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TR 335: FOUNDATION ENGINEERING II (2.0E CORE)

University of Dar es Salaam

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Transportation & Geotechnical Engineering

2014
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Course objective
To equip students with the knowledge of designing and constructing
foundations.

Pre-requisites
TR 334: Foundation Engineering (2.0E Core)

Mode of delivery
2hrs lecture/wk (Monday 08 – 10hrs @O112)
2hr tutorial/wk (Thursday 14 – 16hrs @ A218)

Assessment
 2 Tests for Continuous Assessment: 40%
 1 University Examination: 60%

Learning outcomes
Ability to design and construct foundations and other earth structures
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Course contents
1) Foundations: Design and construction considerations.

2) Deep foundations: Types, analysis, design and construction

considerations.

3) Retaining walls: Types, design and construction aspects.

4) Excavations: Design and methods of excavation.

5) Dewatering of soils: Methods of dewatering and pressure relief,

design of dewatering systems, filter requirements.

6) Embankment dams: Types of earth dams, design principles,

construction of earth dams.

7) Ground improvement techniques Drainage methods, pre-loading and

soil replacement, compaction processes and erosion control.
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Reference textbooks

etc…
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Contents

 Design considerations

 Engineering requirements

 Case studies

 Fulfilling engineering requirements

 Types of foundations

 Design of shallow foundations

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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design considerations

The key aspects that have to be considered in the optimal design and
construction of foundations are;
1) The ground profile which is obtained through geotechnical site
investigations and includes description of the geology and genesis of
the soils on site plus the ground water table conditions.

2) The soil (mechanical/ physical) behaviour which considers the

strength, consolidation and compressibility/ settlements behaviour of
the ground from lab testing, field monitoring observations and
measurements.

3) Appropriate modelling involving design problems idealisation

followed by evaluation of conceptual, physical or analytical models.

4) Design experience which uses precedence, empiricism and local

knowledge.

5) Design economics which considers optimised cost aspects.

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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design considerations cont…

Exemplar ground profiles from borehole and trial pit logs
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design considerations cont…

Exemplar soil mechanical behaviour from laboratory testing
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design considerations cont…

Exemplar soil mechanical behaviour from in-situ Static Cone Penetration
Tests (CPTs)
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design considerations cont…

Appropriate modelling involving design problems idealisation followed by
evaluation of conceptual, physical or analytical models.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Engineering requirements

Appropriately designed foundations have to meet all of the following
basic engineering requirements:

1) Ensure adequate transmission of loads from the superstructure at all

stages in the life of the foundation; i.e., construction and operation.

2) Ensure acceptable overall and differential settlements in the

superstructure.

3) Ensure minimal adverse effects on to structures adjacent to the

proposed structure under construction.

‘All requirements have to be satisfied independently for the foundations

to be adequate for appropriate soil – structure interaction.’
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Case studies of foundation failures

Transcona elevator grain storage house, Canada (1913)

Findings from the case study illustrate;

1) The bearing capacity theory was not well developed at the time.

2) Site investigation used plate loading test which stressed the firm
clay only.

3) It is important to investigate the ground to at least within the

stressed zone beneath the foundation.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Case studies of foundation failures cont…

Lotus Riverside 13-storey building tower collapse in Shanghai China (2009)

Findings from the case study illustrate;

1) Collapse as a result of excavation for an underground car park and
spoil stockpiling alongside the building.

2) Building founded on precast unreinforced pipe piles which may not

have been able to resist lateral loads and were sheared to failure.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Case study foundation/ structural failures

16-floor building collapse at Indira Gandhi Street in Dar es Salaam (2013)

Inadequate building design and sub-standard construction materials

were cited as causes for the collapse.

Other multi-storey building construction failures are reported to have

occurred in Dar es Salaam in 1987, 2006 and 2008.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Case studies of excessive settlements

Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre Pendente di Pisa) Italy
 Differential settlement of 2m
between the South and the
North.
 Overall tilt due South is 5.5°
and the tower is 5.5m out of
plumb (1990).
Causes
 Compressibility of the Upper
Sand and Pancone Clay.
 Fluctuations of water table in
the Upper Sand.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Case studies of excessive settlements cont…

Kansai International Airport Japan
 The airport is constructed offshore by land
reclamation.

 The founding clay layers had high initial water

content (40% - 70%) and underwent considerable
consolidation upon the airport loading.

 Settlements are variable depending on clay layer

thickness and weight of reclamation.

 Average depth of settlement since the start of

construction is 13m; 3m occurring after opening
the airport.
 Corrective measures include building jack-up.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Fulfilling the engineering requirements

a) The foundation has to be placed at a depth such that;

1) It is below the zones of shallow excavations e.g.; services burial

zones.
2) It is below and away from zones of maximum moisture content
variation.
3) It bears on uniform soil strata with adequate bearing capacity.
4) It is protected against potential scouring effects; particularly
applicable in bridge foundations.

b) The foundation must be stable and safe against all types of failures
including;

1) Structural failure (+M, +V, +N internal forces stability).

2) Overall rotation/ overturning/ overtopping stability.
3) Stability against sliding on horizontal forces (Wind loading).
4) Bearing capacity failure of founding ground.
5) Slope stability of founding ground if any.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Fulfilling the engineering requirements cont…

Zones of maximum moisture content variation.

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Chapter 1: Foundations – Fulfilling the engineering requirements cont…

Scouring effects
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Fulfilling the engineering requirements cont…

Scouring effects
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Types of foundations

Based on their load transmission mechanism, foundations can be
grouped into the following main types;

1) Strip or Pad or Combined Pad foundation

Shallow
2) Mat or Raft foundation
foundations
3) Box Raft Foundation

4) Caisson Foundation

5) Pile Foundation Deep

foundations
6) Pier Foundation

7) Combined Pile and Raft Foundations etc…

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Chapter 1: Foundations -
Relating soil conditions and
types of foundations
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Chapter 1: Foundations -
Relating soil conditions and
types of foundations cont…
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Chapter 1: Foundations - Relating soil conditions and types of

foundations cont…
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations

These include strip, pad, combined pad foundations
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations

These include strip, pad, combined pad foundations cont…
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

& mat (raft) foundations

Mat foundations;

1) Provide increased foundations area in

low bearing capacity.
2) Bridge over small, soft, compressible
subsoil pockets.
3) Resist hydrostatic uplift pressures.
4) Provide watertight construction below
GWL.
5) May save constructions costs.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

Design procedures: Combining H, V & M loadings and checking for
stability
VT
VT
H
eB Simplify

M M
Hx
B B
For horizontal overall stability:
� �
��� � �
�������
������� ������� �������
� �
� Vertical effective load �

A' effective area � � �, = 1 for soft and firm clays or 0.5 for stiff clays.
� � �
interface shearing resistance for cast in-situ and � for pre-cast
concrete foundations.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

Design procedures: Combining H, V & M loadings and checking for
stability
Stress distribution beneath the footing as a result of combined loading;

Simplification
Actual

+ =
� � �
� � � � � � �
�������
� �

� �
Where Z is the section modulus �
and �

��� ��
For overall bearing capacity stability;
��� ��
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

Design procedures: Combining H, V & M loadings and checking for
stability
For σmin ≥ 0, that is stresses beneath the footing to be always positive/
Compressive as the soil foundation interface can’t sustain tension;

� �
� or �
� �

otherwise gaping occurs beneath the footing.

Generally eB (or eL) < B/3 (or L/3) to ensure the gaping zone is not more
than half the footing area.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

Design procedures: Combining H, V & M loadings and checking for
stability
For σmin ≥ 0, that is stresses beneath the footing to be always positive/
Compressive as the soil foundation interface can’t sustain tension;

� �
� or �
� �

otherwise gaping occurs beneath the footing.

Generally eB (or eL) < B/3 (or L/3) to ensure the gaping zone is not more
than half the footing area.
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Chapter 1: Foundations – Design of shallow foundations cont…

Design procedures: Combining H, V & M loadings and checking for
stability
For contact pressure to remain
positive underneath the whole
footing;

� � � � �
�������
� �

� �

σmin σmax
For structural design of the
footings internal forces (+V, +M)
consult reinforced concrete design
+V / +M
course.

VT
B