KENYA BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR FOUNDATIONS

By-laws 43

Foundations generally:

(1) The foundations of every building shall be-

(a) So designed and constructed as to sustain the combined dead load of the building and imposed
vertical and lateral loads and to transmit these loads to the ground in such a manner that the pressure
on the ground SHALL NOT cause such settlement as may impair the stability of the building, or of
adjoining works or structures;

(b) Taken down to such a depth or be designed and constructed as to safeguard the building against
damage by swelling, shrinking or erosion of the subsoil.

(2) In the case of a building with heavily loaded foundations, the council may require the
substrata formation to be proved.

(3) The dead load and imposed loads, including wind loads shall be calculated in accordance with the
Second Schedule to these By-laws.

(4) Where eccentric loading to foundations of walls occur the appropriate requirements in the Second
Schedule to these By-laws shall apply.

Strip foundations for domestic buildings.

The foundations for the load bearing structure of a domestic building where constructed as strip
foundations of plain concrete situated centrally under the walls or piers, shall be deemed to satisfy the
above requirements

a. If there is no wide variation in the type of subsoil over the loaded area and no weaker type of
soil exists below that on which the foundations rest within such a depth as may impair the
stability of the structure;
b. The concrete is composed of cement and well-graded aggregate in the proportion of 112 lb. of
cement to not more than 121/2 cu. ft. of well-graded aggregate;
c. Provided that in the case of a single storey domestic building constructed with external walls
of 6 in. thickness, the thickness of the concrete may be reduced to not less than 4 in. if the
bearing capacity of the subsoil is not less than ¾ ton per sq. Ft.
d. Where there is a pier or buttress forming part of a wall, the foundation project beyond the pier
or buttress on all sides at least to the same extent as they project beyond the wall.

In determining the conditions of the subsoil, the council may require the results of a soil test certified
by an approved person or authority.

NOTE-

i. For normal domestic buildings of bricks, blocks or stone with normal ceiling heights the wall
and imposed loads are not likely to exceed ¾ ton per lineal foot if the dwelling house is of
one storey and 1¼ tons per lineal foot if of two storeys, and foundations calculated
ii. For the purpose of this by-law, black cotton soil shall be deemed to have no load bearing
capacity.
 TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS

- Foundations are generally regarded as the lowest part of the building which eventually
transmits load into the ground in conjunction with the immediate ground (natural
foundation) that receives the loading.

- The artificial foundation must be able to safely do the transmission without causing
unnecessary movement of the structure.

- There are different types of foundations, the type chosen depending on.

a) The type of structure be erected

b) The soil bearing capacity

c) The load imposed

Types of foundation
a. Strip fdn
b. Stepped fdn
c. Pad fdn
d. Raft/Slab fdn
e. Pile fdn
a) Strip foundation

These are suitable where there are continuous load bearing walls from the foundation. The strip may
either be made from concrete (mass or reinforced) or from masonry construction e.g. brickwork. For
mass concrete, the load is transmuted at an angle of 45º hence making the effective width of the strip
is three times more the thickness of the wall. The depth should be equal to this thickness as well. If it
exceeds this the foundation would have a tendency to crack along the line of shear unless
reinforcements are included.

Load bearing wall line of shear axial load

Line of load transmission

t
45o Mass conc strip

3t tendency to fail if strip exceeds

3t with no reinforcement

1) Wide strip foundation

This type is used where the soil has a low bearing capacity and the aim is to distribute load over as
much an area as possible. The strip in this case should be reinforced so as to arrest the shear failure
together with the cracking (flexural) failure at the bottom due to bending moment.
 Distribution bar

Main bar Tendency to pull due to bending moment

2)Deep strip foundation

These are used where the suitable bearing is way down and since concrete is good in compression
strength, it is mostly done in mass concrete.

Deep strip exc.depth

These are done where the site is sloping for an economical solution. The strip is stepped in series
according to the land and fall and the lap between two sections of the strip must be equal to the depth
of the strip.

Where the step is substantial, the foundation is designed like column. The height of the step should be
such that a whole number of courses for the foundation walling fit to avoid a fraction of a course.

