Permissible Stress

approach

Limit State
approach

EuroCodes have now replaced British Standards for

designing buildings and civil engineering structures

Limit States

Ultimate

Limit States

Ultimate

Limit States

Serviceability

Statistical meaning of Safety

Variation in strength between
notionally identical elements

Variation of
maximum
lifetime load

Probability
of Failure

Load / Resistance
Load used in calculations

Strength used in
calculations

Risk = (Probability of Failure) (Consequence of Failure)

Conceptual Design Considerations

Conceptual Design
Structural Loadings and Functionality
Foundation Conditions
Explore possibilities
Evaluate constructability
Economic considerations
Plant availability

Detailed design
6

Design Considerations

Foundations must be designed both

structurally and geotechnically

Able to safely carry compression,

tension and shear loads, and
possible moments

Structurally efficient

Geotechnically efficient

Take tolerance of structure to
movement into account

'.. and we can save 700 lira

by not taking soil tests...'

Foundations
That part of the structure in direct contact with the ground
and which transmits the load of the structure safely to the
ground, with due regard to settlement and bearing capacity.
Must be founded:

below frost line to avoid problems of frost heave

below zone of seasonal moisture movement (water-table

influences effective stress)

below top-soil or organic matter

below zones of high volume change due to moisture
fluctuations (swelling / shrinkage of clays)

Foundation Types
1. Pad foundations (3.2.4*)
2. Strip foundations (3.2.5*)
3. Raft (3.2.6*)
4. Buoyant raft or compensated foundation (4.3.3.2*)
5. Piled foundation end bearing and/or friction (Chapter 7*)
These foundation types comply with Geotechnical Category
2 in EuroCode 1997-1: 2004 (2.1(19)).
See also Chapter 2 in Tomlinson

* Refers to section is BS8004

9

Various types

Pad Foundations

single

stepped

sloped

pedestal
Construction and Design

blinding layer at base level (50-75mm)

uniform base pressure can be assumed
reinforced in both directions
check moment at face of column
check punching shear critical shear perimeter
check no tension on base (middle third rule)
consider economics with strip
10

11

12

13

14

Strip Foundations

used under walls

used for closely spaced columns (consider
economics with pad)

helps reduce differential settlement

longitudinal and transverse steel

15

Raft Foundations
useful in soils of low-bearing capacity (large plan
area)
economic reasons (closely spaced columns)
variations include compensated and partially
compensated rafts

can be stiffened by beams cast (monolithically) into

the foundation (under columns)

Raft

Buoyant Raft (partially / fully

16
compensated