Machine Foundation

Foundation

- A structure firmly established a support load.

Machinery Foundation

- A build up structure regardless of shape or size

supporting a downward or slide pressure and designed to support
and maintain correct relation of a given machine.

• Functions of Machinery Foundation

1. To maintain the supported machine at its proper elevation

and proper alignment.

2. If the machine it is supporting is unbalanced, to prevent

(or at least minimize) vibration of the machine itself and
to prevent (or minimize) the transmission of vibration to
bodies external to the foundation structure.

6 Requirements for the Machine Foundation to retain its proper

elevation and alignment:

1. The foundation must have a sufficient base or bottom area so

that the pressure imposed by it will not exceed the safe
bearing pressure of the soil.

2. The foundation should have sufficient base area and that

there should be no too great difference between loads
imposed by the foundation on the different equal areas of
the supporting soil.

*The foundation sinks this position

3. The foundation must have sufficient weight and such

proportion that the resultant of the total vertical loads

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 and non-vertical forces which may occur during the engine
operation will always fall within the base area of the
foundation.

*resultant falls beyond the base area, foundation might tilt

4. The foundation must have sufficient weight to prevent it

from sliding horizontally on the supporting soil.

* foundation tend to move either leftward or rightward

5. The foundation must have sufficient weight to prevent it

from being rotated horizontally around the vertical axis
forces occasioned by the engine operation.

6. The foundation must have sufficient weight to prevent the

supported machine from being lifted upward by forces.

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Possible Steps in Designing Machine Foundation
• Know all details on machine to be supported (dimensions,
capacity, etc.)

• Start with a rectangular foundation (Ay=AB); top dimension

based on machine base plate.

• Check actual weight of the foundation to minimum weight

(actual weight > minimum weight of the foundation)

• If not satisfied, make necessary adjustment

• If ok, check safety (Sf < SD) (induced stress < design
stress)

• If not satisfied, make further adjustments.

• If ok, finalize foundation dimensions.

• Estimate amount of cementing materials based on

classification selected. (no. of bag cement, ft3 of sand and
gravel, gal. of H2O and weight of reinforcing steel bars)

Typical layout of a Machine Foundation

Design of a Machine Foundation

1. Top Length of the foundation, L

𝑳 = 𝒃 + 𝟐𝒄

Where:

b -length of the base plate

c - dimension clearance

2. Upper width of the foundation, a

𝑾 = 𝒂 + 𝟐𝒄

Where:

a – width of the base plate

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 3. Minimum weight of the foundation to absorb vibration

𝒎𝒊𝒏. 𝑾𝑭 = 𝒄 𝑾𝒆 √𝑵

Where:

min. WF - minimum weight of the foundation

c – empirical coefficient (refer to table)

We - Weight of the engine.

N – engine speed in rpm

NOTE:

1. The clearance or the distance of the edge of the foundation

from the base plate must be 6in. (120mm) to 12 in. (300mm)
to secure the belts imbedded within the foundation.

2. The vertical distance from the floor or soil level to the

top edge of the foundation must be around 6in. (120mm) as
minimum distance.

3. The foundation depth may be taken to be 3.2 to 4.2 time the

engine stroke.

The total load which in any case imposed by a foundation on its

supporting soil comprises:

4. Dead Load

a. Weight foundation

b. Weight of the machine supported by the foundation.

5.Mechanical forces which may be occasioned by the machine

operation, either constantly or intermittently.

Table for values of c; c= empirical coefficient

Type of Engine Cylinder Arrangement No. of c

cylinder
Single - Acting Vertical 1 0.15
Single - Acting Vertical 2 0.14
Single - Acting Vertical 3 0.12
Single - Acting Vertical 4-6-8 0.11
Single - Acting Horizontal 1 0.25
Single - Acting Horizontal, Duplex 2 0.24
Single - Acting Horizontal, Twin Duplex 4 0.23
Double - Acting Horizontal 1-2 0.32
Double - Acting Horizontal, Twin Duplex 4 0.20

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 For Spread Footing:

For good proportions

θ = 22.5° to 30° max preferred
θ θ θ = 45° critical
θ
θ
θ

• Weight of machine foundation per brake Hp to dampen

vibration almost completely:

Prime Mover Single-Cylinder Multi-Cylinder

Gas Engine 2500lb 1600lb

Diesel Engine 2000lb 1250lb
Steam Engine 700lb 500lb
Steam Turbine Not to exceed permissible deflection as
stated by turbine manufacturer
Note:

If shaking forces can be calculated, mass of weight equal to

10-20 times the forces should be adequate to dampen vibration.

