DEEP FOUNDATIONS

A Deep Foundation is required where the

upper soils have insufficient bearing capacity
to support spread footings.

In such cases, the load is transferred

through the soft soil to deeper layers of soil
or rock with greater strength.
Examples of deep foundations include the
following:

1. Piles
2. Piers
3. Caissons
4. Coffer Dam
Pile foundation
• A pile foundation is a type of 
deep foundation which uses a single,
generally large-diameter, structural
element embedded into the earth to
support all the loads (weight, wind, etc.)
above-surface structure.
• Footings are designed to have an
adequate load capacity with limited
settlement
• The primary design concerns are settlement
 and bearing capacity.
• When considering settlement, total settlement
and differential settlement is normally
considered.
• Differential settlement is when one part of a
foundation settles more than another part.
• This can cause problems to the structure the
foundation is supporting.
• It is necessary that a foundation not be
loaded beyond its bearing capacity or the
foundation will "fail".
• A pile can be defined as a long vertical load
transferring structural member composed of
steel,
concrete,
timber or combination of them.

• Purpose is
– To transmit the foundation load to a firm strata
– To resist vertical, lateral and uplift load
Heavy structures which are likely to undergo large
settlements if supported on shallow foundations,
should be supported on suitable bearing strata at
deeper levels
Loads are transmitted to the subsoil in two
ways;
Friction between the pile and the surroundings
Bearing of pile on a hard bed rock at a certain
depth
LOAD CAN BE TRANSFERRED BY PILE
TO THE GROUND BY TWO WAYS:
a) End Bearing Piles
- Pile will transmit load into the firm soil
layer of the ground such as rock, gravel,
and very dense sand
b) Friction Piles
- Pile transmit the load from the structure
to the penetrable soil by means of skin
friction or cohesion between the soil &
the embedded surface of the pile.
 Deep Foundation - Piles

Hammer Hammer

Firm Soil Hard Soil / Rock

 Driven Piles

Two basic types of Piles

– End bearing pile - point loading

– Friction pile - load transferred by

friction resistance between the pile
and the earth
 CLASSIFICATION OF PILES

• Classification of pile with respect to load

transmission and functional behaviour;

– End bearing piles ( point bearing piles)

– Friction piles ( cohesion piles)
– Combination of friction and bearing
CLASSIFICATION OF PILES – contd.
• In order to connect
the piles after driving
them, an artificial
concrete platform
known as ‘pile cap’ is
provided at the top of
a group of piles.
• Over this platform, the
construction of the
structure is started.
PILE FOUNDATIONS ARE USED WHEN:
 The soil near the surface doesn’t have
sufficient bearing capacity (weak) to support
the structural loads.
 The estimated settlement of the soil exceeds
tolerable limits
 Differential settlement due to soil variability
or non-uniform structural loads is excessive
 Excavations to construct a shallow foundation
on a firm soil are difficult or expensive.
 Pile material
• Steel; H- piles, Steel pipe
• Concrete; Site cast or Precast
• Wood; Timber
• Composite
 TYPES OF PILES
a) Concrete Piles
i) Cast-In-Place Concrete Piles
ii) Pre-cast Concrete Piles
iii) Drilled Shafts
b) Steel Piles
i) H-Piles ii) Cylindrical iii) Tapered
c) Timber Piles
d) Composite Piles
 CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE PILES
i. Formed by driving a cylindrical steel shell into
the ground to the desired depth and cavity of
shell is filled with fluid concrete.
ii. The steel shell doesn’t contribute to the load
transfer capacity of the pile.
iii. It’s purpose is to open a hole in a ground and
keep it open to facilitate the construction of
concrete pile. (same function as formwork)
iv. Vigilant quality control & good construction
practice are necessary to ensure the integrity
of cast-in-place piles.
 PRECAST CONCRETE PILES
i. Usually have square/circular/octagonal cross
sections.
ii. Fabricated in a construction yard from
reinforced or pre-stressed concrete.
iii. Disadvantages of this pile are problems in
transporting long piles, cutting and
lengthening.
iv. It has higher capacity than timber piles.
Precast Concrete Plies
 STEEL PILES
i. It comes in various shapes & sizes
ii. Steel H-Piles are rolled steel sections
iii. Steel pipe piles are seamless pipes that can
be welded to yield lengths up to 70m.
iv. They are usually driven with open ends into
the soil.
v. A conical tip is used where the piles have to
penetrate boulders & rocks.
vi. However it needs to be treated before
embedded in corrosive environment.
 TIMBER PILES
i. Have been used since ancient times
ii. Length of timber piles depends on types of
trees used to harvest the piles,
iii. Common length is 12m
iv. It is susceptible to termites, marine
organisms and rot within zones exposed to
seasonal changes.
v. Even though it’s cheaper but it has low
capacity and can’t take hard driving.
TYPES OF PILE CHOSEN DEPENDS
ON FOLLOWING FACTORS:
a) What type of pile is readily available
b) Location & type of structure (magnitude
of loading)
c) Ground Condition (soil type)
d) Cost
e) Durability
• Number of piles to be used under any structure
depends on;
– Load
– Type of soil
– Material of the pile

