Durability and protection of foundations (Final)

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Contents
•Foundations & Types
•Depth and Location
•Types of Strata & Footings
•Problems & Effects
•Poor Design
•Frost
•Water Table
•Effect of Volume change
•Corrosive environment
•Landfill construction
•Effect of Concrete properties
•Soil Improvement
•References 3
INTRODUCTION
Foundation
The Most important part of a structure
Foundation Types
•Shallow (Df/B < 1)
•Deep (Df/B > 4)
Purpose of Foundation
Transfer super structure Load
To the soil underneath
Without causing shear failure
& excessive settlement
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Shallow Footings
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Some Important Points
•Structures usually fail due to deterioration of
foundations
• Protection of foundation material in aggressive
environments has long been recognized as
necessity.
•Satisfactory protection systems are available, but
are, in many instances misapplied or ignored.
•Foundation deterioration can be due to:
•Chemical
•Physical
•biological
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Design Considerations
• One of the major factor of foundation failure
is the poor design.
• Some of the things which should be kept in
mind are as follows
1. Proper geotechnical Investigation should be carried
out before the footing design.
2. Footings should also be placed below any topsoil

layer, for topsoil is loose and usually contains
organic matter.
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3. When footings are to be placed adjacent to an existing
structure, as indicated in Fig.,(a) the line from the base of
the new footing to the bottom edge of the existing footing
should be 45° or less with the horizontal plane. From this
requirement it follows that the distance m of Fig.
(b)should be greater than the difference in elevation of
the two footings, z.
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When m is less then z then there will be loss of
sufficient lateral support of the soil wedge beneath
existing footing. Hence the soil will bulge out .
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Type of Foundation based on type of strata
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Prevention from FROST
Footings should be
placed below the frost line
(usually 3ft) because of
possible frost heave of the
buildings and because
alternate freezing and
thawing of the soil tends to
maintain it in an
unconsolidated or loose
state.
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Ground Frost Penetration Under Various Conditions
The frost line—also known as frost depth or freezing depth—is most

commonly the depth to which the groundwater in soil is expected
to freeze. The frost depth depends on:
• Climatic conditions of an area
• Heat transfer properties of the soil and adjacent materials, and on
nearby heat sources
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Footing depth and Location for a safe shallow
footing design
Footings should be carried below
1. The frost penetration line (In cold Areas)
2. Zones of volume change due to moisture fluctuations
3. Topsoil or organic material
4. Peat and muck (humus from drained swampland)
5. Unconsolidated material such as abandoned (or closed)
garbage dumps.
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Water Table
A lowered water table increases the effective pressure and may
cause additional settlements.
A raised water table may create problems for the owner from the
following:
1. Floating the structure (making it unstable or tilting it)
2. Reducing the effective pressure (causing excessive
settlements)
3. Creating a wet basement if the basement walls are not
watertight
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Solutions
These problems can usually be solved by introducing some type
of drainage so that water does not accumulate around the
building walls or produce hydrostatic uplift beneath the
basement.
•The use of drain

tile around the
basement perimeter
is common for
residential dwellings
and some larger
buildings.
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Solutions
•In other cases a sloping

basement excavation that is
backfilled with granular
material to the required
horizontal level in
combination with a well
(called a sump pit) at the low
point that is fitted with a
pump (a sump pump system)
can be used. The pump is
preset to start pumping
water as it rises to a critical
level in the sump pit.
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Significant Soil Volume Changes
 Clays with high plasticity , shrink significantly on drying and
swell significantly upon wetting.
The volume change is greatest near the ground surface and
decreases with increase in depth.
The volume change depend on:
oThe type of soil
oLevel of ground water
oLocation of soil
oEnvironmental conditions
Studies by the Bureau of Reclamation and by G.F. Sowers

indicate that susceptible soils can be identified by the Plasticity
Index(PI) and Shrinkage Limit as shown:
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Volume change Plasticity Index
with change in Shrinkage limit
moisture Arid regions Humid regions
Little 0-15 0-30 12 or more
Moderate 15-30 30-50 10-12
Severe more than 30 more than 50 less than 10
Significance of Initial Moisture of soil

Initial moisture of any soil dictate whether the soil will shrink or swell.
Moist Soil can shrink up to its shrinkage limit. If the moisture content is less
than shrinkage limit there will be no shrinkage.
There will be little or no swelling in highly plastic clay if its initial moisture
content corresponds to water plasticity ratio(Liquidity index ) is 0.2 or
more. (Studies by Sower)
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Underground Defects
Foundations are also affected by the presence of

underground defects. This may include:
Limestone caverns, old mine tunnels, soft material, sewer
tunnels, telephone cable conduits, and possible flaws
created by pumping out soil fluids (oil, water).
Tectonic faults and natural Slips
Certainly , foundations should not be placed over these

underground defects.
If the foundation is desired over such locations they may be
relocated.
A survey (or a complete exploration) should be made prior to
excavation to avoid any damage .
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Displaced Soil Effects
Soil is always displaced by installing a foundation. The backfill
soil should be carefully compacted over the footing.
Generally a clean free draining backfill is recommended
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Erosion problems for structures adjacent to flowing water
Bridge piers, abutments, bases for retaining walls, and footings for
other structures adjacent to or located in flowing water must be
located at a depth such that erosion or scour does not undercut the
soil and cause a failure.
For safety, the depth of bridge piers and similar foundations should be well
below the sour depth.
Protection by deep sheet piles driven in surrounding area is also effective .
Riprap is also another effective approach. 25
Corrosion Protection
Metal as well as concrete foundations are attacked by corrosion
when they are located near or on
 Old sanitary landfills
 Sewer outfall line from industrial plants
 Back water areas(where water stand on dead vegetation
• Use sulfate-resistant concrete.

• Use air-entrained concrete.
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Foundations on Sanitary Landfill sites
Scarcity of land near urban areas , made it necessary to

use a former sanitary landfill(Garbage Dump).
•Major problem of
construction on landfill is
settlement(Differential
settlement).
• It is certain that the
settlements will be uneven
owing to the varied character
of the refuse material and
the method(s) used to
construct the fill.
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Determination of bearing capacity of the fill will consist in
checking to see if the surface cover has adequate thickness
to avoid a punching or rotational shear failure.
 Add additional fill to reduce the pressure from the

foundation on the refuse zone
The additional fill would be on the order of 1.5B thick .
The use of continuous foundations (with substantial

reinforcing bars) may provide adequate bearing capacity
and allow bridging over local soft spots or cavities.
The only other recourse is to use piles or drilled piers

(caissons) through the landfill into the underlying soil.
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Concrete for a durable Foundation
Properties of a good concrete depends on its constituents:
Binders
Portland cement is the most commonly used binder.
Aggregates
Because aggregates are quarried locally, their texture, weight, strength,
and absorptive and reactive properties vary, and this variation can affect
the concrete’s properties.
Water
The chemical composition of water can affect concrete, but more
important is the ratio of water-to-cement paste used in the mix.
Mix Design
The proportions and the order in which all constituents are
combined, the length of time and method by which they are mixed,
and the length of time between mixing to placing all affect the
quality of concrete. 29
Environmental Conditions
The environmental conditions that exist during placing also have
effect on properties of concrete.
Workmanship
The quality of workmanship can have an effect. Here are some
common mistakes:
 Inadequate cover of reinforcement steel( causing corrosion).
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Incomplete compaction(using a mechanical vibrator). Concrete
being placed in forms should be placed in layers, with each layer
being vibrated when it is placed.
Bleeding of concrete
Improper curing
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Cracks in concrete foundations
Concrete Shrinkage crack
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Crack due to lateral forces Crack due to soil Heave
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Improvement of soil
Among the various strategies used an important

technique is to improve soil properties before any
construction.
 Mechanical Techniques
Efficient Compaction
Vibro floatation for deep compaction
Use of sand/stone piles
Chemical Techniques
Cement Stabilization
Lime stabilization
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References
• Chapter 7 of Foundation Analysis and Design By Joseph.

E. Bowles
• http://www.nachi.org/visual-inspection-concrete.htm
• Dr. Aziz Akbar Class Notes
• Durability and Protection of Foundations By Thomas D.

Dismuke, Bethelem Steel Coorporation
• http://www.huduser.org
• buildingfoundation.umn.edu/MHFAfrostFoundation.htm
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1

2. Footings should also be placed below any topsoil

The frost line—also known as frost depth or freezing depth—is most

•The use of drain

•In other cases a sloping

Studies by the Bureau of Reclamation and by G.F. Sowers

Significance of Initial Moisture of soil

Foundations are also affected by the presence of

Certainly , foundations should not be placed over these

• Use sulfate-resistant concrete.

Scarcity of land near urban areas , made it necessary to

 Add additional fill to reduce the pressure from the

The use of continuous foundations (with substantial

The only other recourse is to use piles or drilled piers

Among the various strategies used an important

• Chapter 7 of Foundation Analysis and Design By Joseph.

• Dr. Aziz Akbar Class Notes

• Durability and Protection of Foundations By Thomas D.

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