13 - Selection of Foundation Type

Abstract

This chapter gives an account of the different foundation types available for geotechnical engineers. These foundations include shallow foundations, mat foundations, pile foundations, and caisson foundations. Shallow foundations are the cheapest and most common type of foundation. Shallow foundations are ideal for situations when the soil immediately below the footing is strong enough to carry the building loads. The designer should look into bearing capacity and settlement when considering shallow foundations. In some situations, the soil immediately below the footing could be weak or compressible. In such situations, other foundation types need to be considered. Mat foundations, as the name implies, spread like a mat. The building load is distributed over a large area. Furthermore, Caissons are larger piles. Instead of a pile group, a few large caissons can be utilized. This chapter finally explains that the geotechnical engineer needs to compute the bearing capacity of the soil immediately below the footing.