MAT FOUNDATION

A mat foundation is primarily shallow

foundation. In essence, it is an expanded
continuous footing and is usually analyzed in
the same way. Mat foundations are
sometimes referred to as raft foundations.
Mat foundations are selected when:
1. The area covered by the individual
footings exceeds 50% of the structural plan
area This is usually the case for buildings
higher than 10-stories, and/or on relatively
weak soils where q < 3 ksf=150 kPa
2. The building requires a deep basement,
below the phreatic surface. For example, to
build several levels of parking, for
mechanical systems, access to subway
stations, etc
3. The Engineer wishes to minimize the
differential settlement in variable (that is,
heterogeneous) soils, or if pockets of
extremely weak soils are known to be
present
4. The Engineer wishes to take full
advantage of the soils increasing bearing
capacity
with
depth
by
excavating
basements, and thereby seek a fully or a
partially compensated foundation.
In most tall and large buildings, the mat
thickness T varies with the load. Therefore,
the Engineer may desire to separate the
various sections of the structure. Mats have
been used for centuries:

SOILS THAT MAY NECESSITATE THE USE

OF MAT FOUNDATION
1. Compressible soils, occur in highly
organic soils including some glacial
deposits and certain flood plain areas.
Problems involved are excessive
settlements, low bearing capacity, and
low shear strength.
2. Collapsing soils, settlement in loose
sands and silts primarily. May occur in
sandy coastal plain area, sandy glacial
deposits.
3. Expansive soils, containing swelling
clays, mainly Montmorillite, which
increase in volume when absorbing
water and shrink when loosing it.
Climate is closely related to the
severity of the problem. Foundation
supports should be placed below the
active soil zone.
TYPES OF MAT FOUNDATION
Flat Plate Mat The mat is of
uniform thickness. A flat plate mat is
used for fairly small and uniform
column spacing and relatively light
loads. A flat plate type of mat is
suitable when the soil is not too
compressible.

Assyrians joined ceramic blocks with asphalt.

Chinese joined large stones with keys of
molten lead.
Romans joined stones with hydraulic
cements.
Today,
we
exclusively
use
reinforced concrete.

Plate Thickened under

For columns subjected to
loads usually the flat plate
under columns as shown
guard against diagonal
negative moments.

ADVANTAGES OF MAT FOUNDATION

Raft or mat foundation is economic
due to combination of foundation and
floor slab.
It requires little excavation.
It can cope with mixed or poor ground
condition.
It reduces differential settlement.

Two-way Beam and Slab - When the

column spacing is large and carries
unequal loads it would be more
economical if a two-way beam and
slab raft as shown in Fig 3 is used. This
type of mat is particularly suitable
when
underlying
soil
is
too
compressible.

DISADVANTAGES OF MAT FOUNDATION

Mat
foundation
requires
specific
treatment for point loads.
Edge erosion occurs if not treated
properly.

Plates with Pedestals The function

of this mat is same as that of flat plate
thickened under columns. In this mat
pedestals are provided at the base of
the columns.

Rigid Frame Mat This type of mat

is used when columns carry extremely

Columns very heavy

is thickened
in Fig 2 to
shear and

heavy loads. When the depth of beam

exceeds 90 cm in simple beam and
slab mat, a rigid frame mat is referred.
Fig 4 shows a typical rigid frame mat.

Piled Raft In this type of

construction the mat is supported on
piles as shown in fig 5. This type of
mat is used where the soil is highly
compressible and the water table is
high. This type reduces settlement
and control buoyancy.

