NZGS GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING BASICS

PREPARED BY:
Maddie Hansen (Titus Consulting Engineers)
Liam Vick (Titus Consulting Engineers)
SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS REVIEWED BY: Ayoub Riman (ENGEO Ltd.)

PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOUNDATION TYPES DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Shallow foundations Settlement Perimeter Foundation Ground Conditions

• Where embedment depth is less than 5 times the • Static (immediate and long-term) • Load distributed to building perimeter • Identify a bearing layer at shallow depth
width of the foundation (B1/VM4) • Total and differential capable of providing support for building
• A shallow founding layer is identified – Avoid constructing on different geological Slab on ground loads or
• Support a structure through its design life formations • Concrete slab with footings embedded to • Construct well-engineered ground
– SLS, ULS and High WT conditions – For acceptance of settlements, collaborate with good ground improvements
• NZS1170 provides guidance on ULS and SLS the structural engineer • Bearing layer must be capable of
earthquake performance requirements • Refer to NZGS Static Settlement Poster Mat Foundation bridging over underlying liquefiable soils
• Building Code B1/VM4 • Thick concrete slab with no footings, without ‘punch through’
• MBIE / NZGS Module 4 Liquefaction spreading the load through the slab – Thickness is relative to weight of
• Vertical Settlements and Subsidence building and building form
Desktop Site Assessment • Lateral Spread Waffle Foundations • The bearing layer should be continuous
• Historical Imagery (eg. Retrolens) – Overall horizontal movement of ground • Ribbed with polystyrene inserts to across the site to provide uniform
• GNS New Zealand Geology Web Map • Lateral Stretch increase strength and distribute load support to the building footprint
– Faults & Underlying Geology – Overall lateral stretching beneath a building across ground surface • Where the bearing layer overlies
• Council hazard and service maps • MBIE / NZGS Module 4 • Allows for construction on softer ground liquefiable soils, the foundation system
• New Zealand Geotechnical Database (NZGD) • Refer to NZGS Liquefaction and Lateral Spread should be capable of spanning pockets of
• Local council archive search poster Ground improvement beneath foundations lost support from pore water penetration
• Canterbury Residential Technical into the layer
Proposed Site Development Soil Expansivity Guidance, (2012)
• Building Type: Residential or Commercial • Can affect foundations by shrinking and swelling • MBIE / NZGS Module 5 Foundation Conditions
• Rigid or Flexible (Tolerance to deformations) which bends or removes support from foundations • Concrete mat of raft foundations
• Building loads (Compression, tension, lateral) • NZS 3604:2011 should be capable of resisting the
• Site cut to fill plan high pore-water pressures caused by
• Building importance level and design life. Bearing Capacity liquefaction at depth
• MBIE / NZGS Module 4 • Shallow foundations should be well-tied
Site Assessment and Ground Investigation • Building Code B1/VM4 together
• Greenfield or Brownfield • Consider safety in design
• Underground services and collaboration with Loading • MBIE / NZGS Module 4
asset owners if required • MBIE / NZGS Module 1
• H&S risk assessment • NZS 1170.5:2004
• Topography / Geomorphology • Building Code B1/VM4
• Water outlets / flow paths / water features
• Ground Investigations Rocking / Overturning / Sliding
– MBIE / NZGS Module 2 • Building Code B1/VM4
– NZ Ground Investigation Specification
• Construct ground model from site data
• Refer to NZGS Ground Model poster

DISCLAIMER: This reference guide is not a standard. It is a ‘rough guide’ based

on common practice in New Zealand. The recommended calculation process
/ analytical methods within this document are not intended to be codified nor
does the document hold any legal requirement / standing in New Zealand. The
accuracy of the process described below depends highly on the expertise of
the geoprofessional regarding the modeling of the design, the understanding
of various soil models and their limitations, the selection of material
parameters, and the ability to judge the results.
NOTE: Bold, underlined text contain hyperlinks to external sources. These
hyperlinks are subject to failure should these posters be reviewed in print form. FIGURE: www.seismicresilience.org.nz