Foundation Engineering: Meaning

and Types of Foundation

 Introduction
• Many structures like dams, bridges, buildings, roads
etc. are constructed by civil engineers to serve our
various requirements. All these structures are
above ground and are visible. These are called
superstructures. Structures apply load on soil on
which they rest. If super­structures are placed
directly on the soil, the soil gets overstressed and
will not be able to support them safely. To safely
transfer the load of the structure on soil, some part
of the structure is placed below the ground.
 Introduction
• This part of the structure is called sub-
structure. Sub-structure is usually called
foundation. Thus structural elements that
connect, bridges, buildings etc. to the ground
are called foundations. Foundation of any
structure is very important because the safety
and reliability of structure depends upon
foundation.
• Load of a structure are transmitted from the
superstructure to the sub-structure i.e.,
foundation by columns or walls. The
foundation distributes the load to the soil in
such a manner that the soil is able to
withstand the load
 Types of Foundations
• Foundations are broadly classified into two
categories:
• (i) Shallow foundations and
• (ii) Deep foundations
Shallow Foundations:
 Deep Foundation
• Deep foundations are those that transit the
load to deeper soil. Deep foundations are
required when the soil at shallow depth is
unable to support a structure
D/B > 1 and a hard
stratum is available at larger depth. For deep
foundations, the ratio of depth of foundation
to the width of foundation is greater than 1.
Piles and caissons are deep foundations.
• D/B > 1
 Types of Shallow Foundations
• The shallow foundations are of following
types:
• (i) Spread footing
• (ii) Strap footing
• (iii) Combined footing
• (iv) Mat or raft footing
• (v) Continuous footing.
  Spread footing
• It is also called an individual
column footing. This is the most
common type of foundation and
can be square, rectangular or
circular in shape-it is often of the
shape of the column. It is made of
reinforced concrete. This is called
a spread footing as it spreads the
structural load over a certain area
of soil. Figure shows spread
footings.
 Strap footing
• If the isolated spread
footings of two columns
are connected by a beam, it
is called a strap footing and
the beam is called strap
beam. Strap beam does not
transfer any load to the soil
as it is not in contact with
the soil. Figure shows a
strap footing.
 Combined footing
• A spread footing which supports
two or more columns is known as
combined footing. A combined
footing is generally constructed
when two or three columns are
located very near to each other.
The shape of combined footing
may be rectangular if both the
columns carry equal loads or may
be trapezoidal if they carry
different loads
 Continuous footing
• It is also known as strip
footing. A continuous
footing Is provided for a
load bearing wall.
Continuous footing is
made of bricks. The length
of continuous footing is
usually much larger than
the width of the footing
 Mat or raft footing
• A mat footing is a type of combined footing
that covers the entire area below a structure
and supports all the walls and columns. It is
usually more economical to provide a mat
foundation, if more than 50% of the plan area
of a building gets covered by the combined
plan areas of all the isolated footing.
 Mat or raft footing
• A mat is structurally rigid and
when it settles, it settles
uniformly as a monolithic
entity. It thus reduces the
potential for differential
settlement. Mats are generally
used when soil conditions are
very erratic and structures are
too heavy for spared footing.
 Factors Affecting the Depth of Shallow
Foundation
• Thickness of top layer
 Depth of volume change
• Some soils undergo volume changes due to
alternate wetting and drying, like black cotton
soil. In such soil, foundation should be located
below the zone of volume change. The zone of
volume change varies from 1.2 to 3.5 m in
case of black cotton soil.
 Depth of scour
• For structure adjoining rivers or streams,
subjected to scouring action of water, depth of
scour should be kept in mind for location of
foundations. The depth of such foundations
should be at a level well below the potential
scour depth.
• Lacey’s formula is used to determine the
normal scour depth
• As far as possible shallow foundations are
placed above groundwater level in order to
avoid construction difficulties and to prevent
uplift forces acting on foundations. By placing
foundation above the groundwater level,
water proofing requirements can be also
avoided.
Underground utilities and defects
• Underground utilities like water supply lines,
sever lines etc. should be kept in mind while
deciding the depth of foundation.
Underground defects like cavities, abandoned
mines etc. should also be considered while
planning location of foundation. Foundation
should not be located on underground utilities
and defects.
 Property line and adjoining structures
• If a construction is to be made near an adjacent property
line, the foundation should be so located that it should
not extend into adjacent property line to avoid legal
disputes. If a new foundation is to be laid near a existing
structure, then the bottom edge of the near foundation
must be at minimum distance ‘S’ away from the old
foundations where S is the larger of the two foundations
widths. The depth of new foundation should be such that
the line drawn from the bottom edge of old foundation
(at 30° for average soil and 45° for soft soil) should not
intersect the bottom edge of the new foundation
 Types of Deep Foundations
• Deep foundations are of different types
depending upon the mechanism from which
these foundations derive its bearing capacity,
its shape and its material:
• (i) Pile foundation
• (ii) Pier foundation
• (iii) Well or cassion foundation.
 Pile foundation
• Pile foundation is a long and slender structural element
which transfers the load of the structure to some firm
stratum at a considerable depth below ground surface
• Pile foundations are principally used to transfer
the loads from superstructures, through weak,
compressible strata or water onto stronger, more
compact, less compressible and stiffer soil or rock at
depth, increasing the effective size of a foundation and
resisting horizontal loads. They are typically used for
large structures, and in situations where soil is not suitable
to prevent excessive settlement.
 Pile Classification
• Piles may be classified by their
basic design function (end-bearing, friction or
a combination) or by their method
of construction (displacement (driven) or
replacement (bored)).
• For more:
• https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Pil
e_foundations
 Pier foundation
• Piers are large diameter piles which distributes
the load of the structure along the entire
depth of soils in which it is located.
 Well or cassion foundation
• Well or cassion is a large size hollow box or
well which is sunk deep into the ground to
support heavy loads. The load carrying
capacity of such foundation is very large. It
transfers the load of the structure to the soil
through end bearing and skin friction. Such
foundations are generally used in bridges.