Deciding the right depth of foundation for a building structure is an important step in the process of building design. Information given in this post will help you decide the proper depth of foundation for a building. After reading this post you will be able to answer the following questions. What is a foundation? What … Read more
Values of Safe Bearing Capacity The safe bearing capacity of soil should be determined on the basis of soil test data or by performing some field test such as Standard penetration test or Plate load test etc. However, in the absence of soil test data, the values of safe bearing capacity (S.B.C) as given in … Read more
For economic consideration, the depth at which the foundation is located (i.e. Df) is kept as small as possible. Typically it is in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 m below the ground surface for buildings that do not have a basement. For those building having a basement, Df can be 3.5 m or more. … Read more
Foundations are the mainstay of house construction as the stability and the performance of the structure above is dependent on it. The main design parameters for consideration in this respect are the depth and width of the foundation. Whereas depth of foundation is a function of the ‘Safe Bearing Capacity’ (SBC) of soil at a … Read more
Types of Bearing Capacity Failures A bearing capacity failure is defined as a foundation failure that occurs when the shear stresses in the soil exceed the shear strength of the soil. Bearing capacity failures of foundations can be grouped into three categories, as follows: 1. General Shear Failure As shown in Fig-1, a general shear … Read more
Components Contributing Settlement of Soil Total settlement ρ in mm, which is the response of stress applied to the soil, may be calculated as the sum of three components ρ = ρi + ρc + ρs Where, ρ = Total settlement, mm ρi = Immediate or distortion settlement, mm ρc = Primary consolidation settlement, mm … Read more
Piles are structural members that are made of steel, concrete, or timber. They are used to build pile foundations, which are deep and which cost more than shallow foundations. Despite the cost, the use of piles often is necessary to ensure structural safety. The following list identifies some of the conditions that require pile foundations: … Read more
Design Considerations for Pile Foundation The pile foundation analysis is based upon several simplifying assumptions which affect the accuracy of the results. The computed results must always be reviewed with engineering judgement by the design engineer to assure that the values are reasonable. Also, the analysis results should be compared with load test results. The … Read more
Precast Concrete Piles – Advantages & Disadvantages Precast concrete piles are cast, cured and stored in a yard before they are installed in the field mostly by driving. Advantages of Precast Concrete Piles Reinforcement used in the pile is not liable to change its place or get disturbed The defects in pile can be easily … Read more
Pile Load Capacity Calculation Using Static Cone Penetration (SCPT) Test Data The safe load capacity of bored cast in situ piles can be calculated using the test data obtained from static cone penetration test as described below. We know that the ultimate load capacity of pile consist of two terms, i.e. End bearing resistance Skin … Read more