Foundation Engineering 1

(CENG 3204)
Instructor: Gideon Amha (E-128)
Introduction
Introduction
• Topics to covered in Foundation Eng. 1:
• 1. Site Exploration
• 2. Types of Foundations and their selection
• 3. Design of Shallow Foundations
• 4. Analysis and Design of retaining walls
Introduction
• Reference Books:
• I. Smith: Elements of Soil Mechanics
• B. Mosely et al: Reinforced Concrete Design to EC 2
• P. Bhatt et al: Reinforced Concrete Design to Eurocodes
• M. Xiao: Geotechnical Engineering Design
• EN 1992-1-1 (2004): Eurocode 2
Introduction
• Evaluation (tentative):
• 1. Test 1 (20%)
• 2. Test 2 (20%)
• 3. Final (50%)
• 4. Assignments (10%)
• 5. Participation
• 6. Attendance
Introduction
• Topics to covered in Foundation Eng. 1:
• 1. Site Exploration
• 2. Types of Foundations and their selection
• 3. Design of Shallow Foundations
• 4. Analysis and Design of retaining walls
Introduction
• 1. Site Exploration
• Any engineering structure rests on the ground:
• Info. about the ground needed.
Introduction
• 1. Site Exploration
• Foundation Eng. is concerned with:
• The ground.
• The foundation.
• Site exploration gives us info. about the ground:
• So that the ground won’t fail.
• Know the loads the ground exerts.
Column
Beam
Floor

Foundation
Introduction
• 2. Types of foundations and their selection:
• A. Shallow Foundations (approximately Df < 5m):
• Footings, mats
• B. Deep Foundations (approximately Df > 5m):
• Piles, Piers, Caissons
Introduction
• 3. Design of Shallow Foundations:
• Design:
• Width and Length (ground failure).
• Thickness and reinforcement (foundation failure).
Introduction
• 4. Analysis and Design of retaining Walls:
• Design:
• Dimensions (ground failure, stability failure).
• Reinforcement (retaining wall failure).
CH 1 Site Exploration
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Topics discussed in Site Exploration:
• Introduction
• Methods of Site Exploration
• Rock Investigation
• Ground Water Table
• Site Exploration Report
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Introduction.
• Purpose:
• Get info. about the ground:
• So that the ground won’t fail.
• Know the loads the ground exerts.
• The info. includes:
• c, φ, ϒ, w, …
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling.
• Take sample from the site and conduct lab tests on it.
• 2. Field Tests.
• Conduct field tests on the site (SPT, CPT, VST, ….)
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Take sample from the site and conduct lab tests on it.
• Lab tests: direct shear, UCS, triaxial, unit weight, ..
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Samples taken at some interval below ground surface.
• Example: 1m interval.
• Must dig holes to be able to take these samples.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Two types of holes:
• A. Test Pits:
• Wide, shallow, man made.
• B. Boreholes:
• Narrow, deep, machine made.
 B. Borehole

A. Test Pit
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• A. Test Pits:
• Usual size: 2m x 2m, 5m deep
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• A. Test Pits:
• Advantages:
• Less expensive.
• More convenient.
• Can observe vertical stratification of the ground.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• A. Test Pits:
• Disadvantages:
• Shallow depth (< 5m) means it’s applicable only for
shallow foundations.
• Could cave in (weak soils, cohesionless soils).
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• Usual size: 30cm diameter, 50m deep or more.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• Advantages:
• Can be used for any type of foundation.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• Disadvantages:
• More expensive.
• Less convenient.
• Harder to determine exact stratification of the
ground.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• Ways of drilling boreholes:
• i. Auger Boring
• ii. Wash boring
• iii. Rotary Drilling
• iv. Percussion Drilling
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• i. Auger Boring:
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• i. Auger Boring:
• Digs by screw like movement.
• Man operated: soft soil, up to 5m.
• Machine operated: all type of soils, up to 50m.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• ii. Wash Boring:
• Water is introduced by some means to the Auger to aid
in boring.
• Natural water content of the soil will be altered.
• Faster than Auger boring.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• iii. Rotary Drilling:
• A drill with diamond tip is used.
• Digs by rotating movement.
• Faster than wash boring.
• Can be used in very hard soils with boulders.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Boreholes:
• iv. Percussion Drilling:
• Digs by rise and drop movement.
