Shallow Foundation

Daniel Andiga Wibisana - 1306437076

Fajar Surya Muhammad - 1306437170
Raihan Alisha Nabila - 1306437126
Zain Azzaino - 1306437044

What is a shallow foundation?

Review: Foundation

Definition: the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below

ground level

Commonly made of concrete

Ideal foundations have an adequate load capacity with limited

settlement

Types: Deep and Shallow foundations

Shallow Foundation

transfers building loads to the earth very near the surface

Design Considerations:

Able to safely carry compression, tension, and shear loads, and possible
moments

Structurally efficient

Geotechnical efficient

Takes tolerance of structure to movement into account

Comparison between Shallow and

Deep Foundation
Shallow Foundation

Deep Foundation

Used for Light, flexible

structures: older residential
construction, residential
construction which include a
basement, and in many
commercial structures

Used for Heavy, rigid structures:

other uncommon building, such
as large bridge, tower, and the
empire state building.

Requires nice soil condition:

hard, uniform soil

Can be used even with poor soil

condition: liquefaction, soft clay
and sands

Cheaper than deep foundation;

uses less materials

Typically more expensive

Easier construction

More complex to construct and

requires more time

Types and design

General Design

Possible Materials

Concrete

Clay

Rocks

Sand

wood

Spread Footing Foundation

Description:
Foundations constructed by increasing the area at the base of the structure by means of
offsets. Spread is given under the base of a wall or a column by providing offsets.

Wall footing:
a common and the simplest type of spread footing foundation. Consists of a number of
courses of bricks, the lowest being twice the thickness of wall above. Base width of the wall
is increased by providing 5cm (one-fourth of brick length) offsets on either side of the wall.
Depth of each course is 10 cm. Bottom course is 20cm deep.

Method of Construction of Wall Footing:

Laying a bed of lean cement concrete the entire length of the wall. The thickness of lean
concrete bed is 15cm. The width is 20 to 30 cm more than the bottom course.

For foundations over compacted soil, the concrete bed below the brick wall footing may
be distributed. After laying concrete bed, it should be compacted and cured before
laying the base course of the wall.

Suitability:
Cheapest type of spread footing foundations and used for walls of common buildings

Spread Footing Foundation

Masonry Pillar Footing:

Using isolated footings to support the individual pillars and columns
constructed in brick or masonry. They are stepped down in the wall
footing after providing 15cm offset of foundation concrete on all the
sides.

Concrete Column Footing

Grillage Foundation
Description:
The foundation which consists of one or two tiers of wooden or rolled
steel section with space filled up with concrete is known as Grillage
foundation. This is so called because the bed constructed in this type of
foundation is called grillage. This type of construction avoids deep
excavation and provides the necessary area at the base of the structure
to reduce the intensity of pressure within the safe bearing capacity of the
soil.
Types:
Steel Grillage Foundation
Timber Grillage Foundation

Grillage Foundation
Method of construction of steel grillage foundation:
For constructing steel grillage foundation, a trench is excavated to the calculated width
and about 0.90 m - 1.50 m deep. Bottom of the trench is rammed and leveled.
Then a layer of lean cement concrete ( 1: 8 : 16 ), about 30cm thick, is laid and
compacted.
After this, a layer of rich cement concrete (1: 2 :4 ), about 15cm thick is spread and
compacted to form a concrete bed.
Over the concrete bed thus prepared, the bottom tier consisting of a number of steel I beams of designed dimensions are placed at specified distance apart, using spacer bars.
The space in between and around the steel beams is then filled with cement concrete.
On this bottom tier, a second layer of steel I - beam is placed, if required.
The entire space is then filled with cement concrete 1: 2 : 4. On the grillage bed thus
prepared, the structure in the form of a steel stanchion, column, pier is built.

Grillage Foundation
Method for construction of the timber grillage
foundation,

Wooden planks, usually 5 to 8 cm in thickness, are laid side by side longitudinally

on the prepared bed of the trench excavated for this purpose.

The planks should be arranged in a width 45 to 60 cm more on either side than the
designed width of the base course of the structure.

On this bottom layer of planks, rectangular timber sections of suitable size are laid
at about 35 cm center to center.

Then a top layer of planks, usually 8 to 10 cm in thickness, arranged side by side,

in width equal to that of the base course of the structure is to be built over it

On the timber platform thus prepared, the structure in the form of a timber column
or even a masonry wall is built.

Grillage Foundation
Suitability of steel grillage foundation:
Steel grillage foundations are useful for structures like
columns, piers, stanchions subjected to heavy concentrated
loads and hence are employed for foundations of the
buildings such as theaters, factories, town, halls etc.
Timber grillage foundations are usually provided for timber
columns subjected to heavy concentrated loads.
This type of grillage foundation can also be safely used for
light buildings where the soil encountered is soft and is
permanently water-logged.

Grillage Foundation

Mat or Raft Foundation

Description:
The foundation consists of a thick Reinforced Concrete slab covering the whole area of a mat

Method of construction of Raft Foundation:

The whole area is dug out to the specified depth and 30 cm more wide than the area to be
covered.
The bed is compacted and sprinkled over with water.
Then a layer oflime concreteor lean concrete is laid to a suitable thickness to act as a bottom
cover.
After this, the reinforcement is laid. The reinforcement consists of closely spaced bars placed
at right angles to one another.
Then the cement concrete is laid and compacted to the required thickness.
The concrete slab is laid then properly cured

Mat or Raft Foundation

Suitability:
Used for public buildings, office buildings, school buildings,
residential quarters, where the ground conditions are very poor
and bearing power of the soil is so low that individual spread
footing cannot be provided.

Slab-on-Grade Foundation

A slab-on-grade foundation is a single layer of concrete , monolithic and used in areas where
ground does not freeze.

