FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY

Civil Engineering Department

Assignment for Foundation Engineering II
1. Write the major difference and their application areas of the following deep foundations
 Pile foundation
 Pier foundation
 Caisson foundation
 Coffer dam
2. A building column is supported by a group of 9 piles, arranged in a square array (as shown
in figure A). The diameter of pile is 0.5m and its c-c spacing is 1m. The soil profile consists
of medium dense sand extending to a great depth. The water table is at a depth of 2m below
ground level. The angle shearing resistance of sand is 34˚. Its dry and saturated unit weight
is 17 kN/m3 and 21 kN/m3 respectively.
A. Determine the capacity of a single pile.
B. Determine the capacity of a pile group in both single and block failure mode (using
effective stress analysis method)

By Fantahun A.
 FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA
GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY

3. A pile group consists 12 piles of 40 cm dia spaced at 1.2 m. The site has predominantly
normally consolidated clay. Arrangement of the piles and soil profile is given in the
adjacent figure. The ground water table is 4 m below the ground surface. It is assumed that
the soil above water table has the same density as below. Calculate the following for the
pile group.
a. Determine group efficiency of the given pile group, and also the allowable load bearing
capacity of pile group if the factor of safety is taken as 4.
b. Determine the consolidation settlement of pile group at the allowable load bearing
capacity of pile group based on the information provided in figure below. (use
approximate stress distribution by 2:1 method)

By Fantahun A.
 FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA
GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY

4. Design a group of pile foundation used to support a central column having an axial load of
2000KN. The soil investigation report is shown in the figure below. also determine the
consolidation settlement of the group pile.

By Fantahun A.