FOUNDATION SYSTEMS

(Deep and Shallow Foundation)

AR 3151/D
BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 3
 FOUNDATION SYSTEMS
(Deep and Shallow Foundation)
The foundation system transfers the lateral
loads on the superstructure to the ground.

The development of passive soil pressure on

the sides of footings and foundation walls.

Foundation systems are classified into two

broad categories ---shallow foundations
and deep foundations.
The principal loads on a
foundation are the combination
of dead and live loads acting
vertically on the superstructure.
In addition, a foundation system must
anchor the superstructure against
wind-induced sliding, overturning, and
uplift, withstand the sudden ground
movements of an earthquake, and
resist the pressure imposed by the
surrounding soil mass and groundwater
on basement walls.
SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
Shallow or spread foundations are employed when stable soil of
adequate bearing capacity occurs relatively near the ground
surface.

The types of shallow or spread footings are:

1. Individual or isolated footings –

Are spread footings supporting free

standing columns and piers.
A. Block or square footings

B. Stepped footings
C. Slope or pyramidal footings
2. Strip Footings – are the continuous
spread footings of foundation walls.

Stepped footings are strip footings that

change levels to accommodate a
sloping grade and maintain the required
depth at all points around a building.
3. Combined footings.

A. Combined footings.

Supporting two or more columns. This type of

footing is used where it is not possible to
center the footing beneath its supported
column as in the case of columns located at or
very near the property line.

Combined column footings are usually

rectangular or trapezoidal in shape.
B. Cantilevered footings.

This type of footing may be used in place of a

combined footing under the same conditions.

In this type of construction, the footings of the

exterior and interior columns are connected by
a tie-beam or strap which is so extended to
support the exterior column.

The top of the beam or strap is usually placed

level with the top of the footings.
C. Continuous footings.

These may be:

1. Supporting a line of columns

2. Supporting all of the columns by
strips at right angles to each other.

They may be inverted slab or inverted

tee continuous footings.
4. Mat or Raft Foundations

Mat foundations, like continuous footings are used on soil of low bearing
power where there is a tendency towards unequal settlement due to unequal
loading of soil.

In this type of foundation all parts of the foundation are so tied

together so that they will act as one and assist each other in keeping level
and plumb.

Mat foundations may be divided into the following general classes:

1. Flat slabs of plain or reinforced
concrete
2. Beams or girders with a slab underneath.

3. Beams or girders with a slab on top

4. STEEL GRILLAGE FOUNDATION

When it is desired to avoid the deep excavation required for concrete and
masonry footings.

For steel-grillage foundations the foundation bed should first be covered with a
layer of
concrete not less than 6” in thickness and so mixed and compacted as to be
nearly
impervious to moisture as possible.

Concrete should be placed between and around the beams so as to

permanently protect them.
DEEP FOUNDATIONS
Deep foundations are employed when the soil underlying a shallow
foundation is unstable or of inadequate soil bearing capacity.

They extend down through unsuitable soil to transfer building loads to a more
appropriate bearing stratum of rock or dense sand and gravel well below
the superstructure. The types of deep foundations are pile and caisson
foundations.
1. 1. PILE FOUNDATIONS

– A pile foundation is a system of end bearing or friction piles, pile

caps, and tie beams for transferring building loads down to a suitable
bearing stratum.
Pile Cap –
1. A slab or connecting beam
which covers the heads of a
group of piles, tying them
together so that the structural
load is distributed and they act as
a single unit.

2. A metal cap which is placed, as

temporary protection, over the
head of a precast pile while it is
being driven into the ground.
End bearing piles – depend principally on the bearing resistance of soil
or rock beneath their feet for support. The surrounding soil mass
provides a degree of lateral stability for the long compression member.

Friction piles – depend principally on the frictional resistance of a

surrounding earth mass for support. The skin friction developed between
the sides of a pile and the soil into which the pile is driven is limited by
the adhesion of soil to the pile sides and the shear strength of the
surrounding
soil mass.
A. WOOD PILES

Wood-pile Foundations. When it is required to build upon a

compressible
soil saturated with water and of considerable depth, the most
practicable method of obtaining a solid and enduring foundation for
buildings of moderate height is by driving wooden piles.

The piles are driven by means of a drop-hammer or with a steam

hammer, a succession of blows being given with a block of cast iron or
steel called the hammer, which slides up and down; the uprights of the
machine is placed over the pile-driver.
In driving wooden piles with a drop-hammer, the hammer
is generally raised by steam power and is dropped either automatically or by
hand.

The weight of the hammers used for driving piles for building foundations is
usually from 1,500 to 2,500 lb., and fall varies from 5 to 20 ft., the last blows
being given with a short fall.
Steam hammers are to a considerable extent taking the place of the ordinary
drop-hammers as they will drive more piles in a day, and with less damage to the
piles.

The steam-hammer delivers quick, short blows, from 60 to 70 to the minute,

and seems to jar the piles down, the short interval between the blows not
giving time for the soil to settle around them.
In driving piles care should be taken to keep them plumb, and when the
penetration becomes small, the fall should be reduced to about 5 ft., the
blows being given by rapid succession. Whenever a pile refuses
to sink under several blows before reaching the average depth, it should
be cut off and another pile driven beside it.
Pile Ring – also called a drive band; a steel band which encircles the head
of a timber pile to prevent it from splitting when being
driven.