5. Piles driven into clay soils may produce

ground heaving and cause previously driven
piles to move laterally.
6. There is no hammer noise during the
construction of drilled shafts; there is during
pile driving.
7. Because the base of a drilled shaft can be
enlarged, it provides great resistance to the
uplifting load.
8. The surface over which the base of the
drilled shaft is constructed can be visually
inspected.
9. The construction of drilled shafts generally
utilizes

mobile

equipment,

which,

under

Caisson, Pier, Drilled shaft, and Drilled

proper soil conditions, may prove to be more

pierare

economical than methods of constructing

-often used interchangeably in foundation

pile foundations.

engineering; all refer to a cast-in-place pile

10. Drilled shafts have high resistance to

generally having a diameter ofabout 750

lateral loads.

mmor

more,

reinforcement

with
and

or
with

without
or

steel

without

an

enlarged bottom. Sometimes the diameter

can be as small as 305 mm.
Advantages:
1. A single drilled shaft may be used instead
of a group of piles.
2. Constructing drilled shafts in deposits of
dense sand and gravel is easier than driving
piles.
3. Drilled shafts may be constructed before
grading operations are completed.
4. When piles are driven by a hammer, the
ground vibration may cause damage to
nearby structures. The use of drilled shafts
avoids this problem.

Disadvantages:
1. The

concreting

operation

may

be

delayed by bad weather and always

needs close supervision.
2. As in the case of braced cuts, deep
excavations for drilled shafts may
induce substantial ground loss and
damage to nearby structures.
Types of Drilled shaft
1. Straight Shaft - It extends through
the upper layer(s) of poor soil, and its
tip rests on a strong load-bearing soil
layer or rock. The shaft can be cased
with steel shell or pipe when required
(as it is with cased, cast-in-place
concrete piles). For such shafts, the
resistance to the applied load may

develop from end bearing and also

Step 4.Concreting is then completed,

from

and the drilled shaft will be as shown

side

friction

at

the

shaft

perimeter and soil interface.

in Figure 12.2

2. Belled Shaft - A belled shaft (see

2. Casing

Method

of

Figures b and c) consists of a straight

Construction - This method is used in

shaft with a bell at the bottom, which

soils or rocks in which caving or

rests on good bearing soil. The bell

excessive

can be constructed in the shape of a

occur when the borehole is excavated.

dome (see Figure b), or it can be

Step 1. The excavation procedure is

angled (see Figure c). For angled

initiated as in the case of the dry

bells, the underreaming tools that are

method of construction.

commercially available can make to

Step

angles with the vertical.

encountered,

deformation

2.When

the

is

likely

caving

bentonite

soil

slurry

to

is
is

introduced into the borehole. Drilling is

continued until the excavation goes

Construction Procedures
There

are

three

major

types

of

past the caving soil and a layer of

construction methods: the dry method,

impermeable

the casing method, and the wet method

encountered.

or

rock

is

Step3. A casing is then introduced

1. Dry Method of Construction

This method is employed in
soils and rocks that are above the
water table and that will not cave in
when the hole is drilled to its full
depth.
Step 1.The excavation is completed
(and belled if desired), using proper
drilling tools, and the spoils from the
hole are deposited nearby.
Step 2.Concrete is then poured into
the cylindrical hole.
Step 3. If desired, a rebar cage is
placed in the upper portion of the
shaft.

soil

into the hole.

Step 4.The slurry is bailed out of the
casing with a submersible pump
Step 5. A smaller drill that can pass
through the casing is introduced into
the hole, and excavation continues.
Step 6.If needed, the base of the
excavated hole can then be enlarged,
using an underreamer.
Step 7. If reinforcing steel is needed,
the rebar cage needs to extend the full
length of the excavation. Concrete is
then poured into the excavation and
the casing is gradually pulled out.
Step

8.

Figure

12.3h

completed drilled shaft

shows

the

3. Wet

Grout - is used for both core holes

Method of Construction

-This method is sometimes referred

to as the slurry displacement method.
Slurry is used to keep the borehole
open

during

excavation.

the

entire

(See

depth

Figure

of

12.4.)

Following are the steps involved in the

wet method of construction:
Step 1. Excavation continues to full
depth with slurry.
Step 2.If reinforcement is required,
the rebar cage is placed in the slurry.
Step 3.Concrete that will displace the
volume of slurry is then placed in the
drill hole.
Step

4.

