NTPC REGIONAL LEARNING CENTRE, SIPAT

VOCATIONAL TRAINING 2021

TYPES OF FOUNDATION IN
INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURES
SUBMITTED BY – CIVIL GROUP 1

Ananya Mohanty Kritika Upadhyay

NTPCVT208 NTPCVT022
Amartyasen Sahoo Parth Pandey
NTPCVT166 NTPCVT069
Lakshay Abrol Ritwik Raman
NTPCVT243 NTPCVT103
Yogesh Singh Kashyap Bhavya Thakur
NTPCVT285 NTPCVT105

Gaurav Kumar Shrivas Atul Kumar Sahu

NTPCVT157 NTPCVT143
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We express our deepest sense of reverence,

gratitude, and indebtedness to
Mr. Alok Kumar Tripathy,
ASM & Sr. Faculty, RLI Sipat
and his team for giving us this training
opportunity in the situation of the COVID-19
pandemic. We are thankful for constant
guidance and supervision.

We further acknowledge our gratitude towards

Dr. Saroj Kumar Pradhan,
Training and Placement Officer, College of
Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar,
and Dr. Manisha Sharma,
Training and Placement Officer, Bhilai Institute of
Technology, Durg
for helping us find an internship opportunity in
the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We express our sincere thanks to our parents for

their constructive suggestions to bring about
improvements in the quality of this report.
 CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE No.

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction 1

2. Industrial Foundations 8

3. Raft Foundations 9

4. Pile Foundations 14

5. Pier Foundation 19

6. Conclusion 25

References

8
 INTRODUCTION

A foundation is a lower portion of the structure that is in direct contact with

the soil and transfers loads from the structure to the soil. Foundation provides a
platform for the building. The foundation for a structure is designed such that the
underlaying soil below the foundation does not undergo shear failure.
Foundations are provided for all load carrying structures. They serve the
following purpose:
 Provide stability to the structure. The stronger is the foundation, more stable
is the structure.
 Proper design and construction of foundation provide a proper surface to the
development of substructure in a proper level and a firm bed.
 Distributes load on to the surface of the bed uniformly. This helps in avoiding
differential settlement.

Constructing foundations is one of the oldest of human activities. Over 12,000

years ago, Neolithic inhabitants of Switzerland built houses on long, wooden piles
that were driven into the soft beds of shallow lakes. A few thousand years later, the
Babylonians raised their structures on mats made from reed. the ancient Egyptians
supported the pyramids on stone blocks. It was in ancient Rome that foundation
engineering really leapt forwards, with rules created and concrete used. They spread
the load over the whole area of the foundation, in effect ‘floating’ on the ground. In
the 1920s and 1930s, Raft foundations are created from reinforced concrete slabs. In
the late 1940s and throughout 1950s, strip foundations were popular, only for light
structres though.

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Generally, foundation can be classified in to two types; shallow foundations and deep
foundations.

1. Shallow foundation:
The foundation is known as shallow, if the depth of foundation is less than its
width. It can be used where the bearing capacity of underlaying soil is maximum.
Depth of shallow foundation can range from 800 mm to 4 meters.

Types of Shallow Foundation:

Spread footing foundation: An enlargement at the bottom of a column or bearing

wall that spreads the applied structural loads over a sufficiently large soil
area.Square spread footings- Supporting a single centrally supported column

i) Rectangular spread footings- In cases that obstructions prevent construction of a

square footing with a sufficiently large base area and large moment loads are
present.
ii) Circular spread footings- Supporting a single centrally supported column, but less
common than square footing.
iii) Continuous spread footings (Strip footings)- Used to support bearing walls
iv) Combined footing- When columns are located too close together for each to give
its own footing.
v) Strap footing with a grade beam- Provides the necessary moment resistance in
the exterior footing with eccentric load and a more rigid foundation system.

2
Individual Footing or Isolated Footing:
Individual footing or an isolated footing is the most common type of
foundation used for building construction. This foundation is constructed for a single
column and also called a pad foundation. The shape of individual footing is square or
rectangle and is used when loads from the structure is carried by the columns.

