BUILDING

FOUNDATION
Today’s lecture outcomes:
1. Differentiate between substructure and superstructure.
2. Identify and understand the definition and functions of building
foundations.
3. Design consideration for foundation.
4. Differentiate between shallow and deep foundation.
5. Identify the common types of shallow foundation.
6. Identify the common failure of building foundation.
 Substructure
vs
Superstructure
Examples of
Substructure?
Examples of
Superstructure?
Load distribution and structural members

Top Soil

Sub Soil

Building Structure Soil Strata

 What is a
Building
Foundation?
• The foundation is the lowest division of a
building and generally constructed below
the ground level.
• 30% of the total construction cost is spent
on foundation.
• The functions of foundation:
1. To distribute the loads form the building
(building structure, live load, dead load,
wind load) safely into the earth.
2. To safely support and anchor the
superstructure of buildings.
3. To give enough stability to the against
various disturbing forces, such as wind
and rain.
4. To prepare a level surface for concreting
and masonry works.
Factors that influence the design selection of
building foundations…???
1. Soil types & condition
2. Water table condition
3. Site condition
4. Bearing capacity
5. Economic factors
6. Settlement
What is
building
settlement?
The ground consists of compressible soil
of varying degree. Under the load of the
building, the foundation will move
downwards; this is called SETTLEMENT.

When engineers designed the

foundation, they must make sure that
the settlement of foundations are
minimized.
• Uniform settlement – all the building
structures going down this is due to the
soil that cannot support the building
loads.
• Differential settlement – only half part
of the building structures going down.
it is very dangerous for building
structure. Once this settlement occurs
the building will crack and in some
extent it will collapse.
Foundation
failure
There are 4 common
failure of foundation:
1. Wind-induced sliding- this is
due to strong wind
2. Overturning- clockwise or
anti-clockwise – due to the
failure of one side of the
foundation.
3. Uplifting – due to
movement of the ground
surface.
4. Earthquake- due to ground
movements.
What is a good
foundation?
A GOOD FOUNDATION SHOULD HAVE THE
STRENGTH TO BEAR THE SELF-WEIGHT AND
LOADS.

A GOOD FOUNDATION SHOULD PROVIDE

STABILITY DEPENDS ON THE SOIL
CONDITIONS.

A GOOD FOUNDATION SHOULD BE DURABLE

TO HARSH CONDITIONS: CHLORIDE AND
SULPHATE ATTACK, TERMITE ETC.
Foundation
Shallow

Deep
Shallow Foundation
Shallow or spread foundations are employed when
stable soil of adequate bearing capacity occurs
relatively near to the ground surface. They are placed
directly below the lowest part of a substructure and
transfer building loads directly to the supporting soil by
vertical pressure. Maximum depth normally is 3m.

Deep Foundation
Deep foundations are employed when the soil
underlying a foundation is unstable or of inadequate
bearing capacity. They extend down through unsuitable
soil to transfer building loads to a more appropriate
bearing stratum of rock or dense sands and gravels well
below the super structure. Depth is more than 3m.
Shallow
Foundation
Deep
Foundation
SHALLOW FOUNDATION
 pad

Shallow
foundation

strip raft
 Pad foundation
Constructed using reinforced concrete and they are used to
support and transmit the load from columns.
Columns are made of various shapes out of which the
square is the most economical shape.
Pad Pad foundations are suitable for most of the subsoil except
loose sand, filled areas and gravel areas.
Foundation
a. Isolated Pad
Isolated pad foundation is used to transmit the load from a
single column. The footing of an isolated pad in a slab of
concrete which has a circular or a rectangular shape.
The reinforcements are placed at the bottom of the footing
in both directions which are perpendicular. The column
stump also consists with reinforcements
Isolated
Pad
b. Combined Pad
When the footings of isolated pad foundations
are very closer or is too small to provide
adequate width of the foundation, the columns
which are very close are connected to the inner
line of columns.
Used when:
1. When two columns are close together, causing
overlap of adjacent isolated footings
2. Where soil bearing capacity is low, causing
overlap of adjacent isolated footings
3. Proximity of building line or existing building
or sewer, adjacent to a building column.
 Normal Strip Foundation
Normal strip foundation is the simplest foundation type that
is adopted in the industry.
These foundations are constructed or being used in low to
medium height (risk) buildings. These types of foundations
are generally used to transfer loads from load-bearing walls.
Strip Placed centrally under walls and used in majority of
Foundation buildings up to 4-storey in height.
Normal Strip
Foundation

A strip concrete: continuous

below load-bearing wall in a
building to spread the load.
Placed centrally under walls
and used in majority of
buildings up to 4-storey in
height.
Strip foundation
Strip
foundation
 Raft Foundations
A reinforced concrete slab that covers the whole area
of a building and usually extends beyond it.
Best suited for use on soft natural ground or low
bearing capacity soil (e.g.: mining areas)
Raft A raft foundation is used at the following instances:
When the soil is weak or when the foundations should carry high
Foundations loads of the building. (e.g.: former mining area)
The stress of the soil must be reduced or when the soil has a
lower safe bearing capacity
There is a possibility of differential settlement in case individual
footing is used.
When soil strata are unpredictable and contain pockets of
compressible soil.
A basement is to be constructed.
 a. Solid Slab Raft Foundation
This type of foundation consists of a large slab that has
reinforcements in both directions.
The reinforcements are placed on the lower surface of the
slab, or the reinforcements may be placed on both the lower
and the upper surface of the slab. Solid slab raft foundations
are economical only up to a thickness of about 300mm.
Solid Slab Raft
Foundations
 Beam and Slab Raft Foundation
If the required strength should be greater than a solid slab
raft foundation or the required thickness of the foundation
exceeds 300mm, a beam and slab raft is adopted.

Beam and
Slab Raft
Foundation
DEEP FOUNDATION
 End
Deep bearing
Piling
foundation
Friction
THE END