CIVL 410

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I
LECTURE 1
COURSE SUMMARY

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday

Time:
8:00 am to 9.20 am
Location:
Geography 100
Instructors: J. A. Howie, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Marker:
Mark Styler, M.Sc.

Overview

About me

B.Sc. Civil Engineering, University of Glasgow, 1976

M.Sc. Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, Queens, 1978
Ph.D. Civil (Geotechnical) UBC, 1991
14 years experience in geotechnical consulting practice
in Scotland, Hong Kong, Alberta, B.C.
Registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia
Research interests Site Characterization (in situ and
laboratory testing), Ground Improvement, Foundation
Engineering.
Joined UBC Civil Engineering Department in August 1997
jahowie@civil.ubc.ca Room 2019
Office hours TBA.
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Foundation Engineering
Applying engineering science, empirical rules and
experience to analysis, design and construction of
foundations, slopes and retaining structures.
Determining the best way of transferring loads from
structures to the ground, including consideration of how
b t to
best
t prepare the
th site
it to
t meett ultimate
lti t and
d
serviceability limit state requirements.
Fundamental basis of all analyses is ENGINEERING
MECHANICS.
Requires a sound background in soil and/or rock
mechanics for successful practice.

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Early foundation design

History of foundation engineering

Historically foundation design was
conducted by a Master Builder who was
usually responsible for the whole structure
Foundation design was largely based on
experience, empirical rules of thumb, and
intuition.
Some large and elaborate structures were
built in this manner.

Empirical
procedures OK
if they are
applied to
similar soil and
structure
conditions.
However, if
applied to
different
conditions, the
results can be
disastrous.

Overview

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Emergence of Modern Foundation

Engineering
Or a windfall for
tourism

Soil mechanics and foundation

engineering as we know it today started in
the early to mid-1900s
Baumann (1873)
Terzaghi (1930s)

Foundations started being designed based

on logical scientific principles rather than
only on empirical rules and experience
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

The Foundation Engineer

Must be multi-disciplinary and possess a
working knowledge of the following areas
Structural Engineering - Understand the sources
and nature of structural loads and the structures
tolerance for foundation movements
Geotechnical Engineering understand engineering
properties of soil, rock, and groundwater
Geology understand the geneses (and variability)
of soils and rocks
Construction Engineering understand available
construction methods
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Design Team

Owner
Architect
Structural Engineer
Geotechnical
Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
& many others
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Tools for Foundation

Engineering

Foundation Engineer
Usually building foundations are designed
by both the geotechnical and structural
engineers
In this course we are dealing primarily with
the geotechnical aspects of foundation
engineering

Coordination
and
communication
between team
members are
paramount

Soil and rock mechanics

Codes and standards
Experience and empiricism
g
g jjournals
Engineering
Canadian Geotechnical Journal
ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental
Engineering
Geotechnique

Continuing education
Computers
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Course Content

Course Objectives
Appreciate the place of geotechnical engineering in the
overall process of site development.
Understand the process followed in a geotechnical
evaluation and be able to undertake a simple one.
Understand how basic soil mechanics theory (learned in
CIVL210 & CIVL311) is applied in foundation design and
construction.
Be able to design simple shallow and deep foundations
and retaining walls to satisfy both ultimate and
serviceability limit states.
Appreciate the level of uncertainty inherent in both
theoretical and practical design methods in geotechnical
engineering.
Understand the importance of construction sequence and
field review in the successful implementation of a
foundation design.
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Introduction

Foundation Engineering and the Geotechnical Evaluation Process

Loading conditions, foundation performance requirements and

planning of site characterization

What is the required performance of the engineering works and what are
the soil conditions at the site on which it is to be constructed?

Interpretation of site characterization, site assessment and

approaches to site preparation

Is the site suitable for its intended purpose? Can it be improved?

Considerations of stability and deformation under static and seismic
loading.

Selection and design of Foundations

Shallow Foundations
Deep Foundations

Design and construction of earth retaining structures

Gravity walls, embedded walls, excavation support

Final team exercise

Recommendations for foundation scheme and construction sequence.

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

1a) Soil Mechanics & Geology Review

Course Format
Lectures, assignments, individual and team based
quizzes, in-class exercises
For each module:
Reading assignments covering all of the basic content of the
material.
Lectures
L t
summarizing
i i th
the main
i concepts
t ffrom th
the module.
d l
In-class quizzes (Readiness Assurance Processes or RAPs).

Review of basic soil mechanics

(effective stress, void ratio, relative
density, etc.)

Review of
geological
g
g
processes

Taken as individuals then in teams

Assignments and Team Exercises

Guest Speakers and Movies
Submissions

Final Team Exercise

From Geological Survey of Canada
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

1b) Foundation engineering, performance requirements

and planning site characterization

2a) Interpretation of site characterization

Failure

modes, working or allowable stress design

(WSD,ASD), limit states design (LSD), performance based
design

Site
Investigation

Previous Information

Laboratory testing

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

2 b) Site Assessment

Seismicity
Liquefaction
Settlement
Hazard Evaluation e.g.
slope stability

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

2c) Site Preparation

Site grading
Retaining structures
Engineered fills

Ground improvement
Excavation and replacement
Densification
Preloading

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

3a) Shallow foundations

Bearing Capacity
Settlement
Mat Foundations

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

3b) Deep Foundations

Pile Types
Bearing capacity
Settlement
Load tests
PDA testing
Group effects
Lateral capacity

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

4 Retaining structures

Final Team Exercise - example

Gravity walls

Prepare a two to three page summary outlining your

recommended foundation scheme and the construction
sequence that should be followed, including any
recommendations for site preparation.

Rigid and flexible

(e.g. MSE walls)

Embedded walls
Excavation support
Sheet pile walls
Braced excavations
Shotcrete and
anchors
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

For example, if you are recommending preloading, should ground

improvement against liquefaction also be carried out and should it be carried
out before or after preloading?

Include recommended design bearing pressures or pile

capacities, founding depth, pile length, etc. and state the
anticipated differential settlements and resulting
distortion.
Identify any construction issues that require
consideration.
Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Vista
www.vista.ubc.ca

Textbook
Selected chapters from Soil
Mechanics and Foundations, 2nd
Edition and Foundations and Earth
Retaining Structures by Muni Budhu,
Wiley Canada Custom Edition for UBC.
You
Y will
ill b
be expected
t d tto h
have th
the b
book
k
Reading and question assignments
from the book will be given.
Should be available in bookstore.

Course information will be posted on the

CIVL410 Vista site.
All students are assumed to have access
to this site.
site

Overview

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I

Team Formation
Team formation survey posted GO
THERE AND COMPLETE IT
Teams
T
will
ill be
b assigned
i
db
before
f
fi
firstt RAP

Overview

CIVL 410
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING I