BASEMENT Part One

Introduction, Design

CONSTRUCTION Requirement &

Element
 CONTENTS:
PART 1

• What is Basement?
• Design Requirement
• Element of Basement
• Method of Construction
 • A basement is a storey or several
WHAT IS storeys of a building that are
either completely or partially
BASEMENT •
below the ground floor
Not all buildings have basements.
 WHAT IS
BASEMENT

• For buildings with basements, the

furnace, water-heater, car park and
air-conditioning system of a house or
building are typically located in the
basement; so are the amenities such
as the electrical distribution system,
and cable television distribution
point.
 WHAT IS
BASEMENT

• Hollow structure built for many purposes

ü Working purposes (shopping, rooms,
hall etc.)
ü Storage (services & parking)
 WHAT IS
BASEMENT
• Important factors in design
ü Dead and live load of the
superstructure
ü Wind loads (higher structure)
ü Water pressure (during & after
construction)
 WHAT IS
BASEMENT

During construction
• It is necessary to protect
the entry of water by
providing retaining walls
ü Excessive water – use
retaining wall
ü Water from below –
pump out water
(dewatering system)
 After construction
• Continuous water pressure
WHAT IS ü Coming from the sides – cracks in wall;
therefore wall must be water tight, reinforced

BASEMENT concrete using designed mix, massive thickness

of concrete
• Continuous water from the underside
ü Provide release sump
 WHAT IS
BASEMENT
After construction (cont’d)
• Water from top level/above
ü to avoid basement flooding;
require proper drainage and
water tight door to basement
 DESIGN
REQUIREMENT
1. Client general requirements
2. Purpose of the basement
(parking, shopping, defense)
• Will influence the
method of construction,
machine to be used,
frame structure, finishes,
etc.
 DESIGN
REQUIREMENT
3. Depth of basement – in relation
to the ground water (shallow or
deep)
• High water level – floor &
wall must be watertight
• Low/deep water level –
easier wall construction (no
water)
 DESIGN
REQUIREMENT
5. Economic depth of basement
6. Construction method
7. Overall stability
8. Adjacent building/property
• To prevent crack to the
adjacent structure (retaining
walls, shoring etc.)
• Set back (front @20’0”)
(side@10’0”)
 ELEMENT OF BASEMENT

• Excavation
• Retaining walls
• Dewatering system
• Structural basement
walls
• Structural basement
floors
• Waterproofing
 1 2 3 4
OPEN-CUT CUT AND TOP DOWN COMPOSITE
CONSTRUCTION COVER CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
 TUTORIAL
Please research on the
abovementioned methods in brief;
• Construction method, in general
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
DONE
BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION

Tutorial: Construction Method,

Advantages & Disadvantages
OPEN CUT EXCAVATION
 • For all excavations, operators must
know:
ü the line;
OPEN-CUT ü the final depth of the
excavation;
EXCAVATION ü the approximate width of the
excavation at the top; and
ü the location of any services or
other hazards.
 OPEN-CUT
EXCAVATION
• Very old method
• Used in open space area where
there is no obstruction & no
building/structure nearby
• Economical compared to the other
type
• Beyond 6m deep, uneconomical
because it will involved a massive
excavation work and will require
retaining wall
 OPEN-CUT EXCAVATION
• If there is sufficient
right of way, open
cut trenches can be
used in almost any
soil condition.
• Generally a sloped
open cut excavation
is the most cost and
schedule effective
method of trenching.
OPEN-CUT EXCAVATION
• When the trench is
very deep and/or
expensive backfill
materials are
required, then a
vertical cut at the
toe of the slope
supported by shoring
may be effective.
• Ground water and
weak lower layers
may force partial
shoring or flattening
of the excavation
slopes.
OPEN-CUT CONSTRUCTION
 OPEN CUT
ADVANTAGES
• Allows continuous excavation, laying
and backfilling operations.
• Minor breakdowns usually do not cause
delays to all activities.
• The open trench needs only the design
of the cut bank slope.
• Because there are no additional support
operations and equipment, it is the
economical choice.
• The open trench provides easy access
to the work because equipment and
construction materials are minimized.
• The open cut method is suitable for
most ground conditions, except for
oozing mud and running sands.
 OPEN CUT
DISADVANTAGES

• The slope of the bank requires more

excavation and backfill volume than
the other options.
• The only bank support is the strength
of the soil. If drying, flooding, or
change of soil properties weakens the
soil, then sloughing and collapse can
happen with little or no warning.
• The sloped banks require a wider work
area.
• The bank slopes may force the use of
larger equipment because the distance
to reach into the trench is increased
and a greater volume of soil must be
excavated and backfilled.
CUT AND COVER
CONSTRUCTION
 CUT AND COVER
CONSTRUCTION