Fig 1.2 Types of Isolated Footing

Combined Footing:
Combined footing is constructed when two or
more columns are close enough and their isolated
footings overlap each other. It is a combination of
isolated footings, but their structural design differs. The
shape of this footing is a rectangle and is used when
loads from the structure is carried by the columns.
Fig 1.3 Combined Footing

Raft or Mat Foundations:

Raft or mat foundations are the types of foundation which are spread across
the entire area of the building to support heavy structural loads from columns and
walls. The use of mat foundation is for columns and walls foundations where the
loads

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from the structure on columns and walls are very high. This is used to prevent
differential settlement of individual footings, thus designed as a single mat (or
combined footing) of all the load-bearing elements of the structure.

Advantages of Shallow Foundation: Disadvantages of Shallow Foundation:

 Shallow foundation is convenient  If weight of structure is high and

for foundations having depth equal
or less than the foundation width.
 It is used if bearing capacity of soil
is high at shallow depth.
 For compressive soils, it helps
to reduce settlement.
 No piling is required. So, it reduces
a great cost.
load of the structure is distributed
unequally.
 The bearing capacity of top surface
soil is less.
 If sub-soil water level is high and it
is uneconomical to pump out the
water from the hole or canal.
 If the structure is near sea or river
(scouring occurs) shallow
foundation cannot be used.

2. Deep Foundation:

If the depth of footing

greater or equal to the Width of
footing, it is known as the deep
Foundation. Deep Foundation is
used Where the bearing capacity of
the soil is very low. The load
coming from the superstructure is
further transmitted vert ically to the
soil. Deep foundation can be
selected when the hard layer of soil
at greater depth, or loading from
the structure is concentrated on
heavy soils. Deep foundations are
chosen for offshore construction in
marshy areas or where a structure
Fig 1.4 Deep Foundation
is susceptible to uneven
settlements.

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Types Of Deep Foundation-

1. Cylinders:
With only single-cell cylinders are small caissons and used for water crossings
and other marine applications that require foundations with the high load resistance.
For sites where water depth and potential scour result in a long free-length of pile
above the mud-line concrete cylinder, piles are well suited.
Use:
Concrete cylinder piles are large diameter precast piles that are commonly used
for water crossings and other marine applications that require foundations with high
load resistance that are highly resistant to corrosion.

2. Shaft foundations: -
By drilling a cylindrical hole within a deep excavation and subsequently
placing concrete or another prefabricated load-bearing unit in it, shaft foundations
are constructed. Under low overhead conditions and near existing structure drilled
shafts can be constructed and making them suitable for use in projects like
numerous seismic retrofit projects. Under certain conditions such as soils with
boulders, soft soil, loose sand, and sand underwater, it may be difficult to install
them.
Uses:
It is largely used to help buildings with axial and lateral loads by digging
cylindrical shafts into the ground and filling them with concrete.

3. Pile Foundations: -
Through driving preformed units into the required founding level or by drilling
in driving tubes filled with concrete to the desired depth, pile foundations are
constructed in different ways, tubes can be filled with concrete and they can be filled
during or before the withdrawal. When the soil constructional or economic

5
conditions make it necessary to transmit loads of structures to strata that are beyond
the reach of shallow foundations, then a pile foundation is used. Pile foundation can
be used to help resist uplift, lateral forces, and overturning and for waterfront
installations, bridges, and buildings they are used as foundations.
Uses:
 Piles are used to bear the vertical compressive load.
 Vertical piles are used to carry the vertical compressive load of superstructures
such as bridges, buildings, etc.
 Piles are used for the foundation of a building to hold the load from the
superstructure.
 Piles are also used to resist bending as well as horizontal forces.
 Use of piles to resist lateral loads in bridge and retaining wall structures.

5. Buoyancy rafts:
Buoyancy rafts are hollow substructures designed to provide a buoyant or
semi-buoyant substructure beneath which the net loading on the soil is reduced to
the desired low intensity. Buoyancy rafts can also be constructed in place in open
excavations and can be designed to be sunk as caissons. These are used in building
construction on soft and weak soils and over the soil, it reduces the load intensity.
Use:
In the past, raft foundations have been widely used in the construction of
commercial buildings such as warehouses or supermarkets. However, over the last
few decades they are increasing in popularity as a simple and inexpensive solution
for domestic construction projects, such as extensions and conservatories.

6. Basements:
One of the types of deep foundation to provide working or storage space
below ground level is known as basements and the basements are hollow
substructures and the structural design is governed by their functional requirements.
In open excavations, they are constructed and functional requirements govern their
structural design.
Uses:
 Daylight basements can be used for many purposes such as the garage,
maintenance room, or living space.
 The buried part is used for storage, laundry rooms, hot water tanks, and HVAC.
 Daylight basement homes are usually taller than standard-basement homes
include more viable dwelling areas in the deep foundation.

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Advantages Of Deep Foundation:

 Piles can be prefabricated off-site which allows efficient installation on the site.
 The induced piles displace and compact the soil which will increase the bearing
capacity of the pile.
 Piles will keep the facility safe and strong for many years.
 Increase overall productivity.
 A pile quickly damaged by driving through stones and boulders.
 Piles can be attacked by saltwater marine bits.
 A stack cannot be above ground level.
 It is very difficult to know the actual required length in advance.
 Vibrations are produced when the piles are driving which affects neighbouring
structures.

Disadvantages Of Deep Foundation:

 Piles can undergo corrosion.

 Daily inspection required.
 Skilled labor is required to fix the piles.

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 INDUSTRIAL FOUNDATIONS

Industrial construction includes offshore construction (mainly of energy

installations: oil and gas platforms, wind power), mining and quarrying, refineries,
breweries, distilleries and other processing plants, power stations, steel mills,
warehouses and factories.
These structures include high chimneys, kiln, mills, boilers, turbo generators,
ESP cooling tower, CHP, AHP etc. which are subjected to different types of loads like
dynamic loads, wind loads, live loads.
The foundations in industrial buildings support considerably heavier loads
(heavy machineries, storage, vehicular loads etc.) than those of residential buildings.
Floor loadings range from 450 to 1,500 kilograms per square metre (100 to 300
pounds per square foot). Hence it should be capable of transferring these loads
safely to the underlying soil strata.
The foundations are selected according to the load and soil conditions at the
site determined in site investigation. For construction generally Pile, Pier and Raft
foundations are used.

8
 RAFT FOUNDATION

A raft foundation, also called a mat foundation, is essentially a continuous slab

resting on the soil that extends over the entire footprint of the building, thereby
supporting the building and transferring its weight to the ground.
A mat foundation spreads out under the footprint of the building and declines
the contact pressure compared to conventional strip or trench footing. In a mat
foundation system, the entire building is placed on a big steady footing used as the
foundation for silos, chimneys, large machinery.
A raft foundation is often used when the soil is weak, as it distributes the
weight of the building over the entire area of the building, and not over smaller
zones (like individual footings) or at individual points (like pile foundations). This
reduces the stress on the soil.

Fig 3.1. Raft Foundation

Construction of Mat or Raft Foundations

1. Soil is excavated to a uniform and flat level after removing dirt.
2. The foundation bed is then compacted by ramming.

9
3. Then, a waterproof plastic sheet is laid over the earth.
4. After that, 7cm layer of plain cement concrete is poured to create a perfectly flat
and level base for the foundation.
5. Reinforcement is laid on spacers over the foundation bed. Reinforcements are
provided in both directions in the form of steel mesh. Two meshes are reinforced
at the top and bottom of the foundation to balance upward and downward
bending forces.
6. After all the steel has been put in place, concrete is poured to the desired
thickness.
7. Finally, a suitable curing regime is used to make sure that concrete achieves the
designated compression strength.

