Assignment 3

Design of Foundation and Retaining Wall

MAT FOOTING

Student:
Arellano, Erica Janine A.

Instructor:
Engr. Flores Bernabe
What is a Mat Foundation?
 This type of foundation, which is sometimes referred to as a raft
foundation, is a combined footing that may cover the entire area under
a structure supporting several columns and walls (figure 5.1a). Mat
foundations are sometimes preferred for soils that have low load-bearing
capacities but that will have to support high column and/or wall loads.
Under some conditions, spread footings would have to cover more than
half the building area, and mat foundations might be more economical.
 Mat or raft foundation is a large concrete slab supporting several
columns in two or more rows.
 It is used where the supporting soil has low bearing capacity.
 The bearing capacity increased by combining all individual footings in
to one mat –since bearing capacity is proportional to width and depth
of foundations.
 In addition to increasing the bearing capacity, mat foundations tend to
bridge over irregularities of the soil and the average settlement does not
approach the extreme values of isolated footings.
 Thus mat foundations are often used for supporting structures that are
sensitive to differential settlement.
 A mat foundation is primarily shallow foundation.
 It is an expanded continuous footing.
 Also called Raft Foundation.
  A thick reinforced concrete slab supporting arrangements of columns or
walls in a row or rows and transmitting the loads to the soil is called a Mat
Foundation.
 It is one of the 4 major types of combined footing
Where is it needed?
 Structures like chimneys, silos, cooling
towers, storage tanks, industrial
equipment, and buildings with basements
where continuous water proofing is
needed.
 For foundations where differential
settlement can be a major concern.
 For soft soils strata or site with pockets of
weak soil.
 In situations where individual footings may
touch or overlap each other.
 Necessary when the soil is weaker and
more compressible.
 Since large area is needed from a spread
footing, mat foundation is more economic.
 When the subsoil is weak and column loads are
so heavy that the conventional spread
footings cover more than 50% of the built-up
area.
Normally Useful When-
 Structures have to resist heavy loads or when the soil condition is poor
Functions
 To control differential settlement and
 To transfer the loads not exceeding the bearing capacity of the soil due
to integral action of the raft foundation.
 This is a threshold situation for shallow footing beyond which deep
foundations have to be adopted.
Advantages
 Spread the load in a larger area
o Increase bearing pressure
 Provides more structural rigidity
o Reduce settlement
 Heavier More resistant to uplift
 Distributes loads more evenly
Common Types of Mat Foundation
1. Flat Plate Mat/Plane Slab Mat
 Used for fairly small and uniform column spacing and relatively light
loads.
 Suitable when the soil is not too compressible.

2. Plate Thickened under Columns

 For columns subjected to very heavy loads usually the flat plate is
thickened under columns to guard against diagonal shear and
moments negative.
3. Two-way Beam and Slab /Waffle-slab
 Beams run both ways and the columns are located at the intersection
of the beams.
 When the column spacing is large and carries unequal loads it would be
more economical
 Suitable when underlying soil is too compressible.

4. Plates with Pedestals

 For heavy columns with loads which may require large shear strength or
flexural strength of slab.
 In this mat pedestals are provided at the base of the columns.
5. Rigid Frame Mat/ Slab with Basement Wall
 Used when columns carry extremely heavy loads.
 In such design, basement walls act as ribs or deep beam.
 When the depth of beam exceeds 90 cm in simple beam and slab mat,
a rigid frame mat is referred.
 Walls act as stiffeners for the mat

6. Piled Raft
 Supported on piles.
 Used where the soil is highly compressible and the water table is high.
 Reduces settlement and control buoyancy.
 For heavy structures on soft soils in order to share the loads with piles.
ANALYSIS OF MAT FOUNDATION
General Considerations:
1. If the Mat rests on strong bedrock transmits the load in a relatively small area
near columns. [See Fig.1(a)]
2. If the Mat rests on stiff or compact soils, the mat distributes the load to the
subsoil in larger areas. [See Fig. 1(b)].
3. If the mat rests on weak/soft soil the pressure distribution on the mat tends
to be uniform. [See Fig. 1(c)].

Methods of Analysis of Mat Foundation

Objective of the Analysis: To find the bearing pressure underneath the mat.
 This depends upon: rigidity of the mat, rigidity of the superstructure, and
rigidity of the supporting soil.