• This causes high disturbance of the natural condition of
the soil, i.e. can’t obtain undisturbed samples (ϒ altered).
• Used when very hard soil or rock is encountered.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Number of test pits/boreholes:
• Depends on:
• Importance of the structure.
• Soil uniformity on the site(horizontal stratification).
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Depth of test pits/boreholes:
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• Soil Sample Types:
• A. Disturbed Samples
• B. Undisturbed Samples
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• A. Disturbed Samples:
• Structure of the sample is not like the natural structure of
the ground.
• So unit weight and moisture content of this sample are not
like the natural conditions.
• Used for lab tests like: sieve analysis, Atterberg limit tests,
specific gravity tests,…
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Undisturbed Samples:
• Structure of the sample is the same as that of the grounds.
• So, unit wt. and moisture content are the same as the
grounds.
• Used for lab tests that determine C, φ, ϒ like direct shear
test, UCST, triaxial test, unit weight test.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 1. Soil Sampling:
• B. Undisturbed Samples:
• How to take undisturbed samples:
• Drive some sort of cylinder into the ground.
• Dig out the cylinder.
• Seal the top and bottom of the cylinder.
• The sample inside the cylinder is undisturbed sample.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• Conduct tests on the site.
• SPT, CPT, VST, PLT, geophysical methods(Electrical and
seismic waves).
• Mostly for cohesionless soils because it’s difficult to
take/manipulate undisturbed samples from
cohesionless soils.
• But also done for cohesive soils.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• A. Standard Penetration Test (SPT):
• Most common field test.
• Conducted inside boreholes, test pits at the desired
depth
• Stop boring at desired depth  insert SPT equipment 
conduct test  take equipment out  bore to a deeper
depth  do the same
 CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• A. Standard Penetration Test (SPT):
• Test procedure:
• Hammer down until tip goes in 15cm  stop  hammer down
(while counting blows) until tip goes in a further of 15cm  stop
 hammer down (while counting blows) until tip goes in even a
further of 15cm
• Add the no. of blows (this will give you N).
• No. of blows for the first 15cm is not counted because this depth
is assumed to be disturbed by boring process.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• A. Standard Penetration Test (SPT):
• The no. of blows value N can be used to obtain soil strength
parameters (c, φ) or used directly to find the bearing capacity
of the ground.
• N is adjusted/corrected before its used to find these values.
• The boring log shows Refusal (R) if 50 blows are required for
any 15 cm penetration, or N = 100, or if 10 successive blows
produce no advance.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• A. Standard Penetration Test (SPT):
• Why the correction:
• Because no two tests can be the same:
• Differences in equipment efficiency, overburden
pressure, borehole diameter,….
• But hammer weight and hammer drop height are the
same for all SPT test equipment (64Kg and 76cm).
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• A. Standard Penetration Test (SPT):
• The correction is as follows:
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• B. Cone Penetration Test (CPT):
• A thin and very long device is inserted into the ground at a
constant rate, the grounds resistance to this penetration is
measured.
Method 2
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• B. Cone Penetration Test (CPT):
• This measured resistance (qc or σs) can be used to determine
the soil strength parameters (c, φ) or the bearing capacity
directly.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• B. Cone Penetration Test (CPT):
• CPT can be used to determine skin friction resistance in pile
foundations:
• Push cone alone = end b. res. (qc)
• Push sleeve and cone together = total resistance(qc’ = qc +
qs)
• Now, skin fric. res. , qs = qc’ – qc
•
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• B. Cone Penetration Test (CPT):
• All CPT equipment must have (standard):
• Cone: Base (tip) area = 10cm2
Apex angle = 60o
• Penetration rate: 20mm/sec
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• B. Cone Penetration Test (CPT):
• CPT is used in soft soils only(sand, soft clay, not gravel and
stiff clay) because of equipment limitations.
• CPT can be a good indicator of vertical stratification because
of sudden spikes in qc observed when a new layer is reached.
Method 2
 CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• C. Vane Shear Test (VST):
• VST is also conducted inside boreholes or test pits at the
desired depth.
• Stop boring at desired depth  insert VST equipment 
conduct test  take equipment out  bore to a deeper depth
 do the same
• The test is conducted by rotating the vane at a constant rate
and measuring the maximum torque needed to shear (fail) the
soil.
