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Foundations for Vibrating Machine Structural Design; Rule of Thumb

Method · April 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22982.47688

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Abdulmuttalib Said Ali A. Abdulhameed

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 Foundations for Vibrating Machine
Structural Design; Rule of Thumb

Report by:
Dr. AbdulMuttalib I. Said Ali A. Abdulhameed
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Lecturer, Department of Engineering Affairs
University of Baghdad University of Baghdad

Background
Rules of thumb are numerical values and suggestions that are reasonable to assume
based on experience. They are based on the application of fundamentals and
practical experience. They do not replace fundamentals but rather they enrich the
correct use of fundamentals to solve problems. Rules of thumb; help us judge the
reasonableness of answers; allow us to assess quickly which assumptions apply; are
used to guide our better understanding of complex systems and situations; and
allow us to supply rapid order‐of‐magnitude estimates.
Heavy machinery with reciprocating, impacting, or rotating masses requires a
support system that can resist dynamic forces and the resulting vibrations. When
excessive, such vibrations may be detrimental to the machinery, its support system,
and any operating personnel subjected to them.

Block Foundation
The design of a block foundation for a centrifugal or reciprocating machine starts
with the preliminary sizing of the block. This initial sizing phase is based on a
number of guidelines that are partially derived from empirical and practical
experience sources. Initial sizing is only preliminary and it does not constitute a
final design. A block foundation design can only be considered complete when a
dynamic analysis and check is performed and the foundation is predicted to behave
in an acceptable manner. However, the following guidelines for initial trial sizing
have been found to result in acceptable configurations.

Guidelines for Initial Trial Sizing of Block Foundation
1. The bottom of the block foundation should be above the water table when
possible. It should not be resting on previously backfilled soil nor on a sensitive
(to vibration) soil. The recommendations of the geotechnical consultant are
usually followed with respect to depth of structures supporting dynamic or
vibratory machines. Sometimes, the soil quality is poor, and the geotechnical
consultant may recommend using piles or piers.

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2. Block‐type foundations resting directly on soil:
a. A rigid block‐type foundation resting on soil (Fig.01) should have a mass of two
to three times the mass of the supported machine for centrifugal machines.



However, when the machine is reciprocating, the mass of the foundation
should be three to five times the mass of the machine.



b. The top of the block is usually kept 1 ft (30 cm) above the finished floor or
pavement elevation to prevent damage from surface water runoff.
c. The vertical thickness of the block should not be less than 2 ft (60 cm), or as
dictated by the length of anchor bolts used. The vertical thickness may also be
governed by the other dimensions of the block in order that the foundation is to
be considered rigid. The thickness is seldom less than one fifth (1/5 B) the least
dimension or one tenth (1/10 L) the largest dimension.
d. The foundation should be wide to increase damping in the rocking mode. The
width should be at least 1 to 1.5 times the vertical distance from the base to the
machine centerline.
e. The length (L) is determined according to (a) above, provided that sufficient
plan area is available to support the machine plus 1‐ft (30 cm) clearance from
the edge of the machine base to the edge of the block for maintenance purposes.
f. The length (L) and width (B) of the foundation are adjusted so that the center
of gravity of the machine plus equipment coincides with the center of gravity of
the foundation. The combined center of gravity should coincide with the center
of resistance of the soil.
g. For large reciprocating machines, it may be desirable to increase the embedded
depth in soil such that 50 to 80% of the depth is soil embedded. This will
increase the lateral restraint and the damping ratios for all modes of vibration.
h. Should the dynamic analysis predict resonance with the acting frequency, the
mass of the foundation is increased or decreased so that, generally, the
modified structure is overturned or under‐turned for reciprocating and
centrifugal machines; respectively.

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Figure 1. Block foundation.

3. Block foundations supported on piles:
a. The pile cap mass should be 1.5 to 2.5 times and 2.5 to 4 times the mass of the
machine for centrifugal and reciprocating machines, respectively.
b. The thickness, width, and length of the block are selected as in 2(b) through
2(f).
c. The number and size of piles are selected such that no single element carries
over one half of its allowable design load.
d. The piles are arranged so that the centroid of the pile group coincides with the
center of gravity of the combined structure and machine loads.
e. Piles are battered away from the pile cap to carry any transverse and
longitudinal unbalanced forces. Vertical piles provide small resistance to
horizontal loads, and the batter piles are usually designed to carry all such
horizontal forces as axial loads.
f. When piers are used, bells may be desirable to increase their overall capacity.
g. If resonance conditions are predicted to occur, modifications are necessary as
described in 2(h) above.
h. Piles and piers must be properly anchored to the slab for adequate rigidity and
for meeting the design conditions assumed during the analysis phase.

