SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS

By –
C.M.GUPTA
Sr.Prof/Br.2
IRICEN

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Design of Formation/Foundation
◦ Location
◦ Stress
◦ Settlement

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 Types of foundations

Shallow Foundation Deep Foundation

(Df < B) (Df > B)
Footing Raft/Mat Deep footings
Isolated Continuous Piles
Rectangular Strip
Square Strap Well/Cassions
Circular Combined

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Shallow Foundations
Common Types of Footing
Strip footing
Spread Footing

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Common Types of Footing

Combined Footing
Raft or Mat footing

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Shallow foundations
 IS 1904:1986 is code of practice for design and
construction of foundations in soils: General
requirements
 As per IS 1904:1986. shallow foundations are
such types of foundations in which load
transference is primarily through shear resistance
of the bearing strata ( the fractional resistance of
soil above bearing strata is not taken into
consideration ) and are laid normally upto a depth
of 3 m.
 As per IS 6403:1981 (Determination of bearing
capacity of shallow foundations), shallow
foundations are those whose width is greater than
depth.
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Factors affecting choice of foundation
Function of the Structure –
Residential, Commercial, Bridges
etc.
Loads coming from the structure
Subsoil conditions
Relative cost of foundation in
relation to superstructure

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Factors affecting Depth of Shallow
Foundations
Depth of top soil or filled-up soil
Depth of poor surface deposit
such as peat, muck, sanitary land
fill
Location of ground water table
and its seasonal variation
Depth of poor or better
underlying strata
Depth of adjacent footing

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 Location and depth of Foundation
 IS:1904-1986: Minimum depth of foundation = 0.50
m.
 Foundation shall be placed below the zone of

◦ Excessive volume change due to moisture variation

(usually exists within 1.5 to 3.5 m depth)
◦ Topsoil or organic material
 Foundations adjacent to flowing water (flood water,
rivers, etc.) shall be protected against scouring.
 A raised water table may cause damage to the
foundation by
◦ Floating the structure
◦ Reducing the effective stress beneath the
foundation
◦ Water logging around the building: proper drainage
system around the foundation may be required so 9
 Location and depth of Foundation
 Footings on surface rock or sloping rock
faces
◦ Shallow rock beds: foundation on the rock surface after
chipping
◦ Rock bed with slope: 1010provide dowel bars of minimum
16 mm diameter and 225 mm embedment into the rock at
1 m spacing.
 Footings adjacent to existing structures
◦ Minimum horizontal distance between the foundations
shall not be less than the width of larger footing.
Otherwise, the principal of 2H:1V distribution be used to
minimize influence to old structure
  
Proper care is needed during excavation phase of foundation
construction beyond merely depending on the 2H:1V criteria.
Excavation may cause settlement to old foundation due to
lateral bulging in the excavation and/or shear failure due to
reduction in overburden stress in the surrounding of old 10
Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

IS:1080:1985 is code of practice for

design and construction of shallow
foundations in soils
3. GENERAL
3.1 The shallow foundations cover such type
of foundation in which the load
transference is primarily through shear
resistance of the bearing strata ( the
frictional resistance of soil above bearing
strata is not taken into consideration )
and are laid normally up to depth of 3 m.

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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

3. GENERAL
3.1.1 These foundations are of following types
a) Pad or Spread - In such type of
foundation, which is constructed of masonry
and/or concrete ( plain or reinforced ) and is
isolated, the loads of a structure is transferred
to the ground in such a manner that the safe
bearing pressure is not exceeded.
b) Strip-- Such type of foundation provides
continuous and longitudinal bearing for loads
carried by vertical elements, such as
continuous wall foundation beams or the like.

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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.1 In such type of foundations
wherever the resultant of the load
deviates from the centre line by more
than 1/6 of its least dimension at the base
of footing, it should be suitably reinforced.
4.2 For continuous wall foundations
(plain or reinforced ) adequate
reinforcement should be provided
particularly at places where there is
abrupt change in magnitude of load or
variation in ground support.
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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.3 On sloping sites the foundation
should have a horizontal bearing
and stepped and lapped at
changes of levels for a distance at
least equal to the thickness of
foundation or twice the height of
step whichever is greater. The
steps should not be of greater
height than thickness of the
foundations.
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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.4 Ground Beams
The foundation can also have the ground
beam for transmitting the load. The
ground beam carrying a load bearing
wall should be designed to act with the
wall forming a composite beam, when
both are of reinforced concrete and
structurally connected by reinforcement.
The ground beam of reinforced concrete
structurally connected to reinforced brick
work can also be used.
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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.5 Dimensions of Foundation
4.5.1 The dimensions of the foundation in
plan should be such as to support loads as
given in IS: 1904-1985. The width of the
footings shall be such that maximum stress
in the concrete or masonry is within the
permissible limits. The width of wall
foundation shall not be less than that given
by:
B= W + 30 cm where
B = width at base in cm, and
W = width of supported wall in cm. 16
 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.6 In the base of foundations for
masonry foundation it is
preferable to have the steps in
multiples of thickness of masonry
unit.
4.7 The plan dimensions of
excavation for foundations should
be wide enough to ensure safe
and efficient working.
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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.8 Unreinforced foundation may be of concrete or
masonry ( stone or brick ) provided that angular
spread of load from the pier or bed plate to the
outer edge of the ground bearing is not more
than
1 V to 1/2 H to masonry
or 1 V to 1 H for cement concrete and
1 V to 2/3 H for lime concrete.
The minimum thickness of the foundation of the
edge should not be less than 150 mm. In case the
depth to transfer the load to the ground bearing
is less than the permissible angle of spread, the
foundations should be reinforced. 18
 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
4.9 If the bottom of a pier is to be
belled so as to increase its load
carrying capacity such bell should
be at least 30 cm thick at its edge.
The sides should be sloped at an
angle of not less than 450 with the
horizontal. The least dimension
should be 60 cm (circular, square or
rectangular). The design should
allow for the vertical tilt of the pier
by 1 percent of its height. 19
 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
4. DESlGN CONSIDERATION
4.10 If the allowable bearing capacity is
available only at a greater depth, the
foundation can be rested at a higher level for
economic considerations and the difference
in level between the base of foundation and
the depth at which the allowable bearing
capacity occurs can be filled up with either:
(a) concrete of allowable compressive strength
not less than the allowable bearing pressure,
or

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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
4. DESIGN CONSIDERATION
(b) in compressible fill material, for example,
sand, gravel, etc, in which case the width of
the fill should be more than the width of
the foundation by an extent of dispersion of
load from the base of the foundation on
either side at the rate of 2 vertical to 1
horizontal.
4.11 The cement concrete foundation (plain
or reinforced ) should be designed in
accordance with IS : 456-1978 and
masonry foundation in accordance with IS :
1905-1980.
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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985

5. CONSTRUCTION
5.1 The cement concreting ( plain and
reinforced ) in the foundation
should be done in accordance with
the provision given in IS : 456-
1978.
5.2 The stone masonry construction
should conform to IS : 1597 ( Parts
1 and 2 )-1967: and brick masonry
construction should conform to IS :
2212-1962.

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 Provisions of IS: 1080:1985
5. CONSTRUCTION
5.3 The lime concrete should be done
in accordance with the provisions
given in IS : 2541-1977 or IS :
5817-1970.
5.4 Masonry should be constructed
over the base concrete after curing
the base of concrete for at least 3
days. Before laying concrete, the
bed of the foundation pit/trench
should be thoroughly compacted by
manual Ramming.
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 Provisions of Bridge Sub structure and Foundation code
General Design Criteria
◦ Preferably locate on a firm ground having stable strata.
◦ Should fulfill following basic requirements
 Safety against strength failure.
 Safety against deformation and differential settlement.
 Allowable bearing pressure shall be taken lessor of
 Net ultimate bearing capacity / 2.5
 maximum allowable pressure on foundation without
causing excessive settlement(>25mm or excessive
differential settlement)
 In open foundations, resultant lie within middle third
 Depth of foundation in soil > 1.75m below scour level.
 Shall not normally rest on compressible soils.
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Sub- soil Investigations
◦ Scope
 To determine nature, extent and engineering properties of
soil/ rock strata and ground water table.
 Use IS:1892, 6935, 2720,1498, IRC:78 for guidance
◦ Subsurface investigation be carried out during three stages
 Reconnaissance Survey
 Bad locations for foundations are avoided
 Reliable data from geological and topographical maps
scrutinized
 Preliminary Survey
 Scope restricted to determine depth, extent, composition,
characteristics of various strata
 Final Location Survey
 Detail tests to design safe and economical structure.
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Information to be obtained during sub-
surface investigation
 Site Plan
 Cross Sections along the proposed bridge
 Load conditions shown on a schematic plan, indicating
design combination of loads transmitted to the
foundation
 Environmental factor
 Geo-technical Information
 Modulus of elasticity and Modulus of sub-grade reaction
 A review of performance of a similar structure
 Assess possible effects on existing structure
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METHODS

