Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Foundation is the part of structure below plinth level up to the soil. It is in direct contact
of soil and transmits load of super structure to soil. Generally it is below the ground
level. If some part of foundation is above ground level, it is also covered with earth
filling. This portion of structure is not in contact of air, light etc, or to say that it is the
hidden part of the structure.
Depth of Foundation
Depth of foundation depends on following factors.
1. Availability of adequate bearing capacity
2. Depth of shrinkage and swelling in case of clayey soils, due to seasonal changes which
may cause appreciable movements.
3. Depth of frost penetration in case of fine sand and silt.
4. Possibility of excavation close by
5. Depth of ground water table
6. Practical minimum depth of foundation should not be less than 50 cm. to allow
removal of top soil and variations in ground level.
7. Hence the best recommended depth of foundation is from 1.00 meter to 1.5 meter
from original ground level.
Footing
Footing is a structure constructed in brick work, masonry or concrete under the base of a
wall or column for distributing the load over a large area.
Width of Foundation/ Footings
The width of footings should be laid according to structural design. For light loaded
buildings such as houses, flats, school buildings etc having not more than two storeys,
the width of foundation is given below.
1. The width of footing should not be less than 75 cm for one brick thick wall.
2. The width of footing should not be less than 1 meter for one and half brick wall.
Different Processes in Foundation Work
The processes executed in the foundation works are given below.
1. Excavation of earth work in trenches for foundation.
2. Laying out cement concrete.
3. Laying the footing in case of raft or column construction.
4. Laying Anti termite treatment.
2.
Net loading intensity of pressure coming on the soil should not exceed the safe
bearing capacity.
3.
4.
Whole design of the foundation, super structure and characteristics of the ground
should be studied to obtain economy in construction work.
2.
In case of column raft cement concrete 1:4:8 is the best recommended ratio for it
in the foundation.
3.
For brick masonry cement mortar 1:4 to 1:6 is used as loading condition.
In case of column and raft footings up to plinth level cement concrete 1:2:4 or 1:1.5:3
are used.
Soil having Safe Bearing Capacity
Dry coarse and well graded dense sand have maximum shear resistance and maximum
bearing capacity. In general submerged soil and clay have less bearing capacity.
The depth of the foundation should not be less than 1 meter in case the design is
not available.
2.
The length, width and depth of excavation should be checked with the help of
center line and level marked on the burjis.
3.
4.
5.
Arrangement of water pump should be made for pumping out rain water.
6.
7.
8.
Any soft/ defective spots should be dug out and be filled with concrete/ hard
material
For layout of a building baseline is marked on the ground either from centre line
of the road or from any permanent building nearby. This line helps to mark out the
front of a building. Side baseline is also marked with the help of side structure or
road or it can be marked with the help of first baseline or boundary of the plot.
Fix temporary pegs at the centre line of walls/columns on both sides of walls and
columns in front and back side.
Fix peg at the centre line of walls/columns on both sides of wall and columns in
left and right side of front of building.
Mark centre line on the top of Burjis with the help of thread (Soot) or with the
Thedolite in big projects and the diagonal and other dimension should be checked.
Level Burji on all corners of building and the top level is fixed at a proposed plinth
level.
It saves time for measuring and setting of point again and again at the time of
construction.
It increases the efficiency of mason and foreman for doing their jobs.
It involves extra time for measuring the offset again and again.
Accuracy can not be checked at early stage and it will be very difficult to rectify
the same in later stage.
It involves wastage of time and money while doing rectification. This also leads to
bad quality of work.
Leveling Instrument
2.
Balli
3.
Long Nails
4.
Hammer
5.
Right Angle(Guniya)
6.
Steel Tape
7.
8.
Bricks
9.
Cement
10.
Screen Sand
11.
Lime Powder
12.
Theodolite