TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS &

COMPONENTS OF BUILDING
 OBJECTS OF FOUNDATION
• Distribute the load of structure over a larger area and
transmit the load to the hard base of soil below it
• To load the sub soil at a uniform rate
• To provide a levelled and firm base over which super
structure can be constructed
• To increase the overall stability of the structure by
preventing its tilting or overturning against wind
earthquake etc
• To prevent lateral escape of soil or movement of the
supporting material
• Spread footing:
• It is used for ordinary buildings
• They are defined as extended bases of walls and
columns carried below ground level to distribute the
load of the structure over a larger area of the sub soil
• For the construction of this foundation a trench of
required width and depth is excavated , the bottom of
the trench is rammed properly and levelled
• After trenches are ready Pcc is spread evenly
• Then on this base the footing is constructed
 Stepped footing
• Here we have more than one projection on
either side of the width of the wall
• Depth of each layer is at least twice the
projection generally projections are kept as
15cms on either side
• Depth is generally limited to 0.9mts
 Combined footing
• It supports two or more columns in a row
• It can be rectangular if both the columns carry
equal loads or it can be trapezoidal if there are
space limitations and the columns carry
uneven loads
• Generally constructed of reinforced concrete
 Raft or mat footing
• It is used in those places where the heavy concentrated loads of the
structure are to be distributed over the whole floor area
• Also in areas where there are chances of unequal or differential
settlement raft is recommended
• It consists of a base slab covering the whole floor area over which
RCC beams are constructed
• Area of foundation is excavated to the required depth width and
length
• It is watered and compacted by heavy rammers so as to form a
levelled surface
• When the allowable soil pressure is low the use of spread footings
would cover more than half the area and it proves more economical
to use raft foundation
• A raft can undergo large settlements without undergoing differential
settlements
• They are useful for public buildings, office buildings, etc
 Pile foundation
• Piles are columns made of steel or RCC placed or
embedded into the ground to transmit the load of
the structure to hard stratum or compressed soil
• Loads of the structure are first transmitted to pile
and from the pile to the soil or hard rock
• This foundation is adopted when there is loose
soil for a great depth.
• Piles are classified based on function and
materials used
• Based on function
• 1. bearing piles: These piles penetrate through soft
ground and their bottom rests on hard stratum.
They are driven upto the hard stratum and transmit
the load to this stratum
• 2. Friction piles: when loose soils extend to a great
depth piles are driven upto such a depth that
frictional resistance developed at the sides of the
piles equals the load coming on the piles. They bear
the load by its skin friction developed by the
surrounding soil. To increase the skin friction
between pile surface and the soil the surface of the
piles are sometimes roughened and also the surface
area can be increased so that there is more contact
 COMPONENTS OF BUILDING
• 1. FOUNDATION
• 2. PLINTH
• 3. SUPERSTRUCTURE
 • The portion of the structure between
the surface of the surrounding ground
and the surface of the floor
immediately above ground
• Thickness of plinth depends on the
weight of the superstructure and width
of foundation concrete
PLINTH • It is the part of the superstructure
between natural ground level and
Finished floor level. the plinth is
provided to restrict the seepage of
stormwater and rainwater into the
building
• Plinth should be able to:
• 1. transmit load of superstructure to
foundation
• 2. Act as a retaining wall so as to keep the
filling in position below the raised floor or the
building
• 3. Protect the building from dampness or
moisture
• 4. Enhance architectural appearance of
building
Plinth beam
Walls
• In traditional
masonry construction, walls supported the weight
of floors and roofs, but modern steel and reinforced
concrete frames, as well as heavy timber and other
skeletal structures, require exterior walls only for
shelter and sometimes dispense with them on the
ground floor to permit easier access
• A wall is a structure that defines an area, carries a
load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing;
or is decorative
• The primary function of a wall is to enclose or
divide space
• Walls may be built of brick masonry or stone
masonry or concrete.