• The cut and cover construction

technique has been used for many
years as a means for building
underground transportation facilities.
• This method involves the installation
of temporary walls to support the sides
of the excavation, a bracing system,
control of ground water, and
underpinning of adjacent structures
where necessary.
• Normally carried out in congested area
(urban)
• The choice of using permanent or
temporary retaining wall depends on
the ground water conditions
Sequence of Construction:-
• Step 1: Construction of retaining wall
ü Permanent
CUT AND COVER
ü Temporary
• Step 2: Excavation Works CONSTRUCTION
• Step 3: Construct Structure – bottoms up
ü Permanent retaining wall made up of
diaphragm wall or contiguous or secant piles
ü During construction act as retaining wall with
no working space
ü Temporary retaining wall made up of soldier
pile & timber boarding
ü Permanent structure (new basement wall) will
be build slightly inside thus providing working
space 1-2m
• Step 4: Backfilling (where required)
• Step 5: Removing of any temporary retaining walls
ü Upon completion extract temporary retaining
walls
ü The main disadvantages of a cut and cover
construction are its disruptive effects in
congested urban environment.
ü Cost of cut and cover construction increases
sharply with increased depth
SOLDIER PILES AND LAGGING
STEEL SHEET PILES
CUT AND COVER TUNNEL RAMP
TOP DOWN
CONSTRUCTION
 TOP DOWN
CONSTRUCTION

• Preferred method: increase speed,

reduce cost, increase ground
stability
• Make use of permanent elements to
provide rigidity and bracing
 TOP-DOWN
CONSTRUCTION
Sequence of Construction:
• Step 1: Construct permanent
structural retaining walls along
the proposed basement perimeter
(diaphragm walls, secant or
contiguous bored piles)
• Step 2: Construct pre-founded
columns over the proposed floor
plan (H-steel sections inserted
into the pre-bored holes)
Typical sequence of top down construction
Typical sequence of top down construction
 TOP DOWN
CONSTRUCTION
Sequence of Construction (cont’d):
• Step 3: construct slab on the ground so that it
rest on all the pre-founded columns, with an
allowance for several pre-determined openings
for access
• Step 4:-
• first excavation – using several small
machines, drive down through the
openings & start excavating
• Temporary spoils located near to the
openings to be hauled, loaded & cart away
off site
• Important factors to be considered here as
the artificial lighting & adequate
ventilation system
3) Cast ground floor slab
4) Excavate and cast upper
basement floor slab.

5: Extend columns and cast

first floor slab
 TOP DOWN
CONSTRUCTION
Sequence of Construction (cont’d):
• Step 5: repeat step 3 – 4 for the
next lower floor (downwards)
7: Extend columns and cast
second floor slab (not
shown)

6: Excavate and cast middle

basement slab
9: Extend columns and cast
upper floor slabs (not
shown).

8: Excavate and cast lower

basement slab.
 TOP DOWN
ADVANTAGES

• Superstructure works can be constructed without

affecting the basement works
• Speed – an estimated saving of 3-6 months in
construction period
• Fast completion, early return on investment
 TOP DOWN
DISADVANTAGES

• Problems of excavating in dark & dusty

situation even with artificial lighting
• Limited head room & working area during
casting of concrete slab, boring of holes and
inserted pre-founded column
Contiguous Piled all - 750mm diameter at 900mm Centres
rig boring wall piles Secant walls and Columns
Diaphram wall Excavation
Reinforcing cage installation
Guide wall construction for piling
Completed Hard / Hard Secant Piled Wall
 Piling gets under way from the former
ground floor slab

Spoil removal was from one of

two moling holes.
Top-down excavation for basement The existing massive piled raft at new
levels 1 and 2 basement 2 level was broken up with explosive
charges at night and cleared during the day

Excavation at basement 3 level finally

included breaking up existing large-diameter piles that were part of
the observational method contingency arrangements
COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
• This technique introduced with the aim
of overcoming the disadvantage of
working in dusty and dark environment
• The main different is the construction of
pre-founded columns along the
perimeter area only instead of
constructing over & across the proposed
floor plan area
 • The band of supported slab
over these pre-founded
columns will give natural
daylight & better ventilation
through the middle/core
areas of the proposed floor
COMPOSITE plan
CONSTRUCTION • This will facilitate easy
excavating, haulage loading
& carting away of excavated
materials as well as good
access for bringing new
material
 • As a whole, this method is
basically the combination
of:
COMPOSITE ü Perimeter area – top
CONSTRUCTION down method
ü Core area – bottom up
method
 SELECTION FACTORS
• Site constraint (includes
accessibility to the site &
the proximity of existing
building)
COMPOSITE • Soil condition (whether it
CONSTRUCTION consist of sand, clay or
silt), as this is vital for the
open cut technique
• Space for soil slopes within
the perimeter of the site
• Speed of construction
 SELECTION FACTORS (cont’d)
• Whether the depth of
basement is depth enough
to justify the use of the
technique with economics
COMPOSITE
• Whether the site area is
CONSTRUCTION extensive enough for
operation associated with
the technique
• The cost of construction in
terms of economic
END OF LECTURE
BASEMENT CONSTRUCTION

