Building and Furniture Technology Overview

Study Notes

A foundation is the part of a structure that touches the ground and supports the weight of the structure above.
The foundation's purpose is to provide stability for the structure and transfer loads evenly from the building to the supporting soil.
The foundation also protects against damage from soil shrinkage.
The foundation provides a base for the building.
Key factors to consider in foundation design include building weight (number of stories, type of roof) and soil type (bearing capacity- sandy soil, clay soil).
Different types of foundations include shallow foundations (pad, strip, raft, stepped) and deep foundations (pile).

Shallow foundations transfer building loads close to the surface.
Common types include:
- Pad foundations: Support individual point loads (like columns), can be circular, square, or rectangular.
- Strip foundations: Support a line of loads (walls or rows of columns).
- Raft foundations: Spread loads over the entire area of the structure, common in areas with poor bearing capacity (like clay soil).
- Stepped foundations: Used on slopping sites, constructed in a series of steps.

Deep foundations transfer loads to the ground much further down than shallow foundations.
Pile foundations are relatively long slender members used to transmit loads to deeper, stronger soil layers or rock.
Mostly used on structures needing significant load-bearing capacity, that is bridges.
Key parts of a typical pile include:
- Head: The upper part of the pile.
- Foot: The lower part of the pile.
- Tip: The small end of the pile.
- Butt: The larger end of the pile.
- Pile Ring: Metal hoop that prevents cracking of the pile.
- Driving Head: Device placed on pile to receive hammer blows and protect it.
- Pile Shoe: Metal cone on the tip of a pile to prevent cracking.
Different types of piles including concrete piles (cast-in-place, precast), and steel piles (rolled H sections, steel pipes).