BUILDING FOUNDATIONS

Substructure

• Substructure is the lowest portion of a building

which is usually considered to be located
below the ground level.
• Substructure is nothing but the foundation
which is provided to give stability to the
building and to distribute load coming from
superstructure.
Bearing Capacity

• The bearing pressure which is safe against

failure and at the same time does not cause
settlement more than the permissible
settlement is called allowable bearing capacity.
• SBC depends on density and strength of soil,
depth of foundation, position of water table
etc.
 Requirements of good foundation
1. Depth of foundation
• Foundations should be carried well below the
top soil. If the top soils is too deep, two
alternatives may be adopted.
• Top soil may be removed directly under the
footing and replaced by concrete.
• Top soil in an area larger than the footing may
be removed and replaced with compacted sand
and gravel fill.
2. Shear failure of foundation
• Foundation should be safe against breaking
into the ground, ie against shear failure.
• An adequate factor of safety on the bearing
capacity of the soil is provided.

3. Settlement of foundation
• Foundation should not undergo excessive total
and differential settlements.
 Types of foundations
• Shallow foundations – If the depth of the
foundation is below 3m.
• Deep foundations – If the depth of the
foundation is above 3m.
 1. Spread footings
• Minimum cost and complexity of construction.
• Also called as isolated footings, square and rectangular
footings.
• Used to support individual columns.
• Main reinforcement is placed at the bottom.
• For heavily loaded columns reinforcement is provided in
both the directions in the concrete bed.
• 15 cm offset is provided on all sides of the concrete bed.
• 1:2:4 mix is used.
 2.Combined footings
• Two or more equally or unequally loaded columns into
one footing.
• Provides uniform load distribution.
• Usually rectangular in shape, also modified to a
trapezoidal shape.
• Strap- to accommodate wide column spacing.
• It is treated as an inverted floor, loaded by earth reaction
and supported by columns.
• Shape of the foundation is so selected such that centre of
gravity of the column loads and of soil reaction in the
same vertical line.
 3. Continuous footing
• These footings carry closely spaced columns or a
continuous wall such that load distribution is
uniform.
• Also called as strip footings or wall footings.
• A wall footing is a typical case of case of continuous
footing. This may have a base course of concrete or
may be made of same material as that used for the
wall. It may be stepped or simple.
• In another type of continuous footing series of
columns in a line are provided with footing. Here rcc
slab extends over the series of columns.
 4. Mat foundations
• Used in soil which has low bearing capacity.
• By combining all individual footings into one
large mat, unit pressure on the sub soil is reduced.
• Since SBC increases with increasing D and W of
the foundation and the settlement decreases with
the increasing depth of foundation the advantage
is two fold.
• Used in areas where total area of the footings
exceeds 50% of total plinth area.
• It is suitable when column spacing is fairly
small and uniform and the columns loads are
relatively small.
• For heavy structures cellular rafts or rigid
frames may be adopted.
• Slab is thickened to provide adequate strength
against shear and negative bending moment
for heavily loaded columns.
 5. Pile foundations
• Loads are transferred to greater depth by deep
foundations.
• For buildings mostly piles are used.
• Piles are slender structural members installed by driving
hammer or other suitable means.
• It is usually placed in groups.
• These group piles is covered and connected by a pile cap.
• Load of the building is transmitted by the piles to hard
stratum below or it is resisted by the friction developed
on the sides of the piles.
• Installed by driving or cast insitu.
 6.Grillage foundations
• Steel columns may be founded on concrete
footings or footings of steel.
• It consists of steel beams arranged in layers at
right angle to one another and the beams are
connected with each other.
• Used for theatres, factories, town halls, clock
towers etc.
• Depth – 1 to 1.5 m.
 7. Stepped foundation

• Sloping ground.
• Stability of slope should be checked.
• Overlap between two layers of foundation
concrete should be greater of the depth of
foundation concrete or twice the height of the
step.