Foundations

Foundations are required primarily to carry the dead and imposed loads due to the structure’s floors,
beams, walls, columns, etc. and transmit and distribute the loads safely to the ground (Fig. 3.68).

The purpose of distributing the load is to avoid the safe bearing capacity of the soil being exceeded
otherwise excessive settlement of the structure may occur.
Foundation failure can produce catastrophic effects on the overall stability of a structure so that
it may slide or even overturn (Fig. 3.69).
Such failures are likely to have tremendous financial and safety implications. It is essential, therefore, that
much attention is paid to the design of this element of a structure.

3.11.1 FOUNDATION TYPES

There are many types of foundations which are commonly used, namely strip, pad and raft. Thefoundations
may bear directly on the ground or be supported on piles. The choice of foundation type
will largely depend upon (1) ground conditions (i.e. strength and type of soil) and (2) type of structure
(i.e. layout and level of loading).
Pad footings are usually square or rectangular slabs and used to support a single column (Fig. 3.70).

The pad may be constructed using mass concrete or reinforced concrete depending on the relative size of
the loading. Detailed design of pad footings is discussed in section 3.11.2.1.
Continuous strip footings are used to support loadbearing walls or under a line of closely spaced columns
(Fig. 3.71).
Strip footings are designed as pad footings in the transverse direction and in thelongitudinal direction as an
inverted continuous beam subject to the ground bearing pressure.
Where the ground conditions are relatively poor, a raft foundation may be necessary in order to distribute
the loads from the walls and columns over a large area. In its simplest form this may consist of a flat slab,
possibly strengthened by upstand or downstand beams for the more heavily loaded structures (Fig. 3.72).

Where the ground conditions are so poor that it is not practical to use strip or pad footings but better quality
soil is present at lower depths, the use of pile foundations should be considered (Fig. 3.73).
The piles may be made of precast reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete or in-situ reinforced
concrete. Loads are transmitted from the piles to the surrounding strata by end bearing and/or friction.
End bearing piles derive most of their carrying capacity from the penetration resistance of the
soil at the toe of the pile, while friction piles rely on the adhesion or friction between the sides of the
pile and the soil.

FOUNDATION DESIGN
Foundation failure may arise as a result of (a) allowable bearing capacity of the soil being exceeded,
or (b) bending and/or shear failure of the base.
The first condition allows the plan-area of the base to be calculated, being equal to the design load
divided by the bearing capacity of the soil, i.e.

݀݁‫݀ܽ݋݈ ݊݃݅ݏ‬
‫= ݁ݎݑݏݏ݁ݎ݌ ݀݊ݑ݋ݎܩ‬ < ܾ݁ܽ‫݈݅݋ݏ ݂݋ ݕݐ݅ܿܽ݌ܽܿ ݃݊݅ݎ‬
‫ܽ݁ݎܣ ݈݊ܽ݌‬

Since the settlement of the structure occurs during its working life, the design loadings to be considered
when calculating the size of the base should be taken as those for the serviceability limit state
(i.e. 1.0Gk + 1.0Qk). The calculations to determine the thickness of the base and the bending and shear
reinforcement should, however, be based on ultimate loads (i.e. l.4Gk + 1.6Qk). The design of a
pad footing only will be considered here.
However, it should be borne in mind that in most cases the design process would be similar to that for
beams and slabs.
Pad footing
The general procedure to be adopted for the design of pad footings is as follows:
Calculate the plan area of the footing using serviceability loads.
2. Determine the reinforcement areas required for bending using ultimate loads (Fig. 3.74).
3. Check for punching, face and transverse shear failures (Fig. 3.75

Example 3.15 Design of a pad footing (BS 8110)

A 400 mm square column carries a dead load (Gk) of 1050 kN and imposed load (Qk) of 300 kN. The safe
bearing capacity of the soil is 170 kN/m2 Design a square pad footing to resist the loads assuming the
following material strengths:

fcu = 35 N/mm2 fy = 500 N/mm2

PLAN AREA OF BASE

Loading
Dead load
Assume a footing weight of 130 kN
Total dead load (Gk) = 1050 + 130 = 1180 kN

Serviceability load
Design axial load (N) = 1.0Gk + 1.0Qk = 1.0 × 1180 + 1.0 × 300 = 1480 kN

Plan area
Plan area of base

ܰ 1480
݈ܲܽ݊ ܽ‫ݐ ݂݋ ܽ݁ݎ‬ℎ݁ ܾܽ‫= ݁ݏ‬ = = 8.70݉ଶ
‫ݐ ݂݋ ݕݐ݅ܿܽ݌ܽܿ ݃݊݅ݎܽ݁ܤ‬ℎ݁ ‫݈݅݋ݏ‬ 170

Hence provide a 3 m square base (plan area = 9 m2)