Method of construction :

The slab is poured thicker at the edges , to form an integral footing , place the reinforcing
rods , the slab is rested on a bed of crushed gravel , and cast a wire mesh in the concrete.

Advantages:
1.

It is affordable

2.

It is more comfortable

3.

It offers a very balanced and comfortable environment

4.

It reduces the amount of CO2 produced in the manufacturing and transportation of materials

Disadvantages:
1.

Shifting soil, invasive tree roots and earthquakes pose serious problems for homes constructed on
slabs.

2.

Any cracks in the foundation can cause major, long-term issues that are often very difficult and costly
to repair.

3.

Slabs are prone to insect infestations.

Slab-on-grade Foundation

Rubble Trench Foundation

A rubble trench is simply a continuous trench footer around the structural perimeter, dug as deeply as the ground freezing point in winter, and filled with stone.

Method of construction:

1.

Dig a trenchto frost depth plus 4 inches and slope to daylight or dry well.

2.

Line trench with filter fabricto prevent silting-in of the footer over time.

3.

Add 4 inches of stoneand tamp it once around

4.

Lay 4-inch diameter perforated pipecontinuous on top of the sloped stone.

5.

Fill the remainder of the trenchflush to grade, or just below, using 1-1/2 inch gravel, tamping after every vertical foot of fill.

6.

Coat formwork(for the grade beam) with biodegradable oil.

7.

Set formworkfor grade beam or slab-on-grade thickened perimeter beam.

8.

Pour concrete grade beam.

Advantages:
1.

Lower cost

2.

Minimal Site impact

3.

Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

4.

It contains recycled content

5.

It has improved drainage and foundation performance

Disadvantages:
1.

Soils with low bearing capacity may require an extremely wide trench or some other footing alternative to achieve adequate bearing area.

Rubble Trench Foundation

Earthbag Foundation

Description:
work well with many types of sustainable buildings. They are low cost, fast
and easy to build, require no cement, and require no forms or expensive
equipment.
Earthbags are simply sandbags filled with soil, sand or aggregate obtained
from or near the building site. Unlike adobe or rammed earth, which
require a rather specific mix, almost any type of soil or aggregate will
work. Aggregates are preferred for foundations because they will readily
drain away any moisture and prevent wicking into the wall system.
Designed to control flooding and resist explosives, earthbags are
amazingly strong, durable and versatile as long as they are protected from
direct sunlight

Earthbag Foundation

Some typical uses include:

Earthbags on a rubble trench foundation (to raise wall system above grade)

Example: an earthbag wall or straw bale wall stacked on top of aggregate-filled earthbags or
earthbags filled with cement/lime stabilized fill material.

Aggregate-filled earthbags starting below grade and extending well above grade in floodprone areas (reduces risk of the structure being undermined)

Example: a rubble trench could get scoured away and soil-filled bags on lower courses could
dissolve in a flood.

Earthbags filled with scoria (lightweight volcanic aggregate) in cold climates

Example: scoria-filled bags are equivalent to a frost-protected foundation, and therefore

eliminate the need for rigid foam insulation and extensive excavation.

Earthbag Foundation

Bearing capacity

General Information

Definition: the capacity of soil to support the loads applied to the ground

Ultimate bearing capacity: the value of bearing stress which causes a

sudden catastrophic settlement of the foundation (shear failure)

Allowable bearing capacity: the maximum bearing stress that can be

applied that is safe against instability (uses factor of safety)

Determining Bearing Capacity:

Terzaghi's Bearing Capacity Theory

Assumptions:

No soil consolidation occurs

Foundation is very rigid relative to the soil

Soil above bottom of foundation has no shear strength

Applied load is compressive and applied vertically to the centroid of the

foundation

No applied moments present

General Equation
General Equation:
Where:

S(c/q/y) is the Shape Factor

c is the effective cohesion
q is the vertical effective stress at the depth the
foundation is laid
y is the effective unit weight when saturated
B is the width or diameter of the foundation

Shape Factor

Square
Contino
us
Round

Sc
1.3
1.0

Sq
1
1.0

Sy
0.8
1.0

1.3

0.6

Nq, Nc, and Ny

is the effective internal

angle of friction

Meyterhofs Bearing Capacity

Equations

A bearing capacity theory that can be applied to rough shallow and deep
foundations

Similar to Terzaghi but includes a shape factor s-q with the depth term
Nq; includes depth factors and inclination factors

General Equations

Vertical load:
Where:
Nc, Nq, Nr:Meyerhofs bearing capacity factors depend on soil friction angle,f.

Inclined load:

Nc = cotf( Nq 1)
Nq = eptanftan2(45+f/2)]
Ng= (Nq-1) tan
Sc, Sq, Sg: shape factors
Dc, Dq, Dg: depth factors
Ic, Iq, Ig: incline load factors
C: Cohesion of soil
g: unit weight of soil
D: depth of footing
B, L: width and length of footing
Kpr: tan2(45+f/2), passive pressure coefficient.
q: angle of axial load to vertical axis

Equations of Factors
Fricti
on
angle
Anyf
f= 0
f10

Shape
factor

Depth
factor

Sc=1+0.2Kp( Dc=1+0.2Kp
B/L)
(B/L)
Sq=Sg=1

Dq=Dg=1

Sq=Sg=1+0. Dq=Dr=1+0.
1Kp(B/L)
1Kp (D/B)

Incline
load
factors
Ic=Iq=(1q/90)2
Ig=1
Ig=(1-q/f)2

References

Terzaghi, Karl; Peck, Ralph Brazelton; Mesri, Gholamreza Soil mechanics

in engineering practice, New York. John Wiley & Sons, 1996

Das, Braja, Principles of Foundation Engineering, Stamford, CT:

Cengage Publisher, 2007