SETTLEMENT OF

SHALLOW FOUNDATION

Cause of Settlement

Static loading;

Deterioration of foundation;

Mining subsidence;

Shrinkage of soil,

Vibration,

Subsidence due to underground erosion etc.

SETTLEMENT OF SHALLOW FOUNDATION

Immediate Settlement:

Occurs in all types of soil due to elastic

compression.

Occurs immediately after the construction.

Computed using elasticity theory

Known as Elastic settlement

Important for Granular soil

Consolidation Settlement:
Consolidation Settlement occurs over a period of

time
It occurs due to the process of consolidation.
Clay and Organic soil are most prone to

consolidation settlement

 Time related process occurring in saturated soil

by draining water from void.

Permeability of soil influences consolidation.
Since water flows out in any direction, the

process is three dimensional.

But,due to lateral confinement vertical one

dimensional consolidation theory is acceptable.

Secondary Consolidation: Occurs at constant effective stress with

volume change due to rearrangement of particles. (Important for
Organic soils)

Secondary Compression 1. This settlement starts after the primary

consolidation is completely over. 2. During this settlement, excess
pore water pressure is zero. 3. The reasons for secondary
settlement are not clear. 4. This is creep settlement occurring due to
the readjustment of particles to a stable equilibrium under sustained
loading over a long time. 5. This settlement is common in very
sensitive clay, organic soils and loose sand with clay binders.

Factors Influencing Settlement Many

factors influence the settlement of
foundation soil when a structure is built on
it. The following are a few important factors
to be considered in the evaluation of
settlement. 1. Elastic properties of soil 2.
Shape of footing 3. Rigidity of footing 4.
Contact pressure 5. Width of footing 6.
Compressibility characteristics of soil 7.
Initial conditions of soil (Density, void ratio
etc.) 8. Degree of saturation 9. Over
Consolidation Ratio 10.Time available for
settlement 11.Thickness of soil layer t t yrs
d d t t prim field field lab field lab 38.05 2
==
=
= prim prim S t t t S C H sec 10 log =
0.0047m=4.7mm 12.Load dispersion angle

Permissible Settlement

The allowable differential settlement is equally

difficult to specify since it is influenced by such

factors as:
The flexibility of the structural frame and
architectural faade.
The ductility of the construction materials.
The time interval during which settlement occurs. If
the rate of settlement is slow, most structures can
themselves deform plastically and better
accommodate to the deformation caused by
differential settlement.

In addition to bearing capacity, the consolidation

settlement of footings on clay should be evaluated. The

settlement estimates are based on one-dimensional
consolidation theory and oedometer test data.

In practice, footings are dimensionally finite, and

therefore, some lateral strains occur during loading and
the estimated oedometer settlement may be in error. It
is common procedure to apply a correction which makes
an allowance for footing geometry and the geological
history of the clay deposits. Hence,

 Immediate settlements of cohesive soils and the total

settlement of cohesionless soils may be estimated from elastic

theory. The stresses and displacements depend on the stressstrain characteristics of the underlying soil. A realistic analysis
is difficult because these characteristics are nonlinear. Results
from the theory of elasticity are generally used in practice, it
being assumed that the soil is homogeneous and isotropic and
there is a linear relationship between stress and strain. A
linear stress-strain relationship is approximately true when
the stress levels are low relative to the failure values. The use
of elastic theory clearly involves considerable simplification of
the real soil. Some of the results from elastic theory require
knowledge of Young's modulus (Es), here called the
compression or deformation modulus, Ed, and Poisson's ratio,
m, for the soil

Seat of Settlement

Settlement of Foundations on Saturated

Cohesive Soil
where, q = net applied foundation pressure

B = width of foundation

E = Youngs modulus

= parameter which provides the

influence of the shape of the loaded area

and depth of the elastic

material.
= parameter to indicate the influence of the depth of
embedment of the

foundation load.