Stability.
 The bearing pressure on mat foundations should be selected to
provide a factor of safety of at least 2.0 for dead load plus normal
live load and 1.5 for dead load plus maximum live load. By lowering
the base elevation of the mat, the pressure that can be exerted
safely by the building is correspondingly increased, and the net
increase in loading is reduced. The bearing pressure should be
selected so that the settlement of the mat foundation will be within
limits that the structure can safely tolerate as a flexible structure. If
settlements beneath the mat foundation are more than the rigidity
of the structure will permit, a redistribution of loads takes place that
will change the pressure distribution beneath the structure, as
 subsequently described. The bearing capacity of loose sands,
saturated silts, and low-density loess can be altered significantly as a
result of saturation, vibrations, or shock. Therefore, the allowable
bearing pressure and settlement of these soils cannot be determined
in the usual manner for the foundation soils may be subject to such
effects. Replace or stabilize such foundation soils, if these effects are
anticipated.

Conventional Analysis
 Where the differential settlement between columns will be small,
design the mat as reinforced concrete flat slab assuming planar soil
pressure distribution. The method is generally applicable where
columns are more or less equally spaced. For analysis, the mat is
divided into mutually perpendicular strips.

Approximate Plate Analysis

 When the column loads differ appreciably or the columns are
irregularly spaced, the conventional method of analysis becomes
seriously in error. For these cases, use an analysis based on the theory
for beams or plates on elastic foundations. Determine the subgrade
modulus by the use of plate load tests. The method is suitable,
particularly for mats on coarse-grained soils where rigidity increases
with depth.
 Figure 1 Example of method for selecting allowable bearing pressure

Analysis of Mats on Compressible Soils

 If the mat is founded on compressible soils, determination of the
distribution of the foundation pressures beneath the mat is complex. The
distribution of foundation pressures varies with time and depends on the
construction sequence and procedure, elastic and plastic deformation
properties of the foundation concrete, and time-settlement
characteristics of foundation soils. As a conservative approach, mats
founded on compressible soils should be designed for two limiting
conditions: assuming a uniform distribution of soil pressure, and assuming
a pressure that varies linearly from a minimum of zero at the middle to
twice the uniform pressure at the edge. The mat should be designed
 structurally for whichever distribution leads to the more severe
conditions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MAT FOUNDATIONS.

Control of Groundwater
 Exclude groundwater from the excavation by means of cutoffs, and
provide for temporary or permanent pressure relief and dewatering by
deep wells or well points. Specify piezometers to measure drawdown
levels during construction. Specify the pumping capacity to achieve
required drawdown during various stages of construction, including
removal of the temporary system at the completion of construction.
Consider effects of drawdown on adjoining structures.
Downdrag
 Placement of backfill against basement walls or deep raft foundations
constructed in open excavations results in down drag forces if weight
of backfill is significant with respect to structural loading. Estimate the
down drag force on the basis of data published in the technical
literature.

DESIGN OF UNIFORM MAT

Design Assumptions
 Mat is infinitely rigid
 Planner soil pressure distribution under mat
Design Procedure
I. Determine the line of action of the resultant of all the loads acting on
the mat
II. Determine the contact pressure distribution as under
 If the resultant passes through the center of gravity of the mat,
𝑸
the contact pressure is given by 𝝈 =
𝑨
 If the resultant has an eccentricity of ex and ey in the x and y
direction 𝜎 / = ± 𝑥± 𝑦

The maximum contact pressure should be less than the allowable soil pressure
 Divide the slab mat into strips in x and y directions. Each strip is assumed
to act as independent beam subjected to the contact pressure and the
columns loads.
  Determine the modified column loads
 Draw the shear force and bending moment diagrams for each strip.
 Select depth of mat for shear requirement
 Select steel reinforcement for moment requirement

EXAMPLE OF DESIGN OF MAT FOOTING

A mat foundation is to be design by the conventional method (rigid method)
for the loadings shown in Fig. below.

• All columns are 40cm x 40cm

• Ultimate soil bearing pressure, qult = 100 kPa
• fyk = 300 MPa → fyd = 300/1.15 = 260.87 Mpa

• C25 → fck= 20MPa → fctk = 1.5 MPa

Location of c.g. of loads
ΣP = (600 +750+ 600)*2 +(1800+1800+1320)*2 = 13740kN

13740 X̅ = (750 +1800+1800+750)*5+(600 +1320+1320+600)*10

X̅ = 4.65m

ex = 5-4.65 = 0.35
X’ = 5+0.35 = 5.35m

Bmin = 2*( 5.35 +0.20+0.15 ) = 11.40m

 13740 Y̅ = (600 +750+600)*18+(1800 +1800+1320)*12+(1800 +1800+1320)*6
Y̅ = 9 m

ey = 6+6/2-9 = 0

Lmin = 2*(9+0.20+0.15) = 18.70m

Dimension of Mat: 11.40 x 18.70 m

Actual contact pressure

σ = ΣP/(BL) = 13740/(11.40*18.70) = 64.45 kPa < σult = 100 kPa

Punching shear under 1800 kN load

Take, d = 0.70 m
φ = φmin = 0.50/fyk = 0.50 /300 = 0.0017

k1 = ( 1+50φ) = (1 +50*0.0017) =1.085

k2 = 1.6 – d =1.60-0.70 = 0.90 , Take K2 =1
Pr = (0.85+0.4+1.105)2+(0.4+3(0.70) = 7.21 m
Net shear force developed
Vd = 1800 - σ*(2.355*2.50) , σ = 64.45 Kp
Vd = 1800 - 64.45*(2.355* 2.50)= 1420.55 kN
Punching shear resistance
Vup = 0.25fctdk1k2ud (MN)
Vup = 0.25 *1000* 1.085*1.00*7.21*0.70 =1369.00 kN < Vd
NOT OK! Increase the depth

