Journal of Applied Engineering (JOAE), 2 (10), October-2014 (Volume-II, Issue-X)

ISSN: 2348-4802

A Study on the Foundation Design for a Bridge in

India
Mohammad Adil Dar1, Prof (Dr) A.R. Dar2 , Jayalakshmi Raju3 ,Shazia Shafi Bhat4,Saqib Fayaz5
1,3&5
PG Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Kurukshetra University, Haryana, India
2
Professor & Head, Department of Civil Engineering, NIT, Srinagar, India
4
PG Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, NIT, Srinagar, India
Abstract: Bridges are one of the important civil infrastructures constructed to bridge the depressions along the
alignment of roads, irrigation canals, water supply pipes etc. Without the proper foundation the bridge may not
perform properly or, more importantly, fail. Bridges often require deep foundations. This paper focuses on the
design of pile foundation for a bridge constructed in the southern part of India. It also presents the hydraulic
parameters, structural design of the pile and pile cap and estimation of the same. This design is based on the
Indian codes of practice.
Keywords: proper foundation, bridge failure, design of pile, Indian codes of practice.
loads from superstructure to the soil below. The
different types of bridge foundations are
Spread foundation
Pile foundation
Well foundation
Spread foundation is adopted when hard rock is
available at shallow depths, otherwise pile or well
foundation is adopted. In this project pile
foundation (bored cast-in-situ piles) was adopted
for the pier and abutment. In bored cast-in-situ
piles, the drilling mud, such as bentonite
suspension shall be maintained at a level
sufficiently above the surrounding ground water
level to ensure the stability of the strata which is
being penetrated throughout the boring process
until the pile has been concreted. The bores must be
washed by fresh bentonite solution flushing to
ensure clean bottom at two stages prior to
concreting and
putting reinforcement. The pile tremies of 200mm
diameter shall be used for concreting. The tremie
should
have uniform and smooth c/s inside and shall be
withdrawn slowly ensuring adequate height of
concrete outside the tremie pipe at all stages of
withdrawal. Other recommendation for tremie
concreting are:
The sides of the bore hole have to be stable
throughout.
The tremie shall be watertight throughout its
length and have a hopper attached at its head by a
watertightconnection.
The tremie pipe should be lowered to the bottom
of borehole, allowing ground water or drilling
mud to rise inside it before pouring concrete.

INTRODUCTION
Foundation is the lowest and the supporting layer
of
the
bridge
structure[1].
Bridges are structures constructed to span physical
obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road,
for the purpose of providing passage over the
obstacle. The proposed Bridge(Site shown in
FIGURE-1) is to be constructed across the River
Coleroon in Trichy(India). The type of foundation
used in a bridge like structure is a deep
foundation[2]. There are many reasons a civil
engineer would recommend a deep foundation over
a shallow foundation, but some of the common
reasons are:
Very Large Design Loads.
Weak soil at shallow depth.
Site Constraints.

FIGURE-1 A view of construction site

BRIDGE FOUNDATION
Foundations are the lower components of the
superstructure. Their function is to transfer the
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Journal of Applied Engineering (JOAE), 2 (10), October-2014 (Volume-II, Issue-X)

The tremie pipe should always be kept full of

concrete and should penetrate well into the
concrete in the borehole with adequate margin of
safety against accidental withdrawal if the pipe is
surged to discharge the concrete. Hydraulic
parameters are given below

Finished Road Level (FRL) = 76.179m

Discharge = 9279.22m3/sec
Linear Waterway provided = 688.20 m
Existing Ground level (EGL) = 65.964m
High Flood Level (HFL) = 72.200