Part Three
Element of Basement
 Retaining
Excavation
walls

ELEMENT Structural
Dewatering
OF system
basement
walls
BASEMENT
Structural
basement Waterproofing
floors
 • RAMP SYSTEM
• DAMSHELL &
DRAGLINE
• LONG ARM
EXCAVATOR
• MULTI LEVEL
EXCAVATOR

EXCAVATION
 Ramp System

ü Slope – not to steep (15◦ –

30◦)
ü Both excavator & transporters
able to freely move within the
basement
ü Problems – in wet or raining
(soft ground conditions) lorries
cannot move in & out of the
basement
 Damshell &
Dragline

Damshell – to excavate area

near the ramp
Dragline – lorry waiting at
ground level (not necessary
to go down)
üMax. reach – 10 m
üMax. depth – 9m
 ü Max. reach – 18.50m
Long Arm ü Max. depth – 15m
ü If >1 machine total depth and
Excavator total length can be increased
ü In shallow or small size basement,
not economical, as the idling time
is greater
 Multi Level
Excavator

ü Similar to ‘passing batton’ concept

which req. several excavating
machines located along the ramp &
lorries waiting at the grd. level
Excavation
 • TEMPORARY
RETAINING WALL
• Soldier Pile +
Timber Boarding
• Steel Sheet
Piling
• PERMANENT
RETAINING WALL
• Diaphragm Walls
• Contiguous
Bored Pile/
Secant Pile

RETAINING WALL
 Temporary Retaining
Wall 1
• Soldier Pile + Timber Boarding
ü Very old and traditional
method of constructing
retaining walls
ü Commonly used in site of less
problem or constructing
basement in highland site,
where grd. water is not a
problem
 Temporary Retaining
Wall 1
Soldier Pile + Timber Boarding (cont’d)
• Soldier pile (steel H-pile about 12m
length) is driven at pre-determined
space
• Timber. boardings or laggings (1500 x
300) are inserted during excavation
(excavation is done by layers)
• Joints between tbr. laggings are
usually not watertight, & the main
function is only to hold earth
• Grd. anchors are used to hold the
soldier piles
SOLDIER PILES AND LAGGING
 Temporary Retaining
Wall 2
• Steel Sheet Piling
ü Most suitable for shallow and
depth basement of 12m, so as
to avoid jointing in sheet
piling
ü Very high situation – tendency
to fail – use bracing
ü Incorrect alignment will lead
to water ingress – require the
use of interlocking sheet piles
(to avoid water penetration)
 Temporary Retaining
Wall 2
Steel Sheet Piling (cont’d)
• Pile driving is by means of:-
üVibrate (better verticality)
üHammer (bad verticality &
possibility of misaligned,
no space for pile head to
receive hammering)
 Permanent Retaining
Wall 1
• Diaphragm Walls
• A guide trench is excavated & lined
with lightly reinforced concrete
• Guide walls act as :-
o Guideline for the excavating
machineries
o Provide reservoir for the slurry
o Enables paving and
undergrounds services to be
broken out ahead of the
excavation
 Permanent Retaining
Wall 1
• Diaphragm Wall (cont’d)
• Excavation and concreting are
executed in alternative panels
ranging from 3-7m long with
widths ranging from 0.3 – 1m
• Alternate panels
ü1-4 – 7-10
ü2-5 – 8-11
ü3-6 – 9-12
 Permanent Retaining
Wall 1
• Diaphragm Wall (cont’d)
• During excavation, the above
alternating approach gives both
edges of the proposed to-be-
excavated panel with hard dry
surfaces (existing earth &
completed concrete diaphragm
wall)
• To form an interlocking &
watertight joint at each end of the
panel:
ü Circular pipes or
ü Hexagon sheet piles
Permanent Retaining Wall 1
• Diaphragm Wall (cont’d)
• Are place in the bentonite-filled excavation
before the concrete is placed
• Continuous operation of concreting the panel
is carried out using a tremie pipe
 Permanent Retaining
Wall 2
• Secant Piles
• Used in dry earth situation (no
water to penetrate)
• To retain earth as well as
water penetration
• Used in situation where water
is the major problem
 Permanent Retaining
Wall 2
• Secant Piles (cont’d)
• Exposed surfaces can be faced
by/with:
üA reinforced rendering
üCovered with a mesh
reinforcement and sprayed
with concrete
üSkin walls (reinforced
concrete or bricks)
 • PERMANENT
EXCLUSION OF
GROUND WATER
• Sheet Piling
• Diaphragm Walls
• Secant Pile
• TEMPORARY
EXCLUSION OF
GROUND WATER
(by lowering the
water table)
• Sump pumping
• Well point system
• Shallow/Deep
bored wells