Method 2
Method 2
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• C. Vane Shear Test (VST):
• This measured torque (T) can be used to determine the soil
strength parameters (c).
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• C. Vane Shear Test (VST):
• Standard: Vane rotation = 5o/sec
• Device can’t determine cohesion above 100 kPa, i.e. not for
very stiff clays.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Most accurate field test.
• But also least convenient and most expensive.
• Involves installing a prototype foundation (plate) at the
desired depth.
• The prototype foundation is loaded in increments and the
corresponding settlements are measured.
Method 2
 CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Load Vs Settlement graph is produced and from this graph, the
bearing capacity can be determined by:
• i. Read the load at failure
• ii. Read the load at an allowable settlement (SF is the allowable
settlement of the footing):
 CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• The bearing capacity determined form the load settlement curve
must be changed into the equivalent foundation value.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Test is stopped when:
• i. Soil Fails
• ii. Settlement reaches 25mm
• iii. Equipment capacity is reached (plate, hydraulic jack)
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Standard:
• Round plate: D = 30cm or D = 70cm
• Square plate: 30cm*30cm or 60cm*60cm
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Limitations:
• i. Size difference:
• has been accounted for by a simple relation, but the
actual size relation is more complicated.
• This problem is less significant in cohesionless soils.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Limitations:
• ii. Short term test:
• Consolidation settlements can’t be determined.
• Can’t use settlement criteria to determine the bearing
capacity in cohesive soils.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• D. Plate Load Test(PLT):
• Limitations:
• iii. Zone of influence difference:
• The zone affected by the plate maybe less than that
affected by the foundation  misleading bearing
capacity.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• E. Geophysical methods:
• By passing waves through the ground and observing
different results related to the wave properties (velocity,….)
• To determine: stratification, depth of rock layer, GWT
location, …
• Not used to determine the strength properties (c, φ) of the
soil
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• E. Geophysical methods:
• i. Seismic Waves:
• Generate seismic waves on the ground(explosion,
hammer)  record velocity of the wave(geophones).
• Velocity is different depending on type of the ground.
• The closer the geophone is to the source, the shallower
the wave travels inside the ground.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Methods of Site Exploration:
• 2. Field Tests:
• E. Geophysical methods:
• ii. Electrical Current:
• Insert electrodes into the ground at different points 
make current flow between the electrodes  measure
the resistance to current exhibited by the ground.
• Different type of ground exhibits different resistivity.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Rock Investigation
• Sampling (usually used)
• Field tests (very difficult)
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Rock Investigation
• Sampling:
• known as rock core sampling.
• Bore up to rock layer  take a sample  conduct lab tests
 determine bearing capacity of the rock
Rock Investigation
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Rock Investigation
• Sampling:
• How to determine bearing capacity:
• Conduct UCST(unconfined compression strength test) on
an intact piece of sample  obtain qu,lab
• Calculate RQD (rock quality designation)
• Use table to find bearing capacity (qu, field).
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Rock Investigation
• Sampling:
• Sampling technique:
• Thin and long cylinder(tube) is pushed inside the
rock(open at both ends).
• Has a cutting tip.
• The rock inside this tube is the rock sample.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Ground Water:
• Ground water table level should be accurately determined.
• Why? ϒsub or ϒsat or ϒdry used depending on the location of
the GWT. (qu = CNc + qNq + 0.5ϒNϒB)
• Make a test pit or a borehole  wait some time 
measure the level of the GW from the top using a steel
tape.
• Wait about a day for sands and about a week for clays after
making the hole and measuring the GW level.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Soil Exploration Report (SER):
• A detailed and formal report of the site exploration.
• the most important data included in this report is the
bearing capacity of the ground.
• Only when an SER, validated by a proper company
stamp, is presented is the building allowed to be
constructed.
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Soil Exploration Report (SER):
• Sections:
• 1. Introduction:
• For who, for what, by who,….
• 2. Description of the site:
• Location, observed features if any (fill, road,…)
• 3. Geology of the site:
• Faults lines,…
• 4. Soil Profile:
CH 1 Site Exploration
• Soil Exploration Report (SER):
• Sections:
• 5. Test results:
• 6. Analysis and discussion of the test results:
• Bearing capacity at different depths.
• Foundation type and depth recommendation.
• Expected settlement.
• 7. Conclusion:
• Summary of main findings (bearing capacity, settlement,).
End