In driving in soft and silty soils, the piles drive better with a square
point. When driven into compact soil, such as sand, gravel, or stiff clay,
the point of the pile should be shod with iron or steel.

This is usually in the form of a cast conical point about 5 in. in dia.,
secured by a long dowel with a ring around the end of the pile.
Driving the piles close together also breaks up the ground and
diminishes the bearing power. Maximum allowable load on wood piles is
usually 20 tons.

The top of the piles should be cut off at or below the low water mark,
otherwise they will soon commence to decay. They should then be
capped, either with concrete, or with timber or steel grillage. The usual
practice is to use
the reinforced-concrete cap, the method being to excavate 6 to 12”
below
the tops and one foot outside of the piles.
Steel beams embedded in concrete are also sometimes used to distribute
the weight over piles, but this is too expensive a method to be
commonly used.

Driftbolt – a short rod or square bar driven into holes bored in timber, for
attaching adjacent sticks to each other or to piles; varies
from 1 to 2 ft (300 x 600 mm) in length; often provided with a head or with a
sharpened end; also called a drift or driftpin.
B. CONCRETE PILES

• Concrete piles, either plain or reinforced

• Possess many advantages over wooden piles and, in general, can be used in all
places where wooden piles can be driven.
• Concrete piles are generally used where wooden piles would be subject to decay
or deterioration by the action of marine worms.

They are especially advantageous for foundations on land where the permanent
ground water is at a considerable depth.
In practice concrete piles are generally reinforced.

Reinforced-concrete piles are of two general types: those molded in place and
those molded before driving.

Spacing for concrete piles usually from 2’ – 6” to 4’.

Concrete piles are extended at least 4” into the concrete of the footing,
and where a steel casing surrounds the pile, 3 to 4 in. of concrete is
required between the top of the piles and the footing reinforcement,
unless the casing is trimmed back at a distance, in which case the case
reinforcement is allowed to lie directly upon the butts of the piles.
1. PRE-CAST PILES

Pre-cast Piles These are usually moulded

in a yard or at the site allowed to cure for 4
weeks before using.

In driving, a pre-cast pile is provided with a

cast-iron point, and a driving head is used in
which a cushion of sand, rope or other
material is placed between a driving block of
wood and the
concrete in order to prevent the crushing of
the pile. Concrete piles are often sunk by
means of water-jet. This method is made
possibly by inserting an iron pipe in the
center of the pile.
2. CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

Cast-in-place Piles Cast in place piles are constructed in the ground in

the position they are to occupy, and are often reinforced. Practically all
cast in place piles are covered by patents.
Cast-in-place piles may be formed by any of the following methods:

A. A hollow cylindrical steel tube usually furnished with a tight-fitting

collapsible steel core or mandrel, is driven into the soil. The core is then
collapsed and removed, and the steel shell filled with concrete. Thus
there is a shell or form for every pile, e.g. McArthur piles, Raymond piles
(this uses a No. 24 gauge shell in which a spiral of No. 3 wire is
encased). This is also commonly called a cased pile.

A steel tube is fitted at the bottom with a driving point and is driven into the
ground to the required depth. Concrete is then poured into the hole thus
formed as the steel tube is gradually withdrawn. The driving point may be
either a conical cast-iron point that is left in place or a hinged cutting-edge
called an alligator point which opens as the tube is withdrawn, e.g.
Simplex piles. This is called an uncased pile.
A steel pipe or shell is first driven into the ground. The steel driving core is
then removed and the bottom of the shell is filled with concrete to a height of
about 5 ft. from the bottom. Pressure is then applied to force out the concrete
into the surrounding soil as the core is withdrawn. These are known as
pedestal piles.
C. STEEL PILES
Steel-pipe Piles. These are concrete
filled steel pipes which are made to bear
on rock or hard pan. The pipes are
generally 10 to 18 inches in diameter,
having a thickness of 3/8 to 5/8 inches.
The pipe is driven in sections with a
steam-hammer and, as additional sections
are required, these are attached to the
driven section by means of a cast-iron or
steel internal sleeve and re-driven.
When the pipe has reached its bearing level
it is cleaned out by blowing or dug out by
means of augers or similar tools.
The pipe is then pumped out and concreted.
D. COMPOSITE PILES
Composite Piles.
These are combination
timber and concrete or
steel and concrete piles.
They may be composed
of timber piles with
concrete coatings held
in position by steel
reinforcements in the
shape of expanded
metal or wire netting.
The latter are to be
considered as timber,
rather than concrete,
piles..
2. CAISSON FOUNDATIONS
Caissons are cast-in-place, plain or reinforced concrete piers formed by
boring with a large auger or excavating by hand a shaft in the earth to a
suitable bearing stratum and filling the shaft with concrete. For this reason
they are also referred to as drilled piles or piers.
FOUNDATION WALLS,
BASEMENT
CONSTRUCTION, CISTERNS

Foundation walls
provide support for the
superstructure above
and enclose a
basement wall or crawl
space partly or wholly
below grade.

FOUNDATION WALLS
In addition to the vertical loads from the
superstructure, foundation walls must
be designed and constructed to resist
active earth pressure and anchor the
superstructure against wind and seismic
forces.

BASEMENT WALLS
SECTION OF CISTERN