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Civil Engineering/Depth. of foundation

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Expert: - 3/26/2010


Question
Sir,  Please tell me what could be the max and minimum depth of any foundation in normal Indian Conditions. Minimum could be about 10' ht Bldng. and max more that 5 storied bldngs. And if we have cellar floor what should be the depth of column fro the cellar floor level. Thanx.  Vinod

Answer
Hi Vinod,

This really depends on gound conditions and annual weather conditions. For example, on good rock, you can have fairly shallow foundations but on soil subject to frost heave in winter, the minimum depth should be about 1m below finished ground level. This applies equally to single story or 5 story buildings.

For the cellar floor, the foundation for the column can simply be a localised thickening of the floor slab- for example if the floor is 200mm thick, the local thickening (below soffit of floor) can be an additional 200 to 300mm, to make an overall foundation depth or 400 to 500mm- this of course depends on size/loading of column, as well as ground bearing capacity.

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Arshad Khan

Expertise

I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience

Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.

Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) .Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK) .Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya .Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya .Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter) .Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London •1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore •2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi

Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London. Diploma of Imperial College, UK.

Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968) •Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975) •Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976) •Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998) •Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998) •Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)

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