Figure 2. Pile‐supported foundation.

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Trial Sizing of Elevated Foundations (Table Tops)
Preliminary sizing and geometrical member arrangement constitute the initial
design phase for elevated foundations. Although this preliminary phase is often
based on the experience of the designer, suggested guide lines can be useful in
arriving at a satisfactory final design. It should be emphasized that the general
guidelines for trial sizing are only useful in the initial phase and are no substitute for
a thorough dynamic analysis and check. It’s recommended to follow the methods
listed in the ACI code 351.3R‐04 entitled “Foundations for Dynamic Equipment”.

Guidelines for Initial Trial Sizing of Elevated Foundations

1. The designer should carefully analyze equipment size and clearance
requirements to assure that sufficient space is allocated to equipment, anchor
bolts, piping, and clearance for installation, maintenance and operation, that is,
physical space limits and requirements should be clearly identified and
considered.
2. The bottom of the foundation mat should be placed no higher than the minimum
founding depth recommended by the soil consultant. This generally includes
considering the location of adequate bearing strata, water table, depth of frost
penetration, paving elevation, and special local soil conditions. However, in very
poor soils, the geotechnical consultant may recommend the use of piles.

Figure 3. Elevated foundations.

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 3. All columns should be stressed almost equally when subjected to vertical load.
Thus, the column areas should be proportional to the load carried by the column,
and (Pi/Ai) should be fairly constant for all columns where Pi, and Ai, are the axial
load and cross‐sectional area of any column. The columns should be capable of
carrying six times the vertical load. Column spacing should preferably be less
than 12 ft (3.5m). The intermediate columns should be located preferably under
the couplings or the gear box.
4. The beam depth should be a minimum of one fifth (1/5) of the clear span, and the
beam width is normally equal to the width of the column consistent with anchor
bolt requirements for spacing, embedded depth, and edge distance. The beams
should not deflect over 0.02 in (0.5mm) when subjected to static loads.
5. The flexural stiffness of the beams should be at least twice the flexural stiffness of
the columns.
6. The total mass of the structure including the mat should be no less than three
times the mass of the supported machine for centrifugal machines and five times
the mass of the machine for reciprocating‐type machines.
7. The mass of the top half of the structure should not be less than the mass of the
supported machine.
8. The maximum static‐bearing pressure for soil‐supported foundations should not
exceed one half of the allowable soil pressure. For pile‐supported foundations,
the heaviest loaded pile should not carry over one half of its allowable load.
9. The center of resistance of the soil should be within 1 ft (30 cm) of all
superimposed loads for soil‐supported foundations. For pile‐supported
foundations, the centroid of the piles should be within 1 ft (30 cm) of the
superimposed loads.
10. The center of column resistance should coincide with the center of gravity of the
equipment plus the top half of the structure loads in the longitudinal as well as
the transverse directions, that is, the column moments of inertia should be
"balanced" about the centroid of the equipment as shown in Fig. 4.
11. All the columns should deflect equally in the vertical, lateral, and longitudinal
directions when subjected to equivalent static machine loads acting in those
directions. These equivalent loads are often assumed to be 0.5, 0.3, and 0.1 of the
total load for the vertical, transverse, and longitudinal directions, respectively,
with the vertical dead load acting in all conditions. The maximum horizontal
deflections for these equivalent static loadings should be less than 0.02 in (0.5
mm) in all cases.

12. The columns and beams should be checked for individual member resonance
with the machine acting frequency.

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 References:
1. American Concrete Institute, 2004, Foundation for Dynamic Equipment, (ACI
351.3R‐04), Farmington Hills, Michigan MI 48331.
2. Arya, Suresh C. et al, 1984, Design of Structures & Foundations for Vibrating
Machines, 4th edition, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas
3. McCormac, J. C. and Brown, R. H., 2014, Design of Reinforced Concrete, 9th ed.
(John Wiley & Sons,), chapter 198.
4. Serinivasulu, P. and Vaidyanathan C.V, 1990, Handbook of Machine Foundation,
2nd edition, TATA McGraw‐Hill Publishing Company ltd., New‐Delhi.
5. McCormac, J. C. and Brown, R. H., 2014, Design of Reinforced Concrete, 9th ed.
(John Wiley & Sons,), chapter 198.

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