Fig 3.2. Raft Foundation Under Construction

Types of Raft Foundation

Following are different types of raft foundations,

1. Flat Plate Type Raft Foundation
2. Thickened Flat plate Type Raft Foundation
3. Beam and Slab Type Raft Foundation
4. Piled Raft Foundation
5. Cellular Raft Foundation

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1. Flat Plate Type Raft Foundation
Flat plate type raft foundations consist a reinforced concrete slab of
uniform thickness covering the whole bearing area. This is suitable when
the columns are placed with uniform space between them and carrying
equal and small loads. Reinforcement in slab is provided in both directions
in the form of steel mesh. Two mesh are reinforced at top and bottom of
the slab to balance upward and downward bending forces. Maximum
thickness of 300 mm is provided for concrete slab in case of raft
foundation.

Fig 3.3. Flat Plate Type Raft Foundation

2. Thickened Flat plate Type Raft Foundation

Flat plate type is not suitable when the column loads are very heavy. To make
it suitable, slab thickness must be increased. The heavy loads from column introduces
negative bending moments and diagonal shear in to the slab. So, to resist this a
portion of slab under the column should be thickened. Provision of pedestal under
the column without increasing slab thickness also helps to receive heavy loads.

Fig 3.4. Casting Pedestals on Raft Foundation

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3. Beam and Slab Type Raft Foundation
In case of Beam and slab type raft foundation, beams are laid in
perpendicular directions and all of these beams are connected by raft slab.
Columns are situated exactly on intersections of beams of raft foundation.
This type raft foundation is suitable when the columns are carrying
unequal loads and there is large space between them.

Fig 3.5. Beam and Slab Type Raft Foundation

4. Piled Raft Foundation

In case of piled raft foundation, raft slab is supported by piles in
soil. This type of foundation is preferred for soils of high compressibility
and high-water table. These are well suitable for high rise buildings.
Provision of piles under the raft reduces the amount of settlement and
also controls the effect of buoyancy. Ultimate load capacity of foundation
also increases.

Fig 3.6. Piled raft foundation

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5. Cellular Raft Foundation
Cellular raft foundation is also known as box type raft foundation or rigid
frame raft foundation. In this type of foundations, boxes like structures are formed
where the walls of each box acts as beams and these are connected by slabs at top
and bottom. The beams and slabs are united in such a way that their cross section
look like I-section. This type of foundations can resist very high bending stresses and
suitable for loose soils where settlement is uneven.

Fig 3.7. Cellular Raft Foundation

Advantages of Raft Foundation Disadvantages of Raft Foundation

The advantages of raft foundation are The disadvantages of raft foundation

as follows:
 Raft foundations are constructed for
shallow depths hence, it requires less
excavation
 Well suitable in soils of low bearing
capacity.
 Loads coming from superstructure
are distributed over a larger area.
 Differential settlement of soil can be
reduced.
are as follows:
 In some cases, large amount of
reinforcement is required for raft
foundation which increases the cost
of project.
 Special attention on raft foundations
is required in case of concentrated
loads.
 If they are not treated properly, there
is a chance of edge erosion.
 Skilled workers are required to
construct the raft foundations.

13
 PILE FOUNDATION

Pile foundation, is actually a slender column or long cylinder made of

materials such as concrete or steel which are used to support the structure and
transfer the load at desired depth either by end bearing or skin friction.

Pile foundations are deep foundations. They are formed by long, slender,
columnar elements typically made from steel or reinforced concrete, or sometimes
timber. A foundation is described as 'piled' when its depth is more than three times
its breadth.

Pile foundations are usually used for large structures and in situations where
the ground water table is high, when there is possibility of scouring, when there is a
canal or deep drainage system near the structure, when the soil at shallow depth is
not suitable to resist excessive settlement, resist uplift, etc.

