PCS5- FOUNDATION &

RETAINING WALL DESIGN

Introduction
Foundations are the first part of any
construction. They are incredibly important to
the durability of a building, and if not
completed correctly, they can affect the
strength and resilience of the building once
completed. In short, without a stable
foundation, a building will not be reliable
nor last a long time. – Martin Perry
Associates
Factors Affecting Foundations Design
1. Footing Depth and Spacing:
Footings must be placed below the topsoil layer to avoid soil consolidation as
it is the loosest kind of soil that usually contains organic matter.
2. Soil Settlement:
The soil might get settled after installing a foundation. Settlement is time
dependent and results from gradual reduction of volume of saturated soils. If the
foundation is placed on loose soil, there is a possibility that the foundation would
be settled overtime gradually. A geotechnical engineer shall verify the bearing
capacity of soil to ensure that loads will not have any negative effect on the soil to
settle. Prior to foundation installation, the soil shall be compacted to a degree
recommended by the geotechnical report.
3. Soil Erosion:
For structures that are adjacent to flowing water, the footings must be located
at a depth where erosion or scour doesn’t undercut the soil and cause a foundation
design failure. This also applies to bridge piers, abutments, retaining wall bases,
etc. To avoid erosion, water should be permitted to flow away from the base of
the foundation. In order to do so, weeping tile should be installed along the base
of the foundation.
4. Foundation in Sand and Silt:
Foundations installed in sand and silt will require densification of the loose
soil before installation. The soil beneath the footing needs to be confined. If the
soil is not confined, it will flow out from the footing perimeter with a loss of
density and bearing capacity. This will make it easier for wind and water to erode
sand or silt that is too near to the ground surface.
5. Foundations in Loess and Other Collapsible Soils
Collapsible soils are deposits of silts, sand, and volcano ash. Typically, they
are loose with low density but are stable. Foundations in this soil can be well-
cemented on contact points with a water-soluble bonding agent. Structural
engineers need to consider certain conditions of the load and wetness of the soil
in order to produce a structure with high stability even in collapsible soils.
Classification of Foundation
1. Shallow Foundation - are roughly one-to-three meters in depth. As expected,
they don’t distribute loads far into the ground. For this reason, they tend to
cost less than deep foundations as they require less labor and resources to
implement.
2. Deep Foundation - As the name suggests, deep foundations are dug much
further into the ground’s surface to reach the subsoil which lays beneath the
weaker topsoil. They are often preferred if creating a high building or if the
ground is weak.
Types of Shallow Foundation
1. Isolated Footing - This is the most
commonly used foundation type that is
used for single columns. The shape of
an isolated footing can be square or
rectangular and is used when the load
of the structure is transferred through
columns. Square footings are used for
vertical loads and rectangular footings
are used in case of eccentric loading.
Pad footing, Stepped Footing and
Sloped footing are 3 types of isolated
footing. Step footings are used in case
of heavy load from superstructure.
2. Combined Footing - When two or more
columns are close enough to cause overlapping of
isolated footings, these are replaced by combined
footing. It is also used when the bearing capacity of
the soil is less than required or if the column is
near property/sewer lines.

3. Raft Footing - Also known as Mat Footing these

are built across the entire area of the building to resist
structural heavy loads from columns and walls. It is
built to prevent unequal settlement from individual
footings. Thus it is designed as a raft or mat for all
load bearing elements of the structure. It is used in
soils with low bearing capacity such as expansive
soils.
4. Grillage Foundation - Most high-rise
buildings are constructed with steel columns
encased in concrete. Such types of columns
carry a very heavy load and hence it requires
special foundations for spreading the entire
load to a larger area of soil. So Grillage
foundation is one such special foundation that
is used where the load of the structure is
excessive and the bearing capacity of the soil
is poor and a deep foundation is not possible.
5. Strip footing - a strip foundation is a
type of shallow foundation often used
within low to medium rise residential
buildings. Suitable only where the ground
conditions are stable and with good load-
bearing capacity, strip foundations are fast
and cost-effective to build.
6. Strap footing - It is a type of combined
footing, consisting of two or more column
footings connected by a concrete beam.
This type of beam is called a strap beam. It
is used to help distribute the weight of
either heavily or eccentrically loaded
column footings to adjacent footings. It is
often used in conjunction with columns
that are located along a building's property
or lot line.
Types of Deep Foundation
1. Pile Foundation - Pile foundations are used to
transfer load from the base of footings to the hard
rock strata situated quite deep from the ground
level. These are like thin columns made of
concrete, timber or steel, driven or cast into the
ground. This is used when the bearing capacity of
the soil is not enough to bear the load of the
building and transfer it to the hard rock strata. The
primary purpose of pile foundation is to resist
loads by using friction piles that cause skin friction
and end bearing piles.
2. Pier Foundation - These foundations are
mainly used when foundations are to be built
below water bodies and bridge constructions.
Caissons are huge hollow watertight retaining
structures used in construction of dams or as
piers for bridges. These are easily transported by
floating in water and sunk into water or ground
up to the desired depth. They are then filled with
concrete to form a foundation.
 https://mperryassociates.com/2022/11/16/importance-foundations/
 https://www.getpowerplay.in/blog/foundation-their-importance/
 https://dreamcivil.com/spread-footing/