Foundation Engineering

Course Objective:
The objective of this course is to provide the student with the basic concepts and tools that can be used to determine the structure/ foundation/ soil interactions. The courses include a review of soil mechanics principles and deal with a variety of foundations and retaining walls.

1. Introduction   [1 hour]
1. Foundation Engineering, Importance and purpose
2. Classification and general requirement
3. Factors influencing the choice of a foundation
4. Selection of the type


2. Soil Exploration   [6 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Methods of exploration
3. Planning the exploration programme
4. Method of boring
5. Soil sampling and soil samplers
6. Vertical and lateral extent of borings
7. Field tests like Penetration test( Standard Penetration Test, Static Cone Penetration Test, Dynamic Cone Penetration Test) Pressure meter tests, dialatometer test and field Vane shear test.
8. Ground water observations
9. Borehole logs
10. Site investigation reports


3. Lateral Earth Pressure Theories and Retaining Walls   [10 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Effect of wall movement on Earth pressure   
3. Earth pressure at Rest
4. Classical Earth Pressure Theories


4. Rankine’s theory
5. Coulomb’s theory
1. Yielding of wall of limited height
2. Graphical solution for coulomb’s earth pressure
3. Trial wedge method for earth pressure
4. Proportioning of retaining walls
5. Stability of retaining walls


6. Arching in Soils and Braced Cuts [3 Hours]
1. Arching in soils
2. Braced excavations
3. Earth pressure against bracings in cuts
4. Heave of the bottom of cut in soft clays
5. Strut loads
6. Deep cuts in sand
7. Deep cut in saturated, soft to medium clays


7. Flexible Retaining Structures and Coffer Dams  [3 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Cantilever sheet pile wall
3. Anchored wall
4. Coffer dams


8. Bearing Capacity and Settlement of Shallow Foundations  [6 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Basic Definitions and their relationship.
3. Principle modes of soil failure
4. Bearing capacity by classical Earth pressure theory of Rankine
5. Pauker and Bell‘s bearing capacity theory of failure
6. Prandtl’s theory of failure
7. Terzaghi’s method of determining bearing capacity of soil
8. Effect of water table on bearing capacity
9. Extension of Terzaghis bearing capacity theory
10. Recent bearing capacity theories
11. Bearing capacity from In-situ tests (Plate load test)
12. Types of settlement and their relationships.
13. Allowable settlement and allowable bearing pressure
14. Steps involved in the proportion of footings


9. Mat Foundations [3 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Common types of mat foundation
3. Bearing capacity and settlement of mat foundations
4. Compensated foundation
5. Analysis of mat foundation


10. Pile Foundations  [6 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Types and uses of piles
3. Construction of piles
4. Selection of pile type
5. Types of foundations to suit subsoil conditions
6. Pile driving formula
7. Static pile load formulae
8. Load test on piles
9. Dynamics pile formulae
10. Pile capacity from in-situ tests.
11. Group action of piles
12. Negative skin friction
13. Laterally load piles
14. Piles subjected to uplift loads


11. Well Foundations  [4 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Types of wells or caissons
3. Components of a well foundation
4. Shapes of wells
5. Depth of a well foundation
6. Forces acting on well foundation
7. Lateral stability of well foundation
8. Construction and sinking of a well


12. Foundation Soil Improvements [3 Hours]
1. Introduction
2. Mechanical compaction.
3. Dynamic compaction.
4. Preloading
5. Sand compaction piles and stone columns
6. Soil stabilisation by use of admixtures
7. Soil stabilisation by injection of suitable grouts

Tutorials:
There shall be related tutorials exercised in class and given as regular homework exercises. Tutorials can be as following for each specified chapters.

1. Introduction (0.5 hour): Theory; definition and concept type questions.
2. Soil Exploration (2.0 hours) : Theory; definition, numerical examples types of questions.
3. Lateral Earth Pressure Theories and Retaining Walls  (3.0 hours) : Concept type; practical examples and numerical type questions.   :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section
4. Arching in Soils and Braced Cuts (1.0 hours) : Definition type; Practical example type and numerical type questions
5. Flexible Retaining Structures and Coffer Dams (1.0 hour) : Definition type; Practical example type and numerical type questions.
6. Bearing Capacity and Settlement of Shallow Foundations (2.5 hours): Concept type; definition type; Practical example type numerical examples type with diagrams questions. :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section.
7. Mat Foundations (1.0 hour) : Concept type; definition type; Practical example type questions. :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section.
8. Pile Foundations  (2.0 hour) : Definition type; numerical examples type questions. Practical example type questions. :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section.
9. Well Foundations (1.0 hours) : Concept type; definition type; numerical examples and Practical type questions. :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section.
10. Foundations Soil Improvements   (1.0 hours) : Concept type; definition type and Practical type questions. :: There can be tutorials for each sub-section.

Laboratories 

Field tests on penetration test.
One observation tour of a site investigation projects and each student should prepare a brief report on the basis of prescribed data-format.
References

1. “Foundation Analysis and Design” Joseph E.Bowels. McGraw-Hill International Editions, Fifth Edition, 1997
2. “Principles of Foundation Engineering” Braja M. Das, Fifth Edition, 2003. Thomson/Brookscole
3. “Basic and Applied soil mechanics “Gopal Ranjan and ASR Rao, Second Edition New Age International publishers,2000
4. “Soil mechanics and Foundation Engineering” K. R. Arora Standard Publisher Distribution 1997
5. “A Text Book of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering in SI units “V.N.S. Murthy UBS Publishers Distributors Ltd.Fourth Edition 1993.
6. ”A Text Book of Foundation Engineering”, Dr. R.K.Poudel and R.Neupane, 1st Edition, 2006.
7. “Pile Foundation Analysis and Design” H.G.Poulos and E.H.Davis, John Wiley and Sons, 1980

Evaluation Scheme:
The questions will cover all the chapters in the syllabus. The evaluation scheme will be as indicated in the table below: