Kampala International University

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering CIV3102

Geotechnical Engineering
Introduction to Foundation Engineering

Dr. Suliman Badawi Ahmed

Associate Professor

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 Introduction

p Geotechnical Engineering
p Failure Cases
p Design Method Development

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 Geotechnical
Engineering

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 Geotechnical Engineering

=
Foundation Engineering

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 Geotechnical Engineering
Civil engineering includes:

1. Coastal engineering
2. Construction engineering
3. Earthquake engineering
4. Environmental engineering
5. Geotechnical engineering
6. Water resources engineering
7. Materials engineering
8. Structural engineering
9. Surveying
10. Transportation engineering
11. Municipal or urban engineering

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 Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineering, also known as geomechanics, is
the branch of civil engineering concerned with the
engineering behavior of earth materials (soil, rock and
water) and their interaction with structures.
Geotechnical engineering includes
p Investigating existing subsurface conditions and
materials;
p Determining soil/rock physical/mechanical and
chemical properties
p Assessing risks posed by site conditions;
p Designing earthworks and structure foundations;
p Monitoring site conditions, earthwork and foundation
construction.
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 Big Dig-Boston

Deep (Pile) Foundation

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 Sunshine Skyway Bridge - Tampa, Florida

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Deep Foundation
 Hoover Dam-Ohio
Dam (Retaining Soil and Water)

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 Earth Retaining Structures

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 Pavement

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 Pavement
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 Offshore Engineering

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 Taipei 101 Building

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

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 Rail Tunnel-Belgium
Tunnel

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MRT Line-Singapore Tunnel
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 Hsuehshan Tunnel Taiwan

Tunnel

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 Landfill

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 Foundation Loads

n Dead Load
n Live Load
n Wind Load
n Horizontal Pressures Below Grade
n Structural Member Forces
n Uplift
n Earthquake

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 Settlements of Foundations

NO SETTLEMENT * TOTAL SETTLEMENT * DIFFERENTIAL SETTLEMENT

Uniform settlement is usually of little consequence in a building, but differential settlement can cause
severe structural damage

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Porous Clays
(sandy)

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 Construction of Foundations
• Some amount of excavation required for every building - Top soil
consisting of organic matter is removed - Below the region of soil
erosion (by water and wind) & below the level of permafrost .
• To the required depth at which the bearing capacity necessary for
the building is met - A variety of machines used for excavation
• The sides of excavation to be protected from caving in by
benching, sheeting (soldier beams and lagging, sheet piles, slurry
walls, etc.) or bracing (cross-slot, rakers or tiebacks) - Dewatering
using well-points & sumps, and watertight barriers - Mixing the
soil by rotating paddles
• Bulldozers* Shovel dozers * Back hoes
• Bucket loaders * Scrapers * Trenching machines
• Power shovels * Tractor-mounted rippers * Pneumatic
hammers
• Drop balls * Hydraulic splitters * Blasting

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 DOZERS

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 Backhoe

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 Unrestricted Site
Bench and/or Angle of Repose
Must have perimeter clearance
Considerations
Bank Erosion
Water Diversion
Safety
Storage of Backfill (& cost)
Most likely - least expensive
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 Benched Excavation
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 Slurry Wall

wSteps
èLayout
èExcavate the soil
èInterject Slurry to
prevent Collapse as
Excavation Continues
èInstall Reinforcing
èPlace Concrete
(replaces the slurry mix)

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 Tieback Installation

n Rotary Drill Hole

n Insert & Grout Tendons

n Tendons Stressed & Anchored

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 Bracing

n Crosslot

n Rackers

n Tiebacks

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 Bank Requiring a Retention System

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 Retention System Depends On:

n Proximity to Buildings
n Type of Soil
n Water Table Level
n Temporary or Permanent
n Contractor Preference
n Cost - KEY Consideration

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 Dewatering
n A process of removing Water and/or lowering the
Water Table within a construction site
n Purpose: To Provide a Dry working platform -
(typically required by Code and Specification)
n If the Water Table is above the working platform;
Options:
» Keep water out
» Let water in & remove it
» Combination

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 Watertight Barrier Walls

n Keep Water Out

n Barrier must reach an
impervious strata
n Types
– Slurry Walls
– Sheeting w/ pumps
n Must resist hydrostatic
pressure

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 Major Building Parts

Superstructure

Substructure

Foundation

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 Primary Factors Affecting
Foundation Choice

n Subsurface soil

n Ground water conditions

n Structural requirements

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 Secondary Factors Affecting Foundation
Choice
n Construction access, methods & site conditions
n Environmental factors
n Building Codes & Regulations
n Impact on surrounding structures
n Construction schedule
n Construction risks

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 Shallow Foundations

n Requirements
– Suitable soil bearing capacity
– Undisturbed soil or engineered fill

n Basic types or configurations

– Column footings
– Wall or strip footings

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 Combination Spread & Strip Footing

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 Shallow Foundations

Stepped strip
/// ///
footings \\\
\\\ /// \\\

Grade Beams

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 Shallow
Foundations
à Eccentrically loaded
footings

à Mat foundation
à Floating (Mat) foundation

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 Deep Foundations - Purpose
transfer building loads deep into the earth

Basic types
– Drilled (& poured)

– Driven

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 Caisson Installation Sequence

n Hole drilled with a large drill rig

n Casing installed (typically)
n Bell or Tip enlargement (optional)
n Bottom inspected and tested
n Reinforced
n Concrete placement (& casing removal)

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 Driven Piles

Two basic types of Piles

– End bearing pile - point

loading

– Friction pile - load transferred

by friction resistance between
the pile and the earth

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 Pile material
n Steel; H- piles, Steel pipe
n Concrete; Site cast or Precast
n Wood; Timber
n Composite

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 Precast Concrete Plies

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 Seismic Base Isolation

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 Failure Cases

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 We Learned From Failure
A well documented case history should be
given as much weight as ten ingenious
theories. ------ By Karl Von Terzaghi

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 Bearing Capacity Failure

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 Deep Foundation Failure

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 Pavement Failure

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 Deep Excavation Failure

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 Bottom
Heave

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 Construction Failure

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 Debris Flow

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 Debris Flow
A

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 2009 Typhoon Morakot
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 Debris Flow
2001 Typhoon Nari

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 Earthquake

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 Soil Liquefaction

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 Design Method
Development

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