• Pile foundations are advantageous in

– Water logged area
– Compressible soil
– Made up soil
– Steep slopes
– Marshy land etc.
TYPES OF PILE CONSTRUCTION
a) Displacement Piles
- It cause the soil to be displaced radially
as well as vertically as pile shaft is driven
or jacked into the ground.
b) Non Displacement Piles
- It causes the soil to be removed and the
resulting hole filled with concrete or a
pre cast concrete pile is dropped into
the hole and grouted in.
Displacement Pile
Non Displacement Pile
 Pile Shaft
Hammer
Poured in place fill

Pre bored hole

Deep Foundations
TYPES OF DISPLACEMENT PILES:
Can be classified into different types base on
how they are constructed and how they are
inserted. There are 3 types as follows:
a) Totally Pre-formed Displacement Piles
(pre-cast concrete or steel pile)
a) Driven & Cast-In-Place Displacement Pile
b) Helical Cast-In-Place Displacement Piles
a) Totally Preformed Displacement Piles
- Precast Concrete or Steel Pile
b) Driven & Cast-In-Place Displacement Pile
- This type of pile can be of 2 forms.
- The first involves driving a temporary steel
tube into the ground to form a void in the soil
which is then filled with concrete as the tube
is withdrawn.
- The second type is the same except the steel

tube is left in place to form a permanent

casing.
c) Helical Cast-In-Place Displacement Piles
- This type of construction is performed using a
special type of auger.
- The soil is however compacted, not removed
as the auger is screwed into the ground.
- The auger is carried on a hollow stem which
can be filled with concrete, so when the
required depth has been reached concrete can
be pumped down the stem & the auger slowly
unscrewed leaving the pile cast in place.
 METHOD OF INSTALLATION
a) Dropping Weight or Drop Hammers
- commonly used method of insertion of
displacement piles
b) Diesel Hammers
- Most suitable to drive pile in non cohesive
granular soil
c) Vibratory Hammers or vibratory method
of pile driving
- very effective in driving piles through non
cohesive granular soil
c) Jacking Method Of Insertion
NON DISPLACEMENT PILES

THERE ARE FOUR (4) TYPES:

a) Small Diameter Cast-In-Place
b) Large Diameter Cast-In-Place
c) Partially Preformed Piles
d) Grout or Concrete Intruded Piles
 Examples - Piles
ATLAS PILES
•The Atlas pile is a unique screw shaped
reinforced concrete pile design to take
maximum advantage of all the available
soil capacity by displacing the soil rather
than replacing it.
• ATLAS PILES
DISPLACEMENT PILES
•These piles are installed using modern,
very high torque hydraulic drilling rigs
which rotate a specialized displacement
tool into the ground.
•The action of the specially designed tool
causes the ground to be compacted,
•When the tool has reached the required
depth it is withdrawn whilst concrete is
pumped out through the hollow stem.
CONTINUOUS FLIGHT AUGER (CFA)
PILES

•The CFA Pile is a non-displacement pile used

where fast vibration free installation is required in
difficult ground conditions.
•The drilling process is suitable for penetrating
dense layers and is unaffected by ground water or
collapsing soil conditions.
•The pile is formed by first drilling into the ground
with a continuous flight auger.
• Cement-sand grout or concrete is then injected
under pressure through the auger’s hollow stem
as it is being withdrawn.

• The grout or concrete pressure is maintained

during the auger withdrawal so that it assists the
extraction as well as exerting a lateral pressure on
the surrounding soils.

• On completion of this operation, a reinforcing cage

is placed into the fluid column of grout or concrete.
• CONTINUOUS FLIGHT AUGER (CFA)
PILES
LOAD CAPACITY
•CFA Piles are most suited for use in sands
with load capacity developed in both adhesion
and end bearing.
•The design resistance may be calculated using
conventional static pile design theory with
design parameters relevant to non
displacement piles.
•The pile founding depths should be
predetermined before installation from a site
investigation report.
• This pile type is also suited for use in rock
with available equipment able to form
sockets in weak to medium strong rocks.

