FOUNDATIONS

Foundations are concrete structures, typically lying below the ground level, for transfer of
load from structure to earth. The type of foundation for an overhead line support depends on
the type of the support, on the magnitude & type of load and on the soil conditions.

1.0 Types of foundations:-

i) R.C.C Spread Type: With increase in transmission voltage to 220kV, 400kV, 765kV,
etc. loads on foundations have increased significantly which have made pyramid type
of foundation uneconomical. As such, RCC spread type foundations are adopted for
transmission line towers of all voltage levels. In this type of foundation, both footing
pad as well as chimney are reinforced. RCC type foundations can be constructed with
or without undercut.

RCC foundation without undercut RCC foundation with undercut

While for normal soil, RCC foundation without undercut is used; for fissured rock,
RCC foundation with undercut is used.

ii) Grouted Rock type foundation:- This type of foundation is used for hard rock. It
consists of two parts viz. block of small depth followed by anchor bars embedded in
the Grouted Anchor holes. The top part of the bar is embedded in the concrete of the
shallow block.
iii) Pile type foundation: This type of foundation is usually adopted when soil is very
weak and has very poor bearing capacity or when tower location falls within river
bed or creek bed which are likely to get scoured during floods.
The downward vertical load on the foundation is carried by the piles through skin
friction or by point bearing or both; while the uplift is resisted by the dead weight of
the concrete in piles and pile caps and frictional resistance between pile & soil
surrounding the pile.

iv) Well Type foundation: This type of foundation is usually provided where tower
location falls within the course of major river having larger discharge, heavy floods
during monsoon & large scouring of river bed during floods. The cast-in-situ wells
are sunk by continuous excavation from within the wells. After the well has been
sunk to its design depth, the well is filled up with sand & suitable well cap is
constructed on the top of the well to accommodate the tower & its stubs.
2.0 Design Aspects
The foundations of towers are normally subjected to following three types of forces:-
a) The compression or downward thrust due to weight of tower & conductors
b) The tension or uplift due to angle of deviation, difference in ground levels & dead
ending
c) The lateral forces or side thrusts in both transverse & longitudinal directions due to
wind. Wind produces both lateral as well as uplift on the windward side of structure
and down thrust on the other side.