Web Series: Foundation Engineering: From Site Investigation to Design

PART 1 - Site Investigation for Geotechnical Design

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Perform site investigation for a typical project
• Interpret the field test results and estimate soil parameters
• Determine the proper laboratory tests required for your project

Description

Site investigation is generally conducted before the start of any construction project to gather crucial information that will influence the design, construction, and environmental assessment of a proposed project. Site investigation could be carried out using surface site exploration methods (non-intrusive techniques) and subsurface drilling surveys (intrusive methods). This webinar presents various site exploration techniques used in a typical site investigation process, including geophysical measurements, geotechnical drilling, sampling and field tests.

An overview of selecting proper lab tests for specific site conditions and geotechnical reporting will also be discussed.

PART 2 - Bearing Capacity and Settlement of Shallow Foundations

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Determine the bearing capacity of different soils
• Understand the factors controlling bearing capacity and settlement
• Understand other factors of safety in shallow foundation design
• Estimate the settlement of the shallow foundation

Description

The allowable bearing capacity in foundation design considers both failure and settlement of the foundation and provides the maximum pressure the soil can support before failure or excessive settlement. Professionals responsible for designing and constructing both spread and mat foundation systems need a working understanding of basic concepts to gain confidence in dealing with shallow foundations design and construction.

This lecture presents the basic concepts required to design shallow foundation systems and explains how to design and construct a safe and sustainable foundation system.

PART 3 - Bearing Capacity and Settlement of Pile Foundations (Axial loads)

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Determine the bearing capacity of different piles
• Choose a proper pile system for a specific site
• Estimate the settlement of pile foundations
• Determine the pile capacity from pile load tests

Description

Pile foundations are generally used when the upper soil stratum is weak and there is a need to transfer the structural loads to deeper and more competent strata. The load-carrying capacity of pile foundations is provided by the toe-bearing capacity and the pile shaft capacity through the interface pile-soil resistance.

This lecture aims to present basic concepts required for the design of pile foundations in different site conditions. Bearing capacity analysis of both single pile and pile groups will be discussed for various types of piles in different soil and rock strata. The pile settlement analysis will also be presented for both single piles and pile groups.

PART 4 - Laterally Loaded Piles - Lateral Load Capacity and Deflection

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Estimate the lateral capacity and deflection of piles
• Choose the proper improvement technique to enhance the lateral capacity of piles
• Analyze pile-load test results

Description

Pile foundations are sometimes used to withstand lateral forces and moments experienced in offshore structures and high-rise buildings. The pile foundations' lateral load capacity and deflection will govern the pile's performance in this scenario. The lateral performance of the piles depends on the pile characteristics (length, diameter, stiffness) and the surrounding soil properties. 

This lecture focuses on the analysis of pile behaviour under lateral loads. The lateral load-carrying capacity estimation will be presented for both short and long piles in cohesive and cohesion-less soils. The lateral pile deflection will also be estimated for single piles and pile groups.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for:

Those who deal with construction-related geotechnical engineering issues or need to build background on geotechnical analyses & design, including:

• Civil, Environmental & Transportation Engineers/Technicians
• Geologists, city & public works officials/planners