Module 01
What a foundation has to do
Two requirements, not one — and the second is usually what decides the size.
What this module covers
- State the two requirements every foundation must satisfy
- Explain why settlement usually governs the design of a foundation on clay
- Distinguish gross, net and effective bearing pressure, and say why net is the useful one
- Describe the load path from a column to the ground and where it can go wrong
Lessons
Why a foundation that cannot fail can still be wrong.
Start lesson →What the ground actually feels, and why excavation is worth so much.
Start lesson →
Module checkpoint
Check what you have taken in
2 questions
Question 1
Which pair of soil properties governs the two foundation requirements?
Question 2
A structure applies 210 kPa gross at a founding depth of 4.5 m in soil of unit weight 18 kN/m³. What net pressure does the ground feel, in kPa?