Foundation Engineering

Kaniraj Shenbaga
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Course Learning Objective 1

Categorize different types of deep

foundations in sand and clay and
calculate their vertical load carrying
capacity.

Pile Foundations

Deep Foundations
GL

Soil

Pile

D
Pile foundation
D = diameter
or breadth
L = length of embedment

D/B > 1, for deep

foundations
When 1 L/D 15, the
foundations are called
moderately deep
For deep foundations,
L/D 15. e.g. pile
foundation

Design Criteria for Foundations

Design Criteria

The three design criteria applicable to all types

of foundations including shallow and deep
foundations are:
1. Location and depth criterion
2.Stability criterion or bearing capacity criterion
3.Settlement criterion

Location and Depth Criterion

A foundation must be properly

located in the available area and
must be founded at the correct
depth.

Stability or Bearing Capacity Criterion

A foundation is a structure that transfers the load of the

superstructure to the soil.
A foundation can fail in two ways. It can fail:
By structural failure, i.e. when the stress due to the load
exceeds the load bearing capacity of the structural material of
the foundation.
By rupture of the soil, i.e. when the stress on the soil due to the
load transferred by the foundation exceeds the load bearing
capacity of the soil.

Stability or Bearing Capacity Criterion

The foundation must be safe from both

structural failure (i.e. failure by exceeding
the load bearing capacity of the structural
material) and failure by rupture of the soil
(i.e. failure by exceeding the load bearing
capacity of the soil).

Settlement Criterion

Soil is compressible. The foundation load

causes compression or settlement of the
soil.
The foundation should not settle
excessively either damaging the building
or impairing its utility.

Load Capacity of Single Piles

Single Piles in Compression

Ultimate and Allowable Loads

Ultimate load (Qu) is the maximum load that a pile

can carry. The pile has reached the failure state at
the ultimate load.
Allowable or safe load (Qall ) is the load that a pile
can carry safely. It is obtained by applying a factor
of safety to the ultimate load.

Structural Failure

To avoid failure by excessive compressive

stresses on the pile material, the allowable
pile load in compression is determined as:

=
fc = allowable compressive stress on pile
Ap = area of cross-section of pile

Single Piles in Compression

Pile Driving Formulae

Pile Driving Formulae

A large number of pile driving formulae available

in literature. They are also called as dynamic
formulae.
The pile driving formulae are:
Empirical formulae developed for driven piles only.
Generally applicable for driven piles in sands only.
Not very reliable; they can give unsatisfactory
results.

Principle of Dynamic Formulae

The static ultimate load is estimated from

the dynamic resistance of the pile to
driving.
Total energy delivered by the hammer is
used partly to penetrate the pile into the
ground and the rest of the energy is wasted
in several ways.

Principle of Dynamic Formulae

Energy delivered by hammer blow =
(Pile resistance x penetration of pile
tip) + Energy losses
Therefore, estimate the pile resistance
(or ultimate load) from known or
estimated values of other quantities.

Engineering News Record (ENR) Formula

=
+
Qu = ultimate load of pile
in compression
Note: C and s should be in the
same units and Eh should be in
consistent units.

eh = hammer efficiency
Eh = rated energy of hammer
Eh = = Whh (for drop hammers)
Wh = Weight of hammer
h = height of fall of hammer
s = set (penetration of pile point
per hammer blow)
C = 25 mm for drop hammer
C = 2.5 mm for single acting steam
hammer

Danish Formula

=
+

=

Note: C1 and s should be in

the same units and Eh
should be in consistent
units.

eh = hammer efficiency
Eh = rated energy of hammer
s = set (penetration of pile
point per hammer blow)
L = length of pile
Ep = modulus of elasticity of pile
Ap = area of cross-section of pile

Pile Driving Hammers

Drop hammer hammer falls down by gravity

Air/Steam hammer ram is forced by steam
Single acting hammer ram is forced only up
Double acting or differential hammer ram is forced both up
and down

Diesel hammer
Hydraulic hammer under water hammers
Note: Manufacturers of hammers usually specify the rated
energy of the hammers.

Hammer number

Eh

1 kJ = 1 kNm
http://www.vulcanhammer.com/onshore/specsi.php

Eh

http://www.apeholland.com/page/en/diesel-hammers/

Factor of Safety in Dynamic Formulae

The factor of safety (FS) to be used on

ultimate load varies from one formula
to another.
FS varies from 4 to 6 in ENR formula
FS varies from 3 to 6 in Danish formula

Exercise 1

Using Danish formula determine the safe load on a 450

mm diameter and 18 m long driven concrete pile. The pile
is driven into sand using a Raymond differential hammer
(model 150 C) which has a rated energy of 66.1 kN-m and a
ram weight of 66.7 kN. The hammer efficiency is 0.75.
Four blows are required for the last 25 mm penetration of
the pile. Youngs modulus of pile material = 21x106 kN/m2,
and FS = 4.

Exercise 2

Refer to Exercise 1. Determine the safe load

on the pile using ENR formula. Use:
C = 2.5 (Wp/Wh) mm (Wp = weight of pile
including pile helmet)
Unit weight of concrete = 23.6 kN/m3,
Weight of pile helmet = 5.1 kN
FS = 5.