FOUNDATION SYSTEM

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

 Intended Learning Outcome
• Discuss the purpose of footings.

• Identify and Explain different types of foundation.

• Define and analyze different kinds of shallow foundation.

• Integrate knowledge and understanding of foundation

system to structural concepts and architectural design and
plan of buildings.

• Prepare structural working drawings and construction

documents relating to the foundation system of a
structure.
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
 TOPICS
• Definition of foundation

• Purpose of foundation.

• Types of loads

• Factors to consider in designing foundation system

• Types of foundation

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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FOUNDATION

The lowest division of a building or other construction, partly or wholly below the surface
of the ground, designed to support and anchor the superstructure and transmit its loads
directly to the earth.
FOOTING

The part of a foundation

bearing directly upon the
Superstructure supporting soil, set below
the frostline and enlarged
to distribute its load over a
greater area.

Anchorage required to resist

sliding, uplift or overturning

Substructure Active earth pressure exerted by a

Foundation soil mass on a basement wall
(Types: Shallow & Deep)
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA Figure 1
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Purpose:
To carry and transfer gravity vertical loads walls down
to footing towards the ground.

To carry and transfer horizontal lateral loads to footing

and floor structure towards the ground.

To load the bearing surface at a uniform rate to avoid

differential settlement.

To attain a level and firm bed for building operations.

To increase the stability of the structure as a whole.

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
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Types of Loads:
Dead Loads: The weight of the building and materials
(footing, beams, windows, roof, etc.). Dead loads must be
determined by the Civil or Structural Engineer.

Live Loads: Any load that can move (furniture, people,

etc.). Minimum live loads are dictated by Building Codes.

Other Loads: Determined from Building Codes (Snow

Loads; Wind Loads; Seismic Loads; Earth loads -for
foundation wall analysis; Water “hydrostatic” loads -i.e.,
marine structures)
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA Figure 1
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Factors to consider in selecting and designing the type of

foundation system:

Pattern and magnitude of building loads

Subsurface and groundwater conditions
Topography of the site
Impact on adjacent properties
Building code requirements
Construction methods and risk

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA Figure 1

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PASSIVE EARTH PRESSURE
The horizontal component of
resistance developed by a soil mass
in response to the horizontal
movement of a vertical structure
through the soil.
LATERAL FORCE

ACTIVE EARTH PRESSURE

(WIND LOAD)

The horizontal component of

pressure that a soil mass exerts on a
vertical retaining structure.

Passive earth pressure

Lateral forces can cause foundation to

impose non-uniform pressure on the
supporting soil.

Some shear resistance is provided by the

Figure 2 friction between the foundation and the
underlying soil.
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
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Settlement – The gradual subsiding of a

structure as the soil beneath its
foundation consolidates under loading.

Consolidation – The gradual reduction in

the volume of a soil mass resulting from
the application of a sustained load and an
increase in compressive stress.
Figure 3
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
 Building load
FOUNDATION
SOIL PRESSURE
The actual pressure
developed between a
footing and the supporting
Contact Area soil mass. Also called
of Footing contact pressure.
Differential Settlement –
The relative movement of
different parts of a Figure 4
structure caused by
uneven consolidation of
the foundation soil – can
cause the building to shift,
cracks in foundation,
structure, or finishes, and
can result in the failure of
structural integrity of the
building.

Figure 5 Figure 6 – Leaning Tower of Pisa

Caused by drought conditions, root systems of mature trees, flooding, poor drainage,
frost, broken waterlines, vibrations or poorly compacted fill soil.
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
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Frostline – The maximum depth at

which soils is frozen or frost penetrates
the ground.

Frost heave – An uplift in soil caused by

the freezing of internal moisture.

Frost boil – A softening of soil resulting

from the thawing of frozen
groundwater.
Figure 7

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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Shallow Foundation – Shallow or spread

foundations are employed when stable soil
of adequate bearing capacity occurs
relatively near to the ground surface. They
are placed directly below the lowest part
of a substructure and transfer building
loads directly to the supporting soil by
vertical pressure.

Deep Foundation – Deep foundations are

employed when the soil underlying a
foundation is unstable or of inadequate
bearing capacity. They extend down
through unsuitable soil to transfer building
loads to a more appropriate bearing
stratum of rock or dense sands and gravels
well below the superstructure.

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA Figure 8

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SPREAD FOOTING
The lowest part of a shallow
foundation.

Extended laterally to
distribute their load over an
area of soil wide enough
that the allowable bearing
capacity of the soil is not
exceeded. Figure 9

Strip Footing – the Continuous Footing –

continuous spread support a row of
footing of foundation three or more
walls. columns. They have
limited width and
continue under all
columns.

Figure 10. Strip Footing

(actual) Figure 11. Continuous Footing
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
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SPREAD FOOTING

Stepped Footing
are strip footings that changes levels
in stages to accommodate a sloping
grade and maintain the required
depth at all points around a building.

Figure 12. Stepped Footing

Grade Beam
a reinforced concrete beam supporting
a bearing wall at or near ground level
and transferring the load to isolated
footings, piers, or piles.

Figure 13. Grade Beam

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING

Figure 15. Cantilever/Strap

Footing (actual)

Figure 14. Cantilever/Strap Footing

Cantilever/Strap Footing
Consist of a column footing connected
by a tie beam to another footing in
order to balance an asymmetrically
imposed load.

Figure 16. Cantilever/Strap Footing (actual)

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING
Combined Footing
A reinforced concrete footing for a
perimeter foundation wall or column
extended to support an interior
column load.

Usually supports two columns or three

columns not in a row.

Combined footings are used when two

columns are so close that single
footings cannot be used or when one
column is located at or near a
Figure 17. Combined Footing (actual) property.

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING

Isolated Footing
A single spread footing supporting a
freestanding column or pier.

One of the most economical types of

Figure 18. Isolated Footing (actual) footing and is used when columns are
spaced at relatively long distances.

Figure 19. Isolated Footing (actual)

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
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SPREAD FOOTING
Isolated Footing

Figure 20. Column Footing Plan Figure 21. Column Footing Section
(detailed drawing) (detailed drawing)

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING
Isolated Footing

Figure 22. Column Footing Plan Figure 23. Column Footing Section
(detailed drawing) (detailed drawing)

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING
Wall Footing

Figure 24. Wall Footing Section

(detailed drawing)

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

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SPREAD FOOTING
Mat or Raft
A thick heavily reinforced concrete slab that serves as a single monolithic footing for a
number of columns or an entire building. Mat foundations are used when the allowable
bearing capacity of a foundation soil is low relative to building loads and interior column
footings become so large that it becomes more economical to merge them into a single
slab. Mat foundations may be stiffened by a grid of ribs,

Mat

Ribs – Stiffened the

mat foundation

Floating Foundation - Used

in yielding soil.
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA Figure 25. Mat or Raft Foundation
FOUNDATION
SPREAD FOOTING

Mat or Raft
Raft foundations are used to spread
the load from a structure over a
large area, normally the entire area
of the structure. They are used
when column loads or other
structural loads are close together
and individual pad foundations
would interact.

Raft foundations have the

advantage of reducing differential
settlements as the concrete slab
resists differential movements
between loading positions. They are
often needed on soft or loose soils
with low bearing capacity as they
can spread the loads over a larger Figure 26. Mat or Raft Foundation (actual)
area.
PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA
FOUNDATION
DEEP FOUNDATION – FOR BT5

PREPARED BY ADRIAN R. TOISA

 t.y.!

REFERENCES:

Visual Dictionary of Architecture and Building construction by F.D.K. Ching

Building Construction Illustrated by F.D.K. Ching