FLOORS
• Main function of a floor is to provide support for
occupants , furniture , equipment of a building and
the function of providing different floors is to
divide the building into different levels for creating
more accommodation within limited space
• All floors whether basement ground or upper
should be strong enough to support floor covering
and other superimposed loads
• Floors should provide a clean smooth impervious
durable and wear resisting surface
• Insulation against heat should be provided in case
of ground and basement floors
• Insulation against sound and fire should be
provided in case of upper floors
Floor covering
Wooden floor covering
 • Sills are provided between bottom of
the window frame and the wall below
to protect the top of the wall from
wear and tear
Sills , • The actual frame of a door or window
is not strong enough to support the
lintels and weight of the wall above the opening
and a separate structural element is
weather thus introduced between top of the
window frame and the wall coming
shades over it. This is known as lintel.
• Weather shades are combined with
lintels of windows to protect from sun,
rain etc.
• Bearing capacity:
• The max load which the soil can take per unit
area without any failure or deformation is
known as ultimate bearing capacity
• Sbc : workable bearing capacity of soil which is
considered for design purposes is called safe
bearing capacity
• It is the max load which the soil can take
without any risk of shear failure
• It is the ubc divided by a certain factor of
safety
 PLATE LOAD TEST
• Used to determine bearing capacity of soil & probable
settlement under given loading
• Consists in loading a rigid plate at the foundn level &
determining the settlement corresponding to each load
increment
• Ubc is taken at the load at which the plate starts sinking at a
rapid rate.
• Bearing plate : either circular or square, made of mild steel of
steel of 25mm in thickness & size from 300 to 750mm.
• Test pit : usually at foundn level having width 5 times test
plate width ,carefully levelled & cleaned bottom at the
foundn level.
• Loading arrangement: loading to the test plate may be
applied with the help of hydraulic jack.
• Plate is placed over fine sand layer of max
thickness 5mm, so that the centre of the plate
coincides with the centre of the reaction
girder/beam with the help of a plumb bob
• Load increments: load is applied in cumulative
equal increments upto 10t/m2 or 1/5th of the
estimated of ubc.
• Load is applied without any impact,
fluctuation in case of hydraulic jack , load is
measured over the pressure gauge attached to
the pumping unit kept over the pit
 Standard penetration test
• Test involves measurement of resistance to penetration of a
sampling spoon.
• The resistance is empirically related with some engineering
property of soil like bearing capacity.
• The test is performed in a clean hole of 55 to 150mm in diameter &
it is cased.
• A thick wall split tube sampler 2 inch outer dia & 1.5 inch inner dia
is driven into the undisturbed soil at the bottom of the hole under
the blows of a 65kg drive weight with 75cms free fall.
• Sampler is 1st driven through 15cms as a seating drive.
• It is further driven through 30 cms or 100 blows.
• The number of blows required to drive the sampler 30cms beyond
the seating drive is termed as penetration resistance N.
• Refusal is reached when the sampler penetrates 2.5cms under 50
blows.
 GEOPHYSICAL METHODS
• SEISMIC REFRACTION METHOD.
• Shock waves are created into the soil at their ground level or certain depth
below it by exploding small charges in the soil or by striking a plate on the soil
with a hammer.
• The radiating shock waves are picked up by the vibration detector also called
seismometer where the time of travel gets recorded.
• Either a number of geophones are arranged in a line or the shock producing
device is moved away from the geophone to produce shocks at given times.
• Some of the waves known as direct or primary waves travel directly from the
shock point along the ground surface& are picked up by the geophone 1 st.
• If the subsoil comprises of 2 or more distinct layers , some of the primary
waves travel downwards to the lower layer & get refracted at the interface.
• If the underlying layer is denser, the refracted waves travel much faster &
emerge again & reach the geophone.
• Seismic refraction is fast & reliable but only if the lower layers are denser &
thus higher velocities.
• If a blind zone , ie, a layer having a velocity lower than that of the top then it
cannot be detected.