15m to 18m, = 16.16 KN/ m3, sub = 6.16 KN/m3

18m to 24m, = 18.24 KN/ m3, sub = 8.24 KN/ m3

DESIGN OF PILE FOUNDATION

Bored Cast In-Situ Pile
Calculation of ultimate bearing capacity of pile
(Qu) [3]
Qu = Qs(Skin friction resistance)+Qp(end bearing
resistance)
Qs = As(Surface area of pile stem)*rf
As = *d*L (for both clay and sand)
rf = (Adhesion factor)*c(Average cohesion on the
side of the pile) [for clay]
rf = k*v*tan (angle of friction between pile
surface &surrounding soil) [for sand]
Qp = Ap(Base area of pile)*rp
Ap = d2/4
rp = Cp*Nc (for cla)
rp = (Pd*Nq)+(0.5**d*N) (for sand)
[Nc, Nq &
Ny are bearing capacity factors]

Calculation of upward pressure (Pd)

Pd = *Z
Pd = (1.61*8.5) + (6*11) + (3*6.16) + (6*8.24)
Pd = 147.60KN/ m2
Correction for N value
CN = 0.77[log (2000/ Pd)]
CN = 0.87
N = N*CN
N = 13*0.87
N = 12
Corrected N value = 12(N)
Angle of friction = 30.8
[4]
Bearing capacity factor N = 26.5 [4]
Bearing capacity factor Nq = 22 [3]
Area of pile Ap = /4*d*d
Ap = 1.13 m2
rp = (Pd* Nq) + (0.5**D* N)
rp = (147.60*22) + (0.5*8.24*1.2*26.5)
rp = 3378.2KN/m2

Calculation of factor of safety(F):

Qs = Qa/F
F = Qa/Qs
Design of Pile foundation
Length of the Pile (L) = 24m
Diameter of the Pile = 1.2m
No of blows (N) = 13
dsm=1.34(Db2/ksf)1/3(m)
Q = 9279.22m3/sec
l = 688.20m
Db = Q/l =13.48m3/s/m
Scour depth (dsm) = 7.385m

Asrf = 1.5[69.93*tan(30.8)]*(*1.2*1.61)
+1.5[109.49*tan(30.8)]*(*1.2*6) +
1.5[151.93*tan(30.8)]* (*1.2*3)
+1.5[185.69*tan(30.8)]*(*1.2*6)
Asrf = 7887.27KN
Aprp = 1.13*3378.2
= 3817.366KN

Calculation of unit weight of soil at different

levels
Upto 9m, = 18.5KN/ m3, sub = 8.5KN/ m3
9m to 15m, = 21 KN/ m3, sub = 11 KN/m3

Ultimate bearing capacity

Qu = Aprp + Asrf
Qu = 3378.2 + 7887.27
Qu = 11704.6KN
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Journal of Applied Engineering (JOAE), 2 (10), October-2014 (Volume-II, Issue-X)

g = 0.795 (79.5%)
Qug = 0.795*11704.6*4
Qug = 37220.74KN

Load carried by group of pile

Qug = g *Qu * N
Converse Labarre Formula
g = 1- /90(m*(n-1)+n(m-1))/(m*n)

Calculation of factor of safety

F = Qug/Qa
Qa = 14713KN
F = 37220.74/14713
F = 2.53

Considering 4 pile, m = 2, n = 2, spacing s = 3.6m

= tan. 1(d/s)
= tan. 1(1.2/3.6)
= 18.43

Pile diameter
= 1.20m
Distance between edge of pile to edge of pile cap
= 0.15m
Pile cap dimension along L direction
= 5.1m
Pile cap dimension along T direction
= 5.1m
Grade of concrete
= 30Mpa
Grade of steel
= 415Mpa

REINFORECMENT OF PILE
Condition If L/d<30 use pt =1.25% [5],[6], [7]
L/d=24/1.2=20<30
Therefore use p t = 1.25%
Ast=1.25/100[/4*(1200)2 = 14139mm2
Taking 25mm dia bars
Number of bars = Ast /ast = 14139/[( /4)*252]
= 29 bars

5.1
mm

Use 29 of 25mm dia bars

Spacing = (*1200) / 29 = 130mm
Provide 29 of 25mm dia bars @ 130mm c/c
Reinforcement of the pile is shown in FIGURE-2

3.6
m

DESIGN OF PILE CAP

0.15

PILE CAP FOR 4 PILE GROUP:

Pile spacing in L direction
= 3.60m
Pile spacing in T direction
= 3.60m
176

5.1
0.15

Journal of Applied Engineering (JOAE), 2 (10), October-2014 (Volume-II, Issue-X)

Footing size= 5.1*5.1 m2

Loading from Pier= 14713 kN
Depth= 1.15m
Grade of Concrete= 30Mpa
Grade of Steel= 415Mpa
Qu= P/(B*L)= 14713/(5.1*5.1)= 0.565 N/mm2
Mu= (Qu*l2)/8= (0.565*25802*5100)/8=
2342.12*106 N/mm2
By using,
Mu= 0.87*fy*Ast*d(1-Ast/bd*fy/fck) [6]
Ast= 5799.44mm2
Using, 25mm dia. Bars
Spacings= ast/Ast= 84.64 mm c/c

MMAX = (Qi*2)*2.7= (14713/4*2)*2.7=19862.55

dreq=((19862.55*106)/(0.139*30*5100))=969.11m
m,
consider, 1000mm.
D= 1000+150=1150mm
Punching Shear=4*(14713/4) =14713 kN
Area Resisting this= 4*2950*1150= 13.57*106
Therefore Shear Stress is,
ps=(14713*103)/(13.57*106)= 1.084 N/mm2
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS OF PILE CAP

2.55m

2.55m

Provide 25mm dia bar @ 80 mm c/c in both

direction for bottom reinforcement.
In addition to the reinforcement design the nominal
reinforcement is to be provided at the top portion of
the pile cap. To take care of thermal and shrinkage
stresses that developed in the concrete. Two way
reinforcement mesh of 12mm dia bars in both ways
is provided with a spacing of 100mm c/c. The pile
cap for the bridge is shown in FIGURE-3.

5.1m

FIGURE-2 A view of the pile reinforcement

FIGURE-3 A view of the pile cap

= 29.9115 m3
Provide 2% of volume of concrete as
reinforcement,0.598m3
Total volume of concrete = 138.481 m3
Reinforcement = 2.362m3
Cost for concrete(sand, cement and
aggregate)=Rs277600/Cost of steel = Rs129927/Total cost = Rs407600/-

ESTIMATION AND COSTING OF PILE AND

PILE CAP
Length of pile = 24m
Diameter of pile = 1.2m
Dimension of pile cap = 5.1x5.1m
Depth of pile cap = 1.15m
Calculation
Volume of concrete of 4 pile= (/4)*1.22*24*4
= 108.57m3
Provide 2% of volume of concrete as
reinforcement,2.171m3
Volume of concrete in pile cap = 5.1x5.1x1.15

CONCLUSION
The complexity of bridge structures often requires
a great deal of creativity from the structural
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Journal of Applied Engineering (JOAE), 2 (10), October-2014 (Volume-II, Issue-X)

engineer in order to ensure the structure supports

and resists the loads they are subjected to. A pile
foundation was successfully constructed for a
bridge in Trichy(Tamil Nadu, India) to transfer the
superstructure loads safely through the upper weak
layer of topsoil to the stronger layer of subsoil
below. All suitable Indian codes of practice were
used. Its specifications contain provisions
governing loads and load distributions as well as
detailed provisions relating to design and
construction.

[2] Basic & Applied Soil Mechanics, Gopal

Ranjan, A S R Rao.
[3] IS:2911 (Part 1/Sec 2) 1979, Code of practice
for design and construction of pile foundations,
Part 1 concrete piles , Section 2 Bored Cast inSitu piles.
[4]IS 6403 (1981): Code of practice for
determination of bearing capacity of foundations.
[5] Design And Construction Of Highway Bridges
by K S Rakshit.
[6] IRC-21 (2000) Standard Specifications & Code
of Practice for Road Bridges, RC Bridges.
[7] IRC-78 (2014) Standard Specifications & Code
of Practice for Road Bridges, Foundations&
substructures.

REFERENCES
[1] Soil Mechanics and Foundation, Dr. B.C.
Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, Arun Kumar Jain.

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