• CFA piles are not normally viable in lower

strength clays, unless a suitable end-
bearing layer is available to found in.
FRANKI PILES
•It can safely withstand very high compressive and
tensile forces and substantial horizontal loads.
•The installation process of each Franki pile takes
account of the soil conditions at each pile location.
•Quality control checks on the driving and basing
resistance of every pile result in optimum pile
performance.
•The pile is always sealed during construction.
Ground water or collapsing ground present no
problems.
• Noise and vibration levels are minimised as
a result of Franki’s unique bottom driving
technique.
• Because the impact occurs at the bottom of
the tube, the Franki pile is the quietest of the
driven cast-in-place systems and is suitable
where high noise levels would cause
environmental problems.
• Vibration levels are monitored regularly and
in most ground conditions can be kept below
the strictest international standards.
BORED PILES
•Large diameter bored piles are non
displacement piles which are Commonly
used where large vertical loads or bending
moments must be carried by a single unit.
•Bored piles founded in rock provide an
effective means of minimizing foundation
settlements and a small number of high
capacity bored piles can often provide
significant savings in pile cap costs over
other, lower capacity, pile types.
• Being non displacement type piles, bored
piles can be installed with little or no
vibration, and with much lower noise levels
than driven piles.
• The load capacity of bored piles is a function
of the geotechnical capacity of the pile, the
installation technique chosen, and the
structural capacity of the pile shaft.
• The capacity of piles socketed into good
quality rock is often limited by settlement
considerations.
• Bored piles are also particularly suited to
providing resistance to high lateral loads
such as those induced by wind loading
and earth quake loading.

• In these circumstances the larger

diameters available, combined with heavy
steel reinforcement cages if required,
provide the required structural strength.
• DRIVEN PRECAST PILES
• Precast piles offer the geotechnical efficiency
of a driven pile with the economies of a mass
produced product.
• A rigorous quality assurance program
throughout the casting, driving and testing
process ensures a consistently reliable product
with high strength and durability.
• Precast piles are most suited to ground
conditions where soft upper strata overlie a
hard bearing layer and in areas with clay or silt
deposits.
DRIVEN PRE-FORMED TIMBER PILES
•Timber was the first material to be used
in piling work and was the only material
used for this purpose for many centuries.
•Timber is popular in Marine applications as
it is a tough resilient material which can
absorb considerable shock without serious
damage by such incidents as collision.
•They are also more easily repaired than
steel or concrete piles.
 PIERS
 It’s a vertical bridge support.
 It’s a foundation for carrying a heavy
structural load which is constructed in site

in a deep excavation.
Among the things to be taken in consideration
during construction of pier are as follows:
a) Drilling through wet or caving soils may
need use of temporary steel casing. May
also require a pump to dewater the hole &
place concrete. This is more expensive and
require a large diameter hole.
b) For the purpose of reinforcing, it’s difficult to
get bars to the full depth of the pier with the
proper concrete cover in deep holes. Use
centralizes. Use large diameter bars versus
more bars.
c) Don’t leave holes open for any length of
time even in dry condition. Cuttings fall in
or etc. Have concrete on site and fill right
after drilling and cleaning.
Pier
Pier
 WHAT IS CAISSONS?
 It’s a prefabricated hollow box or cylinder.
 It is sunk into the ground to some desired
depth and then filled with concrete thus
forming a foundation.
 Most often used in the construction of bridge
piers and other structures that require
foundation beneath rivers and other bodies of
water.
 This is because caissons can be floated to the
job site and sunk into place.
 Basically it is similar in form to pile
foundation but installed using different way
 used when soil of adequate bearing strength
is found below surface layers of weak
materials such as fill or peat.
 It’s a form of deep foundation which are
constructed above ground level, then sunk to
the required level by excavating or dredging
material from within the caisson.
 A caisson foundation consists of concrete

columns constructed in cylindrical shafts

excavated under the proposed structural
column locations
 Caissons are drilled to bedrock or deep
into the underlying strata if a geotech eng.
find the soil suitable to carry the building
load.
 It’s created by auguring a deep hole in the
ground.
 Then, 2 or more ‘stick’ reinforcing bars are
inserted into and run the full length of the
hole and the concrete is poured into the
caisson hole.
 The caisson foundations carry the building
loads at their lower ends, which are often
bell-shaped.
 TYPES OF CAISSONS
 Box Caissons
 Excavated Caissons
 Floating Caissons
 Open Caissons
 Pneumatic Caissons
 Sheeted Caissons
Reinforced Concrete Caissons
Caissons
 FOUNDATION FAILURES

• Different causes for foundation failure can be

listed as;
– Non-uniform settlement of subsoil and masonry
– Horizontal movement of the soil adjacent to structure
– Alternate swelling and shrinkage in wet and dry
circles of the season
– Lateral pressure due to lateral movement of earth
tending to overturn the structure
– Action of weather conditions
– Lateral escape of the soil beneath the foundation
– Penetration of roots of trees and shrubs
Evaporation: Hot and dry conditions and extended periods
of drought will cause soils to pull away from foundations.
Settlement usually occurs showing cracks throughout the
structure in concrete and drywall.
Transpiration: The removal of moisture from the soils
caused by plant and tree roots around or under structures will
cause soil shrinkage and settlement of your foundation.
Poor Soil condition: Expansion and/or contraction of poor
soils contribute to foundation failures
Poor Soil Preparation: In most cases, cut and fill areas
are improperly compacted causing settlement of the structure.
Poor Foundation Construction: Insufficient steel in the
concrete could contribute to movement in foundations.
Plumbing: Water from leaky plumbing is often a major
contributor to foundation problems. For more information on
water problems.
Drainage: Water that is not drained away from structures will
lead to excess mosture build up. Moisture could then erode
soils and cause settling of structures.