Concrete foundation is the most commonly used type of foundation across the world. Although there are other types of foundations, concrete foundations can bear the highest load compared to the other types.
When choosing the appropriate type of foundation, there are a few factors to consider.
- Foundation strength
- Foundation durability
- Simple construction
- Business
Foundation types like quarry stone, wood, steel, etc. do not support the load compared to concrete structures.
Type of concrete foundation
- Shallow foundations
Shallow foundations are built at shallower depths. In general, excavations are not carried out to depths greater than deep foundations.
Individual foundations combined foundations, Mat foundations Slab foundations, strip foundations, etc. fall into this category.
- Deep foundation
In situ concrete Drilled piles , Driven piles Diaphragm walls, etc. are the most important types of foundations designed as deep foundations. The construction of these foundations is more demanding compared to shallow foundations.
Furthermore, this type of concrete foundation requires high knowledge and technology, as well as careful supervision. Additionally, construction costs are generally higher than with shallow foundations.
Design of a concrete foundation
The construction of concrete foundations is not the same. The methods used for deep and shallow foundations are completely different.
- Shallow foundation design
Shallow foundations are designed based on the allowable bearing capacity of the soil. The load capacity is determined by the conditions of the soil used for construction. Foundations are designed for bending and shear after dimensions have been chosen so that the allowable load capacity is not increased.
Foundation settlement is limited by the permitted load capacity. Additionally, the settlement of the foundation is checked if necessary.
If necessary, soil improvement will be carried out if the soil test suggests this before the foundation is poured.
- Deep foundation design
Deep foundation or pile foundation is designed for structural and geotechnical bearing capacity. The minimum of these two values is considered the load capacity of the pile.
The geotechnical load capacity of the pile results from skin friction and end support. For compressible soils, the influence of negative skin friction must also be taken into account.
Finishing the foundations
Improper design and execution can result in excessive settlement of the concrete foundation. Settlement can be observed in driven piles and shallow foundations.
The article Defining a Shallow Base More information can be found here. In addition to elastic settlement, there are also different types of settlement. The Consolidation Processing article could be read to find out more about these types of settlements. The types of settlements depend on the Soil Types .
Before construction or after construction when settlement occurs, soil stabilization is carried out to improve the bearing capacity of the soil and minimize settlement.
Construction of a concrete foundation
Constructing pile foundations is challenging compared to shallow foundations. Quality control and assurance for shallow foundations is easier to carry out compared to deep foundations.
However, there are proven practices that can be used to correctly complete the construction of any type of foundation. The article Pile Foundation Construction For more information, you can read the Problems and Solutions section.
The article also discusses Foundation Pile The Design, Construction and Testing Guide discusses in more detail the quality assurance process of the concrete foundation, the so-called piles.
The main steps in constructing a shallow foundation are as follows.
- If necessary, make improvements to the soil.
- Level the soil and compare or dig to the required depth.
- Set the table
- Laying the waterproofing and projection screed (if available – especially for slab foundations)
- Place the reinforcements and check that they are correctly placed and secured.
- Make those concrete according to the approved concrete recipe.
- Testing concrete according to relevant specification or standard.
Related articles
- Deep foundations
- Foundation failure
- support
- Eccentrically loaded foundations
- Shallow foundation failure
- Pile slab foundations
- Types of foundations
- How to determine the type of foundation