Land fall

Whole number of wall course

If the height is > 600mm it should be H

designed as a column

Stepped foundation strip

Same as that for ordinary strip foundation except for gauging the levels for steps

Factors to consider:

1. Slope of land

2. Depth of foundation at the highest point on site

3. Thickness of foundation concrete

4. Level of next step

Procedure of leveling

A gauge rod with the thickness of the foundation and the total height of walling units required to
reach the step marked on it is used. The gauge rod is used to get the level of the next step. Cut and
plumb the vertical part of the foundation step, and then continue leveling the bed (horizontal) as for
ordinary stripped foundation.

,
 c) Pad foundation

i) Isolated pad foundation

This is done for isolated load bearing elements (column) and its mostly in reinforced concrete since
the tendency for failure is to cup in, the reinforcements are placed in either direction.

Reinforced pad foundation

This is where two or three pad foundations are combined so as to distribute the load effectively. This
may be due to may be site boundary where the load cannot be transmitted to the neighbors plot, a
second column inside the site may be combined with the first one so as to ease the loading on it.

Columns carrying equal loads

These are used where the building has a basement, the bearing capacity of the soils are quite low.

There are three types of raft foundations namely:

i) Solid slab raft foundation

ii) Slab and beam raft foundation

iii) Cellular raft foundation

i) Solid slab raft foundation

This consists of a continuous slab of reinforced concrete forming the foundation.

Solid R.C raft (maximizes the load bearing area)

Beams are combined with the slab to give more rigid base for heavier loading. These beams may
either face downwards or can be upwards on which the floor rests.
 iii) Cellular raft foundation

This is where the up stand beams are large as to form walls (basement walls) in lattice manner (cells)
these cells can be utilized i.e. used as rooms (i.e. for boilers or storage). This type is done where very
rigid bearing for heavy loading is required. The cellular raft foundation may be combined with raft
beam type and have down facing beams.

R.C wall forming lattice cell

e) Pile foundation

These are underground columns done so as to span between the bearing stratum and the building so
as to transfer the load. They are similar to those in underpinning but they are done together with the
building.

Piles are classified according to:

a) Mode of bearing load

b) Mode of placing load

i) End bearing piles: these simply bears load by transferring it to the lower end
where the bearing stratum is.

Load weak soil

Strong stratum

ii) Friction piles: these bears the load as a result of the frictional forces created
between the sides of the pile and the ground.

Load

Frictional force

b) Mode of placing
 i) Displacement piles: this includes those piles that are driven into the ground
hence displacing the ground material in its way.

Driving force

Material being displaced

ii) Replacement piles: These piles are casted into pre-drilled or bored holes to
replace the grounds material be casted insitu concrete piles.

Concrete

Reinforcement

Driven piles

This type of piles consists of rigid materials designed to be able to take the hammering often done by
mechanical means (and the design load). They are normally circular or hexagonal in section so as to
allow for easy penetration to the ground. The driving action is normally noisy and causes a lot of
vibration into the ground. This make it unsuitable in a heavy built up locality where the vibration can
easily destabilize existing foundation

Bored piles

These are typically replacement piles and involve casting or inserting piles in predrilled holes. The
process involves little vibration and so the more suitable in heavily built environment than driven
piles

Piles are designed to take certain load (i.e. bearing capacity) and since they should not be so bulky so
as to necessitate easy driving where more load is anticipated the piles are combined (grouped)
Pile grouping

These grouping are joined at the top by means of a slab (pad) which intern supports the ground beam
on which the building rests.

Driven tube piles

These piles consist of a hollow tube made from either precast concrete or steel, driven into the ground
and then filled with cast insitu concrete. There are two basic types:

i) Open end tube Pile; the hollow tube is simply plugged by means of hammering and once
driven filled up.

Space filled after drilling

Concrete/steel tube
ii) Closed end tube pile; the lower end in this case is closed by means of a steel cap and
again once driven, the hollow space is filled up say with reinforced concrete

Hollow tube

Steel cup