FOUNDATIONS

It’s the base onto which a building rests. The function of any foundation is to safely sustain
and transmit to the ground on which it rests the combined dead, imposed and wind loads in
such a manner as not to cause any settlement or other movement which would impair the
stability or cause damage to any part of the building.
Functions of a foundation.
a) Distribute the loads evenly
b) Reduce load intensity
c) Provide a level surface onto which other structural members can be built on.
d) Lateral stability
e) Safety against undermining or burrowing.
f) Protection against soil movement

Functional requirements:
i. The foundations should be strong enough to sustain the dead and live loads
imposed onto it and transmit it to the subsoil safely without impairing the stability
of the building.
ii. They should be sufficiently deep to safeguard the structure against damage caused
by swelling or shrinkage of the subsoil.
iii. It should be located in such a way that its performance won’t be affected by any
future influence.
iv. It should be constructed with durable materials so as to last long.
Terminologies:
 Topsoil: are soils below the surface being 300 mm deep
 Subsoil: are soils located immediately below the base of foundation.
 Backfill: materials excavated from site and if suitable used to fill in the trench around
the wall and foundation.
 Made ground: this is the excavated rocks or soils deposited for the purpose of filling
in depression or raising the site above natural level.
 Bearing pressure: pressure induced/produced on the ground by the load
 Bearing capacity: this is safe load per unit area which the soil can safely carry.
Methods of improving soil bearing capacity:
1) Increasing the depth of the foundation: this is due to confining weight of the
overlying materials to the granular soil.
2) Compaction of soil: compaction increases the bearing capacity of soil and reduces
settlement.
3) Drainage of soil: water decreases the bearing capacity of soil. Draining it results in
decreased void ratio and improves the bearing capacity.
4) Confining the soil: reducing settlement due to lateral movement of loose granular
soil. Confining the soil increases the bearing capacity
5) Grouting: this method is used for loose gravels and fissured rocky strata where
cement grout or other chemicals are used to hold together the granules.

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Classification of foundations
There are different types of foundations, the type chosen depending on.
a) Soil Conditions
b) Type of the Structure
c) Structural Loading (s)
d) Economic Factors
e) Time Factor
f) Construction Problems
Types of foundation
Foundations may be broadly classified as
a) Shallow Foundation:
 Shallow foundations are also known as spread foundations. These are founded near to the
finished ground surface; generally, where the founding depth (Df) is less than the width of
the footing and less than 3m.
 This type of foundation spreads the load over a greater area so that the load transmitted to
the soil is less than its allowable bearing capacity, thereby preventing excessive settlement
of the foundation.
 The width of the wall is made wider the base in a series of steps and footings.
 Shallows foundations are used when surface soils are sufficiently strong and stiff to support
the
imposed loads.
 They are generally unsuitable in weak or highly compressible soils, such as poorly-
compacted
fill, peat, and alluvial deposits, etc.

b) Deep foundation:
Deep foundation are those in which the depth of foundation is very large in comparison to its
width.
 These are foundations found too deeply below the finished ground surface; this is usually
at depths >3 m below finished ground level.
 Deep foundations are used to transfer the loading to deeper, more competent strata if the
ground soil conditions are not suitable.
 They include piles, piers and caissons

Types of Shallow Foundations

i) Strip foundation
 This type of foundation is a continuous level support for load bearing walls. It is usually
made of a continuous strip of concrete of 1:3:6 mix, and may be reinforced (1:2:4) mix for
poor subsoil or high loading.
 The continuous strip serves as a level base on which the wall in built and should be of such
width as to spread the load on the foundation to an area of subsoil capable of supporting
the load without stress.

a) Wide Strip foundation

 This type is used where the soil has a low bearing capacity and low bearing capacity and
the aim is to distribute load over as much an area as possible. The strip in this case should
be reinforced so as to arrest the shear failure together with the cracking (flexural) failure at
the bottom due to bending moment.

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 b) Deep Strip foundation
 These are used where the suitable bearing is way down and since concrete is good in
compression strength, it is mostly done in mass concrete. It is used to excavate foundation
trenches and fill them with concrete up to just below the ground level say 2 brick coarse
before the finished ground level.

c) Stepped foundations
 They are used mainly on sloping sites to reduce the amount of excavation and materials
required to produce an adequate foundation. The strip is stepped in series according to the
land and fall and the lap between two sections of the strip must be equal to the depth of the
strip.
 Where the step is substantial, the foundation is designed like column. The height of the step
should be such that a whole number of courses for the foundation walling fit to avoid a
fraction of a course.

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 Minimum overlap (L) = 2 x S; D or 300mm whichever is greater. Ideally the depth of
step (S) should be in multiples of wall courses with a maximum depth not greater than D.

Requirements for Stepped Foundations

i. The steps are arranged in short length at regular heights, usually a multiple of the
building unit courses.

ii. The overlap of the higher level to the lower level should not be less than the thickness
of the foundation and in no case less than 300mm.

Design of a simple strip foundation.

The size of a foundation is basically dependent on two factors:
1. Load being transmitted, max 70kN/m (dwellings up to three storeys).
2. Bearing capacity of subsoil under proposed foundation
Having ascertained the nature and bearing capacity of the subsoil, the width of the foundation
can be determined.

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Calculating the total (dead + imposed) load per metre run of foundation and relating this to
the analysed safe bearing capacity of the subsoil, i.e.

NB. In all cases W must give adequate working space which is usually 450 to 600 mm
minimum depending on depth of excavation.
Example:
Design the size of a strip foundation using the following information; bearing capacity of the
ground= 80KN/M2.
Wall thickness = 200 mm
Load of foundation= 40 kn/m
Solution: Width of foundation (w)= load/b. c
width = 40/80 = 0.50m = 500mm
Foundation projection = (foundation-wall thickness)/2
= (500-200)/2
= 150 mm
Foundation depth(D) = Projection (P), and depth must be at least 150mm.
Final size = 500 mm x150mm

Assignment:
Design a strip foundation to carry a 275 mm wide cavity wall, if the total is 60KN/M run of
wall and the ground is stiff sandy clay with a bearing capacity of 102 KN/M2