Soil Bearing Capacity (SBC);

-The maximum load per unit area which the soil will safely
support.

Design Stress (SD);

𝑆𝐵𝐶
𝑆𝐷 =
𝐹𝑆
Where; FS-Factor of Safety

SBC- Soil Bearing Capacity

Induced Stress (SI);

𝑊𝐹 + 𝑊𝐸
𝑆𝐼 =
𝐴𝐵

Where; WF- Weight of Foundation

WE- Weight of Engine

AB- Bottom Area

• Checking for Safety:

*𝑺𝑰 ≤ 𝑺𝑫 (𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆); 𝑺𝑰 > 𝑺𝑫 (𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆!!!)

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Safe Bearing Pressure of Soils:
Type of Soil Ton per Square Foot(ton/ft2)

Native Rock 200 up

Ashlor Masonry 25-30

Best Brick Masonry 15-20

Common Brick Masonry 5-10

Clay. Compact 5-8

Clay, Soft 1-2

Gravel and Sand 8-10

Sand 2-6

Quick Sand, Loom, etc. ½ -1

Note:

Safe bearing pressure of soils for machine foundation are from a

quarter to a half of the above values.

Classification of concrete:

Yield (ft3
Class of concrete
Cement(bag) Sand(ft3) Gravel(ft3)
per bag of
cement)

AA 1 1.5 3 4.15077
A 1 2 4 5.06301
B 1 2.5 5 5.97524
C 1 3 6 6.88748
D 1 4 8 8.71195

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Properties of Cementing Materials:

Materials Bulk Sp. Gravity Sp. Weight

Cement
3.15 94 𝑙𝑏𝑓 /bag

Sand Dry
2.64 110 𝑙𝑏𝑓 /𝑓𝑡 3

Gravel Dry
2.66 96 𝑙𝑏𝑓 /𝑓𝑡 3

lbf Kg
Specific Weight of Concrete, 𝛿𝑐 = 150 (
ft3
) or 2400.95 ( m3f )

For Water, 7 gallons/bag of Cement (if not specified)

𝑙𝑏𝑓 𝑘𝑁 𝑘𝑔𝑓
Specific Weight of Water 𝛿𝐖 = 62.4 ( ) 𝑜𝑟 9.8066 (𝑚3) 𝑜𝑟 1000 ( 𝑚3 )
𝑓𝑡 3

• In estimating the amount of cementing materials needed, use

the equation:
𝒔𝒑. 𝒘𝒕. 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍
𝒂𝒃𝒔. 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 =
(𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒌 𝒔𝒑. 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚)(𝒔𝒑. 𝒘𝒕. 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓)

• Volume of Foundation
𝑾𝑭
(𝑽𝑭 ) = ; 𝜹𝑭 = 𝜹𝒄
𝜹𝑭

• 𝒀𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 = ∑ 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 (for C, S, G and H2 O)

𝑉𝐹
• 𝑵𝒐. 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒂𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 = 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑

• For reinforcing steel bars, RSB:

𝟏
𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝑺𝑩 = ( % 𝒕𝒐 𝟏%) 𝑾𝑭
𝟐
= (𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟓 𝒕𝒐 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏)𝑾𝑭

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PROBLEM
Design a machine foundation for the given details of an engine.
Single-acting, vertically arranged cylinders, 4 cylinders, 210
rpm
D x L = 8 in x 10 in
We = 25000 lbF
Bed- plate dimension: 6ft x 8ft
Estimate also the cementing materials needed using class
AA concrete.
Assume type of soil: clay compact