Fig 4.1. Pile Foundation

14
Construction Of Pile Foundation

On the basis of construction method, piles can be either Cast-In-Place or Precast

Driven Piles.
Construction Of Cast-In-Place Piles
1. A thin-walled steel tube is hammered into the ground.
2. All earth left inside the tube is removed.
3. A steel reinforcement cage is lowered into the tube.
4. The pile is cast by pouring wet concrete into the tube.
The thin-walled steel tube is called the casing, and only serves to form a secure
mould for casting concrete that is free from earth and debris. It has no structural role
to play after the casting is complete.

Fig 4.2. Construction of Piles at Site

Construction Of Precast Driven Piles

1. Piles are first cast at ground level, then hammered into the ground using a pile
driver.
2. Pile driver is a machine that holds the pile perfectly vertical.
3. Then the piles are hammered into the ground blow by blow.
4. Each blow is struck by lifting a heavy weight and dropping it on the top of the
pile - the pile is temporarily covered with a steel cap to prevent it from
disintegrating.

Fig 4.3 Installation of Precast Piles

15
Types Of Pile Foundation
Pile foundations can be classified based on their functions, and materials and
installation process.

Sheet Piles

This type of pile is mostly used to provide lateral support. Usually, they resist
lateral pressure from loose soil, the flow of water, etc. They are usually used to serve
the following purpose:
 Construction of retaining walls.
 Protection from river bank erosion.
 Retain the loose soil around foundation trenches.
 For isolation of foundation from adjacent soils.
 For confinement of soil and thus increase the bearing capacity of the soil.

Load Bearing Piles

This type of pile foundation is mainly used to transfer the vertical loads from
the structure to the soil. These foundations transmit loads through the soil with poor
supporting property onto a layer which is capable of bearing the load.

End Bearing Piles

In this type of pile, the loads pass through the lower tip of the pile. The
bottom end of the pile rests on a strong layer of soil or rock. Usually, the pile rests at

16
a transition layer of a weak and strong slayer. As a result, the pile acts as a column
and safely transfers the load to the strong layer.

Friction Pile
Friction pile transfers the load from the structure to the soil by the frictional
force between the surface of the pile and the soil surrounding the pile such as stiff
clay, sandy soil, etc. Friction can be developed for the entire length of the pile or a
definite length of the pile, depending on the strata of the soil. In friction pile,
generally, the entire surface of the pile works to transfer the loads from the structure
to the soil. One can increase the pile diameter, depth, number of piles and make pile
surface rough to increase the capacity of friction pile.

Timber Piles
Timber piles are placed under the water level. They last for approximately
about 30 years. They can be rectangular or circular in shape. Their diameter or size
can vary from 12 to 16 inches. The length of the pile is usually 20 times of the top
width. They are usually designed for 15 to 20 tons. Additional strength can be
obtained by bolting fish plates to the side of the piles.

Concrete Piles

Pre-cast Concrete Pile

The precast concrete pile is cast in pile bed in the horizontal form if they are
rectangular in shape. Usually, circular piles are cast in vertical forms. Precast piles are
usually reinforced with steel to prevent breakage during its mobilization from casting
bed to the location of the foundation. After the piles are cast, curing has to be
performed as per specification. Generally curing period for pre-cast piles is 21 to 28
days.

Cast-in-Palace Concrete Piles

This type of pile is constructed by boring of soil up to the desired depth and
then, depositing freshly mixed concrete in that place and letting it cure there. This
type of pile is constructed either by driving a metallic shell to the ground and filling it
with concrete and leave the shell with the concrete or the shell is pulled out while
concrete is poured.

17
Steel Piles
Steel piles may be of I-section or hollow pipe. They are filled with concrete.
The size may vary from 10 inches to 24 inches in diameter and thickness is usually ¾
inches. Because of the small sectional area, the piles are easy to drive. They are
mostly used as end-bearing piles.

Advantages of Pile Foundation

 According to the specification we pre-order the pile

 The pile can be pre-made its length breadth its size according to site use

 Precast is the process through which reducing the completion time

 Can be installed in a very large area.

 Can be installed in very long lengths.

 We can use piles in a place where drilling and holes are not done.

 Work of pile is very neat and clean.

Disadvantages of Pile Foundation

 A pile can be damaged quickly by driving through stones and boulders.

 Piles are can be attacked by marine borers in salt water

 A pile cannot be above ground level.

 It is very difficult to know the actual required length in advance.

 Vibrations generate when piles are driving which affects the neighboring
structures.

 Heavy equipment is required by driving the piles.

 Pile is not containable for low drainage.

18
 PIER FOUNDATION

A Pier foundation is a collection of large

diameter cylindrical columns to support the
superstructure and transfer large super-imposed loads
to the firm strata below. It is also known as “post
foundation”.
A pier is a vertical column of a relatively larger
cross-section than a pile. A pier is installed in a dry area
by excavating a cylindrical hole of a large diameter to
the desired depth and then backfilling it with concrete.
Pier foundation transfer loads through bearing.
It is preferred in a location where the top level Fig 5.1. Pier Foundation
consists of the decomposed rock overlying strata of
sound rocks.

Pier foundation is used in the below conditions:

 When decomposed rocks are present in the top strata, and there are underlying
strata of sound rock below them, in such condition pier foundations, are used.
 As stiff clays offer a lot of resistance when driving a bearing pile, pier foundations
can be conveniently used in such situation.
 It is used if the house is built from log, timber, frame as the pillars is small relative
to other foundations
 If structure needed to be built on a slope, pier foundation is used.

19
 The soil must have a low bearing capacity of water unless the pillars will sink
under the weight of the house.

Types of pier foundation-

Pier foundation may be of the following types
1. Masonry or concrete pier
2. Drilled caisson

1.Concrete pier or a masonry pier

Masonry or concrete piers depend on the level of the stratum. If a good
bearing stratum exists up to 5m, masonry piers are used. The size and the shape of
the piers depend on the nature of the soil, depth of the bed etc.
The concrete pier is made up of concrete. These are precast, as well as cast in
situ pier. Precast concrete pier is manufactured in a factory and then driven into the
ground at the place required. The precast concrete pier generally reinforces with
steel wires. These are generally 30 cm to 50 cm in cross-section and up to 20 m in
length. A cast steel shoe is provided at the bottom of the pier.

Fig 5.2 Concrete Pier

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2. Drilled caisson
The terms drilled caisson, foundation pier, or sub pier are
interchangeably used by engineers to denote a cylindrical foundation. A
drilled caisson large compressed member subjected to an axial load at the
top and reaction at the bottom.

Drilled caisson is generally drilled with mechanical means. Drilled caisson may be of
three types
 Concrete caisson with the enlarged bottom.
 The caisson of steel pipe with concrete filled in the pipe.
 Caisson with concrete and steel core in steel pipe.

Fig 5.3 Drilled caisson

Construction of Drilled Pier Foundation -

The construction of drilled piers involves the following 3 stages:
1. Excavation of piers
2. Providing supports
3. Concreting

1. Excavation of Piers
1. Generally, auger drill is used for the excavation of drilled pier. Other drilling
equipment like rotary systems, hydraulic power etc. are also used as per the need.
2. An auger is attached to a shaft and rotated under pressure to dig into the soil.
When it is filled with soil, it is raised above the ground and emptied.

21
3. When the soil stratum does not have the adequate bearing capacity, belled piers
are generally used. For the formation of a bell, the auger is replaced by an under-
reaming tool which consists of a cylinder with cutting blades that are hinged at
the top.
4. The cutting blades are in the folded position when the under-reamer is lowered
into the hole. On reaching the bottom of the hole, the blades are spread outward
by a mechanism.
5. As the under-reamer is rotated, a bell is formed and the loose soil falls inside the
cylinder, which is raised and emptied. The process is repeated until the bell is
completely formed. The diameter of the bell is kept two to three times the
diameter of the shaft. The angle of the bell is 30o to 45o with the vertical.

Fig 5.4. Reaming Tool

2. Providing Supports to Piers

There are two methods available for providing supports.
 Chicago method
 Gow method

Chicago Method:
In this method, a circular hole is excavated up to the depth at which the soil will
stand unsupported (about 0.5m for soft clay and 2m for stiff clay). Vertical
boards known as laggings, are then set in position around the excavated face
and are held tightly against the soil by steel rings.

22
 The shaft is then excavated further for 1 to 2m and another setting of boards
and rings is made. The process is repeated until the desired level is reached. The

Fig 5.5 Chicago Method Fig 5.6 Gow Method

base of the shaft is then belled out.

Gow Method-
In this method, excavation of the hole is done manually. Telescopic steel shells
are used to support the soil and are extended as the hole is deepened. The shells are
removed as the concreting progress. One section of the shell is removed at one time.
The minimum diameter of the hole in this method is about 1.25m.

3. Concreting of Piers
1. After the hole has been drilled to the required depth, the shaft is dewatered and
the bottom is cleaned. The casing (if used) is removed.
2. The reinforcement cage is then inserted and concreting is done. As far as possible,
concreting should be done in a dry shaft hole.

Fig 5.7 Concreting Piers

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3. Concreting can be done in a dry hole by gravity pouring, provided the concrete
does not strike the sides. However, if dewatering is not possible or slurry is used to
support the shaft sides, concrete is placed using a tremie.

Advantages of Pier Foundation-

 This method is easy which requires a small amount of material and labor.
 The necessary material is easily available and has a wide range of design
variations.
 The pier foundation saves money and time because it does not require extensive
excavation and much concrete which causes minimal disruption to the soil
environment.
 The space between the house and the ground is sufficient to install utilities such
as plumbing and electrical wiring between them.
 It is comfortable for walking on the floor, which does not rest on a solid surface
and it is good for those who have stiffness and back pain.
 Inspection is possible because the diameter of the shaft is large.
 Workers can easily find the space between the house and the ground to solve
issues related to plumbing and electrical as there is enough space to crawl.
 Ground vibration that is normally associated with driven piles is absent in the case
of drilled pier construction.
 Bearing capacity can be increased by under-reaming the bottom (in non-caching
material).

Disadvantages of Pier Foundation-

 The installation of drilled piers requires careful supervision and quality control of
all materials used in construction.
 The method is bulky so adequate storage space is required for all materials used
in construction.
 The construction of piers in a heavy flow of groundwater due to the pressure of
the artesian is very difficult.

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 CONCLUSION

As discussed, Pile foundation, Raft foundation and Pier foundations are

generally used as foundation for industrial structures. To decide the type of
foundation system to use for a particular site and industry, a civil engineer needs to
conduct Geotechnical Investigation.

Geotechnical investigation will help in judging the suitability for the

proposed work and for preparing adequate and economical design. Geotechnical
investigation includes site investigation, site reconnaissance, site exploration, and soil
testing. After the investigation, civil engineers can decide the type and design of
foundation system required for the industrial structure.

In an industrial setup, various equipment also require support of

suitable foundations. Therefore, different types of foundation systems need to be
provided for different purposes. All foundation systems shall be designed and
constructed in accordance with latest revisions of Indian Standards.

Equipment Foundation in a power plant:

• The Turbo Generator PA/ FD / ID Fan shall be supported over RCC deck. The
RCC deck shall be in turn supported on Vibration Isolation System mounted
on top of RCC substructure.

• The motor driven (MDBFP) and Turbine driven Boiler Feed Pumps shall also be
supported on RCC deck (Inertia Block) which in turn shall be supported on
Vibration Isolation System mounted on top of Structural Steel Auxiliary
structures inside the Turbine Bay.

25
 References

1. Soil Mechanics and Foundation by B.C. Punmia,

A.K. Jain and A.K. Jain.
2. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering by
Dr. K.R. Arora
3. Foundation Design: Theory and Practice by N.S.V.
Kamesware Rao
4. www.civiltoday.com/geotechnical-
engineering/foundation-engineering
5. www.theconstructor.org
6. www.rgdcontractors.com
7. www.kellerindia.com/projects

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