Foundations Engineering (0504421)

By:
Dr Mahmoud Alrsai
([Link]@[Link])

Chapter 8: Mat Foundations

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Introduction

Under normal conditions, square and rectangular footings are economical for
supporting columns and walls. However, under certain circumstances, it may be
desirable to construct a footing that supports a line of two or more columns. These
footings are referred to as combined footings. When more than one line of columns is
supported by a concrete slab, it is called a mat foundation.

 Combined footings can be classified generally into four categories:

(1) Rectangular combined footing.
(2) Trapezoidal combined footing.
(3) Strap footing.
 Mat foundations are generally used with soil that has a low bearing capacity. This
chapter has been demonstrated in two distinct parts, which are as given as under:
Part A: Geotechnical design, and
Part B: Structural design.

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Part A: Geotechnical Design

The geotechnical design of foundations will be illustrated for isolated and combined
footings in the next following sections.

A. Isolated Footing

Most economical type. It can be rectangular, circular, or square.

It is preferred that the shape of the footing matches the shape
of the column above.

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Part A: Geotechnical Design

The geotechnical design of foundations will be illustrated for isolated and combined
footings in the next following sections.

B. Combined Footing

(1) Rectangular combined footing

In such a case, two or more columns can be supported on a single rectangular

foundation. If the net allowable soil pressure is known, the size of the foundation (B × L)
can be determined in the following manner:

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a. No property line (i.e. extension is permitted from both sides)

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b. One property line (i.e. extension is permitted from one side only)

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c. Two property line (i.e. extension is obstructed from both sides)

If 𝒆𝒆>𝑳𝑳/𝟔𝟔, use the following equation:

Otherwise, use the following equation:

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(2) Trapezoidal combined footing.

Trapezoidal combined footing is sometimes used as an isolated spread foundation of

columns carrying large loads where space is tight. The size of the foundation that will
uniformly distribute pressure on the soil can be obtained in the following manner:

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a. No property line (i.e. extension is permitted from both sides)

(Eq. 1)

(Eq. 2)

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b. One property line (i.e. extension is permitted from one side only)

(Eq. 1)

(Eq. 2)

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c. Two property line (i.e. extension is permitted from one side only)

(Eq. 1)

(Eq. 2)

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(3) Strap footing (Cantilever footing).

Cantilever footing construction uses a strap beam to connect an eccentrically loaded

column foundation to the foundation of an interior column.

Cantilever footings may be used in place of trapezoidal or rectangular combined

footings when the allowable soil bearing capacity is high and the distances between the
columns are large.

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(3) Strap footing (Cantilever footing).

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C. Mat Foundation(Raft Foundation)

It is a combined footing that may cover the entire area under a structure supporting
several columns and walls. Mat foundations are sometimes preferred for soils that have
low load-bearing capacities, but that will have to support high column or wall loads.
Under some conditions, spread footings would have to cover more than half the
building area, and mat foundations might be more economical.

Common types of mat foundation

Several types of mat foundations are currently used. Some of the common ones are
listed as given under:
• Flat plate: the mat is of uniform thickness (Figure a).
• Flat plate thickened under columns (Figure b).
• Beams and slab: the beams run both ways, and the columns are located at the
intersection of the beams (Figure c).
• Flat plates with pedestals (Figure d).
• Slab with basement walls as a part of the mat: the walls act as stiffeners for the mat
(Figure e).
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Comparison of isolated foundation and mat foundation

The Figure below shows the difference between the depth Df and the width B of
isolated foundations and mat foundations.

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Bearing capacity of mat foundation

The gross ultimate bearing capacity of a mat foundation can be determined by the
same equation used for shallow foundations (see Section 4.6 in textbook), or:

The term B in the load-bearing capacity equation is the smallest dimension of the mat.
The net ultimate capacity of a mat foundation is:

A suitable factor of safety should be used to calculate the net allowable bearing
capacity:
• For mats on clay, the factor of safety should not be less than 3 under dead load or
maximum live load. However, under the most extreme conditions, the factor of
safety should be at least 1.75 to 2.
• For mats constructed over sand, a factor of safety of 3 should normally be used.
Under most working conditions, the factor of safety against bearing capacity failure
of mats on sand is very large.
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Bearing capacity of mat foundation

For saturated clays with ∅ = 0 and a vertical loading condition (𝛽𝛽=0), the net ultimate
bearing capacity 𝑞𝑞𝑢𝑢 is:

Hence, the net ultimate bearing capacity 𝑞𝑞𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑡(𝑢𝑢) is:

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Bearing capacity of mat foundation

Or, the load-bearing capacity can be obtained based on the Standard Penetration Test
(SPT) and may be expressed as:

In English units, the previous equation may be expressed as:

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Bearing capacity of mat foundation

Recall that, generally, shallow foundations are designed for a maximum settlement of
25 mm (1 in.) and a differential settlement of three-fourths of the tolerable settlement,
which is about 19 mm (0.75 in.).

However, the width of a raft foundation is larger than those of the isolated spread
footings. The depth of significant stress increase in the soil below a foundation depends
on the width of the foundation. Hence, for a raft foundation, the depth of the zone of
influence is likely to be much larger than that of a spread footing. Thus, the loose soil
pockets under a raft may be more evenly distributed, resulting in a smaller differential
settlement. Accordingly, the customary assumption is that, for a maximum raft
settlement of 50 mm (2 in.), the differential settlement would be 19 mm (0.75 in.).

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Bearing capacity of mat foundation

The net pressure applied on a foundation (as shown in the figure below) may be
expressed as:

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Compensated foundation

The net pressure increase in the soil under a mat foundation can be reduced by
increasing the depth Df of the mat. This approach is generally referred to as the
compensated foundation design and is extremely useful when structures are to be built
on very soft clays. In this design, a deeper basement is made below the higher portion
of the superstructure, so that the net pressure increase in the soil at any depth is
relatively uniform.

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Compensated foundation

The net average applied pressure on soil is

For no increase in the net pressure on soil below a mat foundation, q should be zero.
Thus,

This relation for Df is usually referred to as the depth of a fully compensated foundation.

The factor of safety against bearing capacity failure for partially compensated foundations
(i.e., Df < Q/Aγ) may be given as

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Part B: Structural Design

The structural design of mat foundations can be carried out by two conventional
methods: the conventional rigid method and the approximate flexible method. Finite-
difference and finite-element methods can also be used, but this section covers only
the basic concepts of the first design method.

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Conventional Rigid Method

The conventional rigid method of mat

foundation design can be explained
step by step with reference to the
Figure shown below:

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Conventional Rigid Method

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Conventional Rigid Method

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Conventional Rigid Method

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Conventional Rigid Method

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Conventional Rigid Method

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Conventional Rigid Method

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• Remember to do something good today!!!

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