DEWATERING
• Horizontal ground
water control

SYSTEM
 Dewatering
System
Generally,
• Part of ground water control
system
• Ground water can be effectively
controlled by a variety of methods
which have been designed either
to:
• Exclude the water from a
particular area
• Lower the water table, to give
a reasonably dry working
condition especially for
construction activities
 Dewatering System 1
Sump pumping
• Sump or water collection pit should
be excavated below the formation
level of the excavation
• Preferably sited in a corner position
to reduce any possible soil
movement due to settlement
 Dewatering System 1
Sump pumping (cont’d)
• Open sump pumping is usually limited to
max. depth of 7.50 m due to the
limitations of suction lifts of pumps
• Alternative method to open sump
pumping is jetted sump
 Dewatering System 2

Well-Point System
• Popular method for water lowering in
non-cohesive soils up to a depth of
between 5.0 - 6.0m
• To dewater beyond the above depth
requires a multi-stage installation
• Water jet into the ground a number of
small diameter wells which are connected
to a header pipe which is attached to a
vacuum pump
 Dewatering System 2

Well-Point System (cont’d)

• Well-point system can be installed
with the header pipe acting as:
ü A ring main enclosing the area to
be excavated, with one operation
pump & another standby pump
ü A progressive line arrangement
where the header pipe is placed
alongside a trench or similar
excavation to the side or both
sides
 Dewatering System 3

Shallow Bored Wells

• Similar to well-point pumping,
but is more appropriate when the
earlier method is to be operated
for a longer period, thus running
cost are less
• Can be arranged as a multi-stage
system when depth exceeds 5m
 Dewatering System 4

Deep Bored Wells

• Used as an alternative to a multi
stage well point systems
installation when depth greater
than 9m is required
• A borehole is formed by sinking a
300 – 600mm dia. steel lining tube
into the ground to the req. depth
 Dewatering System 4

Deep Bored Wells (cont’d)

• A perforated well liner (plastic,
nylon or steel) to be installed
with an electro-submersible pump
to extract water is lowered
• The annular space is filled with a
suitable media such as sand &
gravel as the outer lining tube is
removed
 Dewatering System 5

Horizontal Ground Water Control

• Consist of installing into the
ground a 100mm dia. PVC suction
pipe (max. depth 5m)
• The pipe is covered with a nylon
filter sleeve to prevent the
infiltration of fine particles
 Dewatering System 5

Horizontal Ground Water Control

(cont’d)
• The pipe is then connected to a
single suction pump (handle
approx. 230m of pipe run)
• For distances in excess of the
pumping length, an overlap of
consecutive pipe length of up to
4m is required
 BASEMENT WALL

• Waterproofing tanking on the

outer surface plus skin walls to
cover & protect the tanking
(asphalt tanking)
• Wall panels are protected
vertically & horizontally from the
penetration of water with the aid
of water stop
 BASEMENT
FLOOR
• Thickness of basement
floor will depend on the
soil conditions, in
particular the water
pressure from below
• Two situations:-
ü A floor with pile caps
& piles
ü Floor without pile caps
- raft foundation
 BASEMENT WALL
& FLOOR
Main problem:
• Jointing system (too many
joints as a result of large
amount of concrete in
basement)
• More jointing – more
possibility of water ingress,
to overcome:
ü Use water stop
ü Apply bitumen
ü Waterproofed concrete
 WATERPROOFING

Common methods of waterproofing

basement are:
ü Asphalt tanking
• All around floor & wall – in the
form of liquid application &
laying of pieces & sheets
 WATERPROOFING

ü Drainage layers
• In the form of plastic rolls,
water will flow down the rolls
(vertically) through the drain
pipe (horizontally) straight to
the sumps for discharging
ü Concrete admixtures
 WATERPROOFING

ü Drained cavity system

• Water seepage or moisture
penetration is allowed to be
collected & drained away
• Achieved by constructing an
inner non-load bearing wall to
create a cavity & special pre-
cast concrete drainage tiles
over the basement floor but
below the actual floor tile
finishes, screeds & DPM
 • Water will trickle
down the inside face
of the outer wall,
flow beneath the
floor tiles, discharge
into the surface of
water drains or
pumped into the
drain

WATERPROOFING