INTRODUCTION

DESIGN OF FOUNDATION

The main role of foundations is to structurally support the building by transferring the loads of
the building through the walls into the surrounding soil. In terms of a stick frame structure, the
foundations must also protect the timber from moisture ingress by lifting the members above
the ground. The type of soil on the site will have a strong implication to the foundation design.
Soil and rock are created by many processes out of a wide variety of materials. Because
deposition is irregular, soils and rocks are notoriously variable, and often have properties which
are undesirable from the point of view of a proposed structure. Unfortunately, the decision to
develop a particular site cannot often be made on the basis of its complete suitability from the
engineering viewpoint; geotechnical problems therefore occur and require geotechnical
parameters for their solution by site investigation.

SITE INVESTIGATION

Site investigation is the process by which geological, geotechnical, and other relevant
information which might affect the construction or performance of a civil engineering or
building project is acquired. Design of foundations presupposes that the soil conditions (profile
and parameters) at the site have been established by a site investigation. A site investigation is
the process of collecting information and evaluating the conditions of the site for the purpose
of designing and constructing the foundation for a structure, such as a building, plant or bridge.

Good planning for and management of a site investigation is the key to obtaining sufficient and
correct site information for designing a structure in a timely manner and with minimum cost
for the effort needed. The effort and detail of the site investigation to obtain sufficient and
correct site information to select and design a foundation for a building in permafrost is
complex. It depends on:

a) Design criteria of the proposed structure;

b) Historic knowledge of general site conditions and building performance;
c) Drilling equipment availability;

d) Time of year the work needs to be done may determine the site investigation method
and finally;
e) The overall costs.
SITE INVESTIGATION REPORT DETAILS

Site investigation work is conducted on May 2017, which includes several field explorations
such as:

1. Boring
2. Standard penetration test
3. Mackintosh probes
4. Preservation of undisturbed sample
5. Ground water level measurement

Conducted by: FZ Tiaga Enterprise and District engineer of Public works department.
Verified by: Muhammad Zaki Bin Haji Yusof, Manager of FZ Tiaga Enterprise
Ir. Mohamad Bin Awang

TYPE OF FOUNDATION

All foundations are divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.
The words shallow and deep refer to the depth of soil in which the foundation is made. Shallow
foundations can be made in depths of as little as 3ft (1m), while deep foundations can be made
at depths of 60 - 200ft (20 - 65m). Shallow foundations are used for small, light buildings,
while deep ones are for large, heavy buildings.

SHALLOW FOUNDATION (Selected foundation water tank design)

Shallow foundations are those founded near to the finished ground surface; generally, where
the founding depth (Df) is less than the width of the footing and less than 3m. These are not
strict rules, but merely guidelines: basically, if surface loading or other surface conditions will
affect the bearing capacity of a foundation it is 'shallow'. Shallow foundations (sometimes
called 'spread footings') include pads ('isolated footings'), strip footings and rafts.

Shallows foundations are used when surface soils are sufficiently strong and stiff to support
the imposed loads; they are generally unsuitable in weak or highly compressible soils, such as
poorly-compacted fill, peat, recent lacustrine and alluvial deposits.
There are 3 main type of shallow foundation:

1. Pad foundations ( selected for water tank design )

2. Strip foundations
3. Raft foundations

Figure 1: Shallow foundation

DEEP FOUNDATION

Deep foundations are those founding too deeply below the finished ground surface for their
base bearing capacity to be affected by surface conditions, this is usually at depths >3 m below
finished ground level. They include piles, piers and caissons or compensated foundations using
deep basements and also deep pad or strip foundations. Deep foundations can be used to
transfer the loading to a deeper, more competent strata at depth if unsuitable soils are present
near the surface.

Piles are relatively long, slender members that transmit foundation loads through soil strata of
low bearing capacity to deeper soil or rock strata having a high bearing capacity. They are used
when for economic, constructional or soil condition considerations it is desirable to transmit
loads to strata beyond the practical reach of shallow foundations. In addition to supporting
structures, piles are also used to anchor structures against uplift forces and to assist structures
in resisting lateral and overturning forces.
 Figure 2: Deep foundation

Figure 3: Pile foundation design

SOIL PROFILE SOIL DISCRIPTION BASED ON BORELOG

Om Top soil- grey sandy SILT

1.5m Soft grey SILT of high plasticity

2m Grey sandy CLAY

3m Firm grey sandy SILT of high plasticity

4.5 m Stiff grey sandy SILT of intermediate plasticity

6.0m Very dense dark grey silty GRAVEL ( silt of intermediate

plasticity

7.5m Very dense dark silty GRAVEL ( silt of low plasticity )

9m Very dense dark grey very silty SAND ( silt of low plasticity)

10.5m Very dense dark silty/ clayey GRAVEL (sit/clay of low

plasticity)

12m Hard dark grey sandy SILT of high plasticity

Borehole terminated at 12.22m