Figure

12.4d

shows

the

completed drilled shaft. Figure 12.5

shows

drilled

shaft

under

construction using the dry

Equipment
1. Rotary Table
-the rotary table is a machine that
transmits energy from a power unit to
rotate

Kelly

bar.

2. Kelly Bar
-usually attached to a crane, or built
into a truck or modified excavator.
Materials
Rebar

cage-

is

constructed

of

longitudinal bars bent into rungs or

continuous spirals.
Slurry- is sometimes used during the
drilling. The purpose of this fluid is to
support the walls of the excavation.

and CSL pipes.

Shallow Foundations - are those that
transmit structural loads to the nearsurface of soils. These include spread
footing foundations and mat foundations.
SPREAD FOOTINGS
A spread footing (also known
as a footer or simply a footing) is an
enlargement at the bottom of a
column or bearing wall that spreads
the applied structural loads over a
sufficiently large soil area.
Spread footings are by far the most
common
type
of
foundation,
primarily because of their low cost
and ease of construction. They are
most often used in small to mediumsize
structures
on
sites
with
moderate to good soil conditions,
and even on some large structures
located at sites underlain by
exceptionally-good soil or shallow
bedrock.
TYPES OF SPREAD FOOTING:
a) Square Spread Footings (or
simply Square Footing) have
plan dimensions of BxB. The
depth from the ground surface
to the bottom of the footing is D
and the thickness is T. Square
footings usually support a
single, centrally-loaded column.
b) Rectangular
Spread
Footings

have
plan
dimensions BxL, where L is the
longer dimension. These are
useful
when
obstructions
prevent construction of a square
footing with sufficiently large
base area and when large
moment loads are present.
c) Circular Spread Footings
are round in plain view. These
are most frequently used as

foundation for light standards,

flagpoles,
and
power
transmission lines.
d) Continuous Spread Footings
(also known as Wall Footings or
Strip Footings) are used to
support bearing walls.
e) Combined Footings are
those that support more than
one column. These are useful
when columns are located too
close together for each to have
its own footing.
f) Ring Spread Footings are
continuous footings that have
been wrapped into a circle. This
type of footing is commonly
used to support the walls of
above-ground circular storage
tanks.
In the preceding figure, the load
carried by the column is eccentric,
and as such, the footing may rotate
and produce undesirable moments
and displacements.
One solution is to use a strap
footing or cantilever footing, which
consists of an eccentrically loaded
footing under the exterior column
connected to the first interior
column using a grade beam.
MATERIALS:
Before
mid-nineteenth
century, almost all spread footings
were made of masonry as shown
below. Dimension-stone footings
were built of stones cut and
dressed to specific sizes to fit
together with minimal gaps, while
rubble-stone footings were built
from random size materials joined
with mortar (Peck, et. al., 1974).
The steel-grillage footings used in
the ten-storey Montauk Block
Building in Chicago in 1882, may
have been the first spread footings
designed to resist flexure, as they
included several layers of railroad

tracks, but was later modified into

I-beams. They prevailed until the
advent of reinforced concrete in
the early twentieth century.
CONSTRUCTION METHODS:
Contractors usually use a
backhoe
to
excavate
spread
footings. Once the excavation is
open, it is important to check the
exposed soils to verify that they
are comparable to those used in
the design. Inspectors often use a
9-mm (3/8 in) diameter steel probe.
If the soil conditions are not
anticipated, especially if they are
too soft, it is necessary to revise
the design accordingly.
Pouring a neat footing involves
pouring the concrete directly
against the soil such as when the
soil has sufficient strength to stand
vertically until the pouring process.
Sometimes, shallow wooden
forms are placed above the
excavation, so the top of the
footing is at the proper elevation. A
formed footing is designed if the
soil will not stand vertically, such
as with clean sands or gravels,
wherein it is necessary to make a
larger excavation and build a fulldepth wooden form.
Methods of placing concrete in
footings:
a) Neat excavation
b) Neat excavation with wooden forms
c) Formed footing with full- depth
wooden forms

PILE FOUNDATION
-A pile is a slender structural
member made of steel, concrete or
timber. In pile foundation, a pile is
either driven into the soil and or
formed in-situ by excavating a hole
and filling it with concrete.
-steel pile have been used since
1800 and concrete pole since 1900.
-Piles made from these materials
are driven, drilled or jacked into the
ground and connected to pile caps.
Depending upon type of soil, pile
material and load transmitting
characteristic piles are classified
accordingly.
A pile cap is a thick concrete
mat that rests on concrete or
timber piles that have been
driven into soft or unstable
ground to provide a suitable
stable foundation. It usually
forms part of the foundation
of a building, typically a
multi-story
building,
structure or support base for
heavy equipment. The cast
concrete pile cap distributes
the load of the building into
the piles.

FUCNTION OF PILES
-To transmit the buildings loads to
the foundations and the ground soil
layers whether these loads vertical
or inclined
-To install loose cohesion less soil
through
displacement
and
vibration.
-To control the settlements; which
can be accompanied by surface
foundations.
-To increase the factor of safety for
heavy loads buildings. A structure
can be founded on piles if the soil
immediately
beneath
its base does not have adequate be
aring capacity.
-Piles are a convenient method of
foundation for works over water,
such as jetties or bridge piers.
-Piles can be used in normal ground
conditions to resist horizontal
loads.
CLASSIFICATION OF PILES
1. End bearing piles
2. Friction or cohesion piles
3. Combination
of
friction
and cohesion piles

Friction
Piles(Floating
pile
foundation)
-the process of driving such piles
does not compact the soil appreciably.

FRICTION OR COHESION PILES

-Carrying
capacity
is
derived
mainly from the adhesion or
friction of the soil in contact with
the shaft of the pile.
-These piles also transfer their load
to the ground through skin friction.
The process of driving such piles
does
not
compact
the
soil
appreciably. These types of pile
foundations are commonly known
as floating pile foundations.
-These piles transmit most of their
load to the soil through skin
friction. This process of driving
such piles close to each other in
groups greatly reduces the porosity
and compressibility of the soil
within and around the groups.
Therefore piles of this category are
sometimes called compaction piles.

piles
Combination
of
and cohesion piles

friction

piles

END BEARING PILES

-These piles transfer their load on
to a firm stratum located at a
considerable depth below the base
of the structure and they derive
most of their carrying capacity
from the penetration resistance of
the soil at the toe of the pile.
Nagative skin friction
-the soil may adhere to the
surface of the pile.
Cohesion Piles
-these piles transmit most of
their load to the soil through skin friction.

-An extension of the end bearing

pile when the bearing stratum is
not hard, such as firm clay. The pile
is driven far enough into the lower
material to develop adequate
frictional resistance.
-A
farther
variation
of
the
end bearing pile is piles with
enlarged bearing areas. This is
achieved by forcing a bulb of
concrete into the soft stratum
immediately above the firm layer
to give an enlarged base.
-A similar effect is produced with
bored piles by forming a large cone
or bell at the bottom with a special
reaming tool.

Bored piles
-which are provided with a bell
have a high tensile strength and
can be used as tension piles.
PILE TYPES
1. Timber- temporary piles
2. Precast (typically prestressed)
3. Steel (H-pile)- permanent and
temporary works
4. Composite Piles
Precast (typically prestressed)
-may be defined as a reinforced
concrete pile which is moulded in
circular, square, rectangular or
octagonal form.
Steel (H-pile)
are
dimensionally
square
structural beams that are driven in
the ground for deep foundation
applications
- are also used in conjunction with
sheet piles to add lateral
stiffness and bending

resistance where loads exceed the

capacity of sheet piles alone.
Composite piles
-are
made
of
two
different
materials. A composite pile may
consist of the lower portion of castin-situ concrete. Composite piles
are used rarely as it is difficult to
provide proper joint between two
or more materials.