Civil Engineering and Construction

Foundation Design and Ground Improvement

A foundation has to satisfy two separate requirements, that the ground does not fail and that the structure does not move too much, and the second is what usually decides the design. This course works through both. Delegates work through bearing capacity for shallow foundations and the factors that reduce it, then through settlement, immediate and consolidation, and the tolerable movement a structure can accept. Pad, strip and raft foundations are covered with their selection criteria. Piled foundations follow: driven, bored and continuous flight auger, with load transfer through shaft and base. Pile testing and integrity testing are addressed. Ground improvement is covered as the alternative to deeper foundations, including compaction, stone columns, soil mixing and preloading. Foundations on problem ground are addressed for expansive and collapsible soils. Excavation support and dewatering follow. The course closes on construction supervision and on diagnosing a structure that has moved.