foundation for building construction

1. FOUNDATION
• Building is consisting of two major parts:
• The superstructure which is the above-ground portion of the
building.
• The substructure: which can be further understood as - the
basement which is the habitable below-ground portion - The
foundations which are the components of the building that
transfer its loads into the soil.
• The foundation of building is the lowest part of the
substructure which is in direct contact with the ground and
transmits loads to the soil, providing a proper base for the
super-structure.

2. Purpose of foundations:
It is often misunderstood that the foundation is provided to
support the load of the structure. In fact it is the device to
transmit the load of the structure to the soil below. Foundation is
provided for the following main purposes:
• To distribute the weight of the structure over large area so as to
avoid over-loading of the soil beneath.
• To load the substratum evenly and thus to prevent unequal
settlement.
• To provide a level surface for building operations.
• To take the structure deep into the ground and thus to increase
its stability, preventing overturning.

3. Foundation loads:
• Live load
• Dead load
• Wind load
• Earthquake
• Structural member forces

4. •A. Shallow Foundations

5. 1. Strip Foundations

6. 2. Pad Foundations

7. 3. Raft Foundations

8. Types of Foundation
•B. Deep Foundations

9. 1. Pile Foundations

10. 2. Caissons

11. 3. Cofferdams

12. ADALAJ STEPWELL

13. Introduction
• Adalaj Stepwell is a unique Hindu 'water
building‘.
• The stepwell was built in 1499 by Muslim
king Mohammed Begda for Queen Rani
Roopba.
• The step well or 'Vav', as it is called in
Gujarati, is intricately carved and is five
stories in depth.
• To the semi arid regions of Gujarat as they
provided basic water needs for drinking,
washing and bathing.

14. History of Construction
• Early stepwells were made of stone, later step wells were made of mortar, stucco,
rubble and laminar stones.
• The well cylinder was the basic form used to deepen the wells.
• The Stepwells in Gujarat have survived so long in view of the builder’s knowledge
of the soil conditions and the earthquake proneness of the region.
• The history of the Adalaj step-well built in 1498 is established by an inscription
found on a marble slab positioned in a recess on the first floor.
• The cultural and architectural depiction in the deep wells at various levels are a
tribute to the history of step wells, built initially by Hindus and subsequently
ornamented and blended with Islamic architecture during the Muslim rule.

15. Structure
• Built in sand stone in Indo-Islamic architectural style, It is octagonal (8-
sided polygon) in plan at the top, built on intricately carved large
number of pillars.
8 octagonal pillers

16. Entrance
South stairs
East
stairs
West stairs
Carved bracket window
North-South axis
Square stapped floor
Extending stairs

17. • Each floor is spacious enough to provide for people to congregate.
• It was dug deep to access ground water at that level, accounting for
seasonal fluctuations in water level due to rainfall over the year.
• The air and light vents in the roofs at various floors and at the
landing level are in the form of large openings.

19. • The square stepped platform is
chiseled into a circular well.
• Above the square floor, columns,
beams, wall and arched
openings spiral around; a feature
that continues to the top
• The top part of the well,
however, is a vertical space open
to the sky.
• The four corners of the square
are strengthened with stone
beams, set at 45 degrees angle.

20. GHAT
RIVER FRONT OF
BANARAS

21. INTRODUCTION
• The palaces and ghats (steps and landings leading
to the water) built along the river Ganges, in the
state of Uttar-Pradesh, India, have consolidated the
banks of the river and have protected the city of
Banaras from river currents and annual floods.
• There are numerous reasons which explain the
causes for the damages to these structures,
including lack of means to maintain and renovate
them.

22. • Banaras is built on the river ganges, in the state of U.P

23. • The palaces of Banaras give to the water front a
majestic greatness and beauty.
• Soaring up five to six floors high, these palaces,
constructed in sand stone.
• The first few floors have very little openings (a single
entrance, and few tiny windows)
• The river front unfolds in an arc form, more than six
kilometres.
• The palaces and ghats are constructed facing the
Ganges and the morning sun.
• During the monsoon season, the river overflows and
pours partly on this opposite bank.

24. • The ghats enable an easy and clean access to the river,
and their architecture
• However, such a long stretch of ghat construction is
particular to Banaras.

25. TECHNIQUES OF CONSTRUCTION
• The foundations of these palaces and ghats are rarely visible as
they are covered by the river and extend way below ground
surface.
• Foundation acts as a functional component of the structure.
• For example, documentation on foundations of hydraulic
constructions exist - forts, bridges and sluices, built in the same
period as the ghats.
• These structures rested on piles of brick masonry, a tradition
probably brought to India by the Mughals and used for the
foundations of the ghats and palaces of Banares.
• In Vrindavan, where the water of the river has reduced to a
considerable length, ghat steps do not descend to the water’s
edge and foundation piles are exposed , enabling one to have
an idea about the dimensions and forms of the ones in Benares

26. Masonry wells as foundation piles in Vrindavan

27. • Wooden piles were rarely used as timber was scarce
and was prone to rot.
• Instead cylinders of brick masonry were used, three
to twelve feet in diameter, sunk to firm stratum and
safe from river erosions.
• A sufficient number of wells are designed to carry the
super-incumbent weight whether it be a house or the
pier of a bridge, and the whole series being sunk to
the required level, and as close together as possible;
the tops of the wells are arched over, the arches are
all connected together by slabs of stones or other
arches, and on this artificial platform the
superstructure is raised’

28. Foundations on piles of brick masonry called wells

29. • Today, many of the new ghats being constructed or
the old ones getting repaired use five meters high RCC
(reinforced cement concrete) piles placed every two
meters.
• To further protect these piles from the water
currents, huge boulders are heaped up in front.
• On the other side, a mixture of sand, broken stone
and cement cover the surface of the bank on which
stone steps are arranged.

30. THANK YOU
- PRESENTED BY:
PARTHVI DESAI
HENY PATEL
KRUTI SHAH
SHREYA MEHTA
AISHWARIYA SHUKHADIA