OPEN FOUNDATIONS
 TRIAL PIT METHOD-
 SOIL CLASSIFICATION BY VISUAL INSPECTION OR BY,
 SIMPLE CLASSIFICATION TESTS
 SAFE BEARING CAPACITY MAY BE ASSUMED AS PER
TABLE

DEEP FOUNDATIONS
 BORE HOLES –SAMPLES AT EVERY 1.5m
 INSITU FIELD TESTS – FOR COHESIONLESS SOILS

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SHALLOW / OPEN FOUNDATIONS

• NOT RESTING ON COMPRESSIBLE SOIL

• DEPTH OF FOUNDATION IN
• SOIL – 1.75 m BELOW ANTICIPATED SCOUR LINE
• KEY IN
• HARD ROCK – 0.30 m
• SOFT ROCK – 1.5 m
• RESULTANT OF ALL THE FORCES AT THE BASE-
• WITHIN ⅓rd FOR – FOR SOILS
• WITHIN ½ FOR - ROCK

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Foundation in Non-cohesive strata
 BEARING CAPACITY by
 1. Plate Load Test
◦ IS 1888:1982
 2, Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
◦ IS 2131:1981
 3. Static Cone Test (CPT)
◦ IS 4968 Part 3:1976/1987
Guidance of IS 6403, 2911 (Pt.I&IV), 2131, 4968 (Pt
I&III), 1888 & 1904 may be taken.

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Settlement can be determined by
 Plate load test
 Standard Penetration Test
 Settlement taken place very quickly for
dead load during construction stage.

◦ Allowable bearing pressure

 Judiciously decided keeping in view
importance of structure and criteria
mentioned earlier.

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Foundation in cohesive strata
◦ Foundation bearing capacity can be determined as in
case of non-cohesive strata
 Settlement takes place over a long period of time
 settlement below foundation should be computed for
dead loads only
P = Pi + Poed + Ps
Pi – immediate settlement
Poed - Primary consolidation settlement Reduction
in volume due to sqeezing out of water
Ps - Secondary settlement Reduction in volume
due to adjustment of internal structure.

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Allowable Bearing Pressure
◦ Based on criteria given in para 6.1 of IS 6403
◦ In cohesive soil due to spread of settlement over a
long period, measures to tackle the balance
settlement at the time of placement of super
structure be considered.

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Foundation on Rock
Shall be designed taking into consideration
Nature of Rock formation
Dip and strike of the rock strata.
Presence of faults and fissures
Should not be founded on faulted strata likely
to slip
Fissured strata shall be stabilized by grouting
Bearing Capacity shall be computed
 From shear strength properties
 Shear strength may be determines by
unconfined compression test
 Ultimate bearing capacity shall be taken as 4.5
times the unconfined compressive strength 33
 Allowable Bearing pressure
 Shall be decided after taking into
consideration weakness of rock strata such as
 Sloping rock surface
 Stratification of alternate layers of sound &
weak rock
 Presence and extent of joints
 Planes of weakness such as bedding planes,
faults, cavities etc
 Factor of safety of 3 be adopted for sound
rock
 Allowable bearing pressure be further
reduced based on weakness of rock
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Non-Homogeneous and Unsound Rocks
◦ A factor of safety of 6 to 8 on unconfined
compressive strength is normally adequate

◦ For badly disintegrated or very soft rocks ( core

recovery < 35% & test cylinders not available),
 Adopt methods prescribed for soil

 Take guidance of IS 4464, 5313, 6926, 11315(Pt

II)

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Permissible increase in allowable bearing pressure
◦ May be increased for combinations of loads as per clause
5.13 of code-
 Combination I NIL
(DL, LL,I, LF, CF,EP, WC, B, TMP,EXB)
 Combination II & III 33.33%
(comb I + WL or SF)
 Combination IV 40%
(worst combination of above + erection load)

Condition of stability
◦ Following factor of safety be adopted(COM
 Against overturning - Combination I 2.0
- Combination II or III 1.5
 Against sliding - Combination I 1.5
- Combination II or III 1.25 36
37
Loads for Proportioning and Design of
Foundation IS:1904 - 1986
• Clause:15
• Following combinations shall be used
 Dead load + Live load
 Dead Load + Live load + Wind/Seismic load
• For cohesive soils only 50% of actual live load is
considered
for design (Due to settlement being time dependent)
• For wind/seismic load < 25% of Dead + Live load
 Wind/seismic load is neglected and first
combination is used to compare with safe bearing
load to satisfy allowable bearing pressure
• For wind/seismic load ≥ 25% of Dead + Live load
 It becomes necessary to ensure that pressure due
to second combination of load does not exceed the
safe bearing capacity by more than 25%. When
seismic forces are considered, the safe bearing
capacity shall be increased as specified in IS: 1893
(Part-1)-2002. In non-cohesive soils, analysis for
liquefaction and settlement under earthquake shall 38
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY
Gross Loading Intensity
Total pressure at the level of foundation including the
weight of superstructure, foundation, and the soil above
foundation. Qsup erstructure + Q foundation + Qsoil
qg =
Afoundation

Net Loading Intensity

Pressure at the level of foundation causing actual
settlement due to stress increase. This includes the
weight of superstructure and foundation only.
qn = qg - g D f
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DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY
Ultimate Bearing capacity:
Maximum gross intensity of loading that the soil can
support against shear failure is called ultimate bearing
capacity.
qu from Bearing capacity calculation
Net Ultimate Bearing Capacity:
Maximum net intensity of loading that the soil can
support at the level of foundation. q = q - g D
nu u f
5. Net Safe Bearing capacity:
Maximum net intensity of loading that the soil can safely
support without the risk of shear failure. qnu
qns =
FOS 40
41
DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY

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DETERMINATION OF BEARING CAPACITY
2. Effect of Water table
Total stress analysis Vs Effective stress analysis
Case 1. Dw<Df
surcharge q= ϒ Dw +ϒ’ (Df - Dw)

Case 2. Df<Dw<(Df+B)

ӯ = ϒ’ + (Dw-Df)*(ϒ-ϒ’)/B

qu= CNc+ qNqRw+ 0.5 ϒ BN ϒ Rw*

3. Use of Correlations between SPT/CPT value and

Bearing Capacity
Schmertmann (1975), Peck, Hanson and Thornburn (1974) &
IS:6403-1981 recommendations 43
IS 6403:1981 Recommendations

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Factors affecting Bearing Capacity

• Position of G. W. T. w.r.t size and depth of foundation

• Type of Soil and its physical and engineering properties
• Type of foundation and its dimension (shape, size depth)
• Initial stresses on the soils if any

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Plate Load Test – IS:1888-1982

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Plate Load Test – Bearing
Capacity Estimation

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Determination of Settlement

• For dense sands

• For Silts

• For Clays

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 Shear Strength/Bearing Capacity
from SPT Value

Pech Hansen and

Thornburn (1974)
&

IS: 6403- 1981

Recommendation

49
Allowabale Bearing Pressure from
SPT Value

Width of foundation b (m)

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53
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Total Settlement from SPT Data for
Cohesionless Soil

Settlement to be multiplied by factor W’ 55

IS Code Provision

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Other considerations for Shallow
Foundation Design

• For economical design, it is preferred to have

square footing for vertical loads and rectangular
footing for the columns carrying moment
• Allowable bearing pressure should not be very high
in comparison to the net loading intensity leading to
an uneconomical design.
• It is preferred to use SPT or Plate load test for
cohesionless soils and undrained shear strength
test for cohesive soils.
• In case of lateral loads or moments, the foundation
should also be checked to be safe against sliding
and overturning. The FOS shall not be less than 1.75
against sliding and 2.0 against overturning.
When wind/seismic loads are considered the FOS is 57
Codes to be referred

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Codes to be referred

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Codes to be referred

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Codes to be referred

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