used for foundation of footing, typically it’s a combination of
sand, silt and clay. It is dark in color and soft, dry and crumbly to the touch. Loam is great for
supporting foundations because of its evenly balanced properties, especially how it
maintains water at a balanced rate. Loam is a good soil for supporting a foundation, as long
as no miscellaneous soils find their way onto the surface.

Loam is the best soil type for construction of foundation of footing due to its ideal combination
of silt, sand, and clay. It combines the best of all their qualities into the ideal balance for
supporting a foundation. Loam generally does not shift, expand, or shrink drastically and handles
the presence of water very well. Safe bearing capacity of loam soil ranging between 0.8kg/cm2
to 2.7kg/cm2 (80 – 270kN/m2 depending on alluvial, loam , sandy loam and sandy clay loam.

Foundation depth in loam soil:- balanced properties of loam soil support the foundation, does
not shift, expand and shrink, depth of foundation ranging between 3foot to 7foot deep for 1 to 5
storey building where strata of hard soil have been found.

Minimum depth of foundation in loam soil:- balanced properties of loam soil support the
foundation, does not shift, expand and shrink, minimum depth of foundation in clay soil is kept
1m (1000mm) deep for 1 to 2 storey building where strata of hard soil have been found.
 What type of foundation is best for loam soil? Loamy soil is best/most suitable for construction
of isolated pad footings for foundation, The area and depth of footing is governed by bearing
capacity, depth of groundwater table and depth of load bearing stratum. Isolated pad footings
are provided under columns and are joined/tied together by connecting beams.

3. Sandy Soil
- Sandy Soil is light, warm, dry and tend to be acidic and low in nutrients. Sandy soils are often
known as light soils due to their high proportion of sand and little clay (clay weighs more
than sand). These soils have quick water drainage and are easy to work with.

Problems caused for foundation in sandy soil? Water passes through sandy soils rather than
being absorbed, making them more predictable. Instead of expanding as they absorb moisture
and contracting as they dry out, sandy soils maintain a fairly consistent volume and density.
Because of their stability and good load-bearing qualities, sandy soils are less likely to shift and
settle, so they rarely cause foundation problems.

Is sandy soil good for foundation? Water passes through sandy soils rather than being
absorbed, making them more predictable. Instead of expanding as they absorb moisture and
contracting as they dry out, sandy soils maintain a fairly consistent volume and density. Because
of their stability and good load-bearing qualities, sandy soils mix with loam, gravel and clay are
less likely to shift and settle, so they rarely cause foundation problems and it is good for
foundation.

Foundation depth in sandy soil:- depth of foundation in sandy soil is generally kept 0.8m to
0.1m deep beneath the sand layer where hard strata of sandy soil mix with either clay, loam and
gravel have been found above groundwater table, engineer should avoid running sand with
water.

Sandy soil have good bearing capacity, it consists of coarse sand,medium sand and find sand mix
with clay, gravel, loam and silt soil according to particle. it is light, more durable, it absorbs
water but do not swell in size making constant volume.

Minimum depth of foundation in sandy soil:- minimum depth of foundation in sandy soil is
generally kept around 0.8m deep beneath the sand layer where hard strata of sandy soil mix
with either clay, loam and gravel have been found above groundwater table, first you should
remove all find sand top layer of soil,excavated dig out, find hard strata of soil sandy clay soil,
sandy gravel soil or sandy loam then you should dig out minimum 0.8m to 1m deep beneath the
soil.

What type of foundation is best/suitable for sandy soil? Helical piers, also known as helical
piles or helical anchors, are best/suitable for foundation of footing for building on sandy loose
soil. Recommended Foundation type for Dessert or Sandy Soil in desert soils, multi-storeyed
buildings usually have pile foundations, especially driven piles or augured cast in-situ piles. In
case of loose sandy soil extending to a great depth, raft foundation maybe appropriate as spread
footings may settle excessively.
What is the best foundation for sandy soil? Multi storey building build on desert area or dense
sandy soil, best foundation for footing is pile formation. In case of loose sandy soil extending to
a great depth, raft foundation is best as spread footings may settle excessively.