Self-weight of footing

Assume the overall depth of footing (h) = 600 mm

Self weight of footing = area x h x density of concrete = 9 x 0.6 x 24 = 129.6 kN < assumed (130 kN

BENDING REINFORCEMENT
Design moment, M
Total ultimate load (W) = 1.4Gk + 1.6Qk
= 1.4 × 1050 + 1.6 × 300 = 1950 kN
 ܹ 1950
‫ݐݎܽܧ‬ℎ ܲ‫ܲ ݁ݎݑݏݏ݁ݎ‬௦ = = = 217݇ܰ/݉ଶ
݈ܲܽ݊ ܽ‫ݐ ݂݋ ܽ݁ݎ‬ℎ݁ ܾܽ‫݁ݏ‬ 9

ܲ௦ ݈ ଶ 3 × 1.3ଶ
Maximum design moment occurs at face of column ሺ‫ܯ‬ሻ = = 217 ×
2 2
550.1݇ܰ݉
= ‫ݐ݀݅ݓ‬ℎ ‫ܾ݈ܽݏ ݂݋‬
݉
Ultimate moment
Effective depth
Base to be cast against blinding, hence cover (c) to reinforcement = 50 mm (see Table 3.8). Assume 20
mm diameter (Φ) bars will be needed as bending reinforcement in both directions

Hence, average effective depth of reinforcement, d, is d = h − c − Φ = 600 − 50 − 20 = 530 mm

Ultimate moment
Mu = 0.156fcubd2 = 0.156 × 35 × 3000 × 530ଶ
= 4601 kNm

Since Mu >M no compression reinforcement is required.

 Main steel

‫ܯ‬ 550.1 × 10଺

݇= = = 0.0186
݂௖௨ ܾ݀ ଶ 35 × 3000 × 530ଶ

‫ ݀ = ݖ‬ቀ0.5 + ඥሺ0.25 − ‫ܭ‬/0.9ሻቁ

‫ ݀ = ݖ‬ቀ0.5 + ඥሺ0.25 − 0.0186/0.9ሻቁ

0.979݀ > 0.95݀ = 0.95 × 530 = 504݉݉

‫ܯ‬ 550.1 × 10଺

‫ܣ‬௦ = = = 509.12݉݉ଶ /݉
0.87݂௬ ‫ ݖ‬0.87 × 500 × 504

Minimum steel area is

0.13%bh =780 mm2/m < As OK

Hence from Table 3.22, provide H20 at 300 mm centres (As =2509 mm2/m) distributed uniformly across
the full width of the footing parallel to the x–x and y–y axis (see clause 3.11.3.2, BS 8110).

CRITICAL SHEAR STRESSES

Punching shear
Critical perimeter, pcrit, is

= column perimeter + 8 × 1.5d

= 4 × 400 + 8 × 1.5 × 530 = 7960 mm

Area within perimeter is

(400 + 3d)2 = (400 + 3 × 530)2 = 3.96 × 106 mm2

Ultimate punching force, V, is

V = load on shaded area = 217 × (9 − 3.96) = 1094 kN

Design punching shear stress, , is

ܸ 1094 × 10ଷ
‫=ݒ‬ = = 0.26ܰ/݉݉ଶ
‫݌‬஼௥௜௧ ݀ 7960 × 530

100‫ܣ‬௦ 100 × 1050

= = 0.198
ܾ݀ 10ଷ × 530

Hence from Table 3.11,

design concrete shear stress, ‫ݒ‬௖ , is

ଵ
߭௖ = ሺ35/25ሻଷ × 0.37 = 0.41 ܰ/݉݉ଶ
Since ߭௖ > ‫ݒ‬, punching failure is unlikely and a 600 mm depth of slab is acceptable

Face shear
Maximum shear stress (max) occurs at face of column. Hence

ܹ 1950 × 10ଷ
‫ݒ‬௠௔௫ = = = 2.3ܰ/݉݉ଶ
‫ ݀ × ݎ݁ݐ݁݉݅ݎ݁݌ ݊݉ݑ݈݋ܥ‬ሺ4 × 400ሻ × 530

2.3ܰ/݉݉ଶ < ‫݈ܾ݁݅ݏݏ݅݉ݎ݁݌‬ሺ= 0.8ඥ0.35ሻ = 4.73ܰ/݉݉ଶ

Transverse shear

Ultimate shear force (V) = load on shaded area = ps × area = 217(3 × 0.770) = 501 kN
Design shear stress, ߭, is

ܸ 501 × 10ଷ
‫=ݒ‬ = = 0.32ܰ/݉݉ଶ < ‫ݒ‬௖
ܾ݀ 3 × 10ଷ × 530
Hence no shear reinforcement is required
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
The sketch below shows the main reinforcement requirements for the pad footing.