Take, d = 0.75m
φ = φmin = 0.50/fyk = 0.50 /300 = 0.0017

k1 = (1+50φ)= (1 +50*0.0017) =1.085

k2 = 1.6 – d = 1.6 - 0.75 = 0.85 , Take K 2 =1
Pr =(0.85+0.4+1.125)2+(0.4+3(0.75)) = 7.40 m
Net shear force developed
Vd = 1800 - σ*(2.375* 2.65), σ = 64.45kP
Vd = 1800 - 64.45*(2.375* 2.65) = 1394.37kN
Punching shear resistance
Vup = 0.25fctdk1k2ud (MN)
Vup = 0.25 *1000* 1.085*1.00*7.40*0.75 = 1505.44 kN > Vd .. OK!

Check punching shear under 1320 kN

Pr = (1.125 +0.15+0.4)2+(0.4+3(0.75)) = 6.00 m
Net shear force developed

Vd = 1320-64.45*(1.675*2.65) = 1033.92 kN
Punching shear resistance
Vup = 0.25fctd k1k2ud (MN)
Vup = 0.25 *1000* 1.085*1.00*6.00*0.75 = =1220.63 kN > Vd .. OK!

Check punching shear under 600 kN

Pr = (1.125 +0.15+0.4) +(1.125+0.15+0.4) = 3.35 m
Net shear force developed
Vd = 600-64.45*(1.675*1.675) = 419.18 kN
Punching shear resistance
Vup = 0.25fctd k1k2ud (MN)
Vup = 0.25 *1000* 1.085*1.00*3.35*0.75 = 681.52 kN > Vd .. OK!

Soil reaction analysis: Divide the slab mat into strips in x and y directions
Strip A, (64.45)*3.55 = 228.80 kN/m
Strip B, (64.45)*5.00 = 322.25 kN/m
Strip C, (64.45)*2.85 = 183.68 kN/m
Strip 1 &Strip 4, (64.45)*3.35 = 215.91 kN/m
Strip 2 & Strip 3, (64.45)*6.00 = 386.70 kN/m
Shear force and Bending moment diagrams for each strip
Strip A

∑ P = 600 + 1800 + 1800 + 600 = 𝟒𝟖𝟎𝟎 𝐤𝐍

ΣR = 228.80*18.70 = 4278.56 kN
ΣV = ΣP- ΣR = 4800-4278.56 = 521.44 ≠ 0

Hence take average of ΣP and ΣR

I.e., (4800 +4278.56)/2 = 4539.28 kN

σavg = (4539.28)/18.70 = 242.74 kN/m

P1avg = P4avg = (4539.28/4800) *600 = 567.41 kN
P2avg = P3avg = (4539.28/4800)*1800 =1702.23 kN
Strip 1 &Strip 4, (64.45)*3.35 = 215.91 kN/m

ΣR = 215.91*11.40 = 2461.37 kN
ΣV = ΣP- ΣR = 1950-2461.37 = -511.37 ≠ 0

Hence take average of ΣP and ΣR

I.e., (1950+2461.37)/2 = 2205.69 kN

σavg = (2205.69)/11.40 = 193.48 kN/m

P1avg = P3avg = (2205.69/1950)*600 = 678.67 kN
P2avg = (2205.69/1950)*750 = 848.34 kN
BEARING CAPACITY OF MAT FOUNDATIONS

The gross ultimate bearing capacity of a mat foundation can be

determined by the same equation used for shallow foundations, or

Qu = cNcFcsFcdFci + qNqFqsFqdFqi + 1/2yBNyFysFydFyi

(Chapter 3 gives the proper values of the bearing capacity factors, and
shape, depth, and load inclination factors). The term B in equation (25 from
chapter 3) is the smallest dimension of the mat. The net ultimate capacity is

Qnet (u) = qu - q

A suitable factor of safety should be used to calculate the net allowable

bearing capacity. For rafts on clay, the factor of safety should not be less
than 3 under dead load and maximum live load. However, under the most
extreme conditions, the factor of safety should be at least 1.75 to 2. For rafts
constructed over sand, a factor of safety of 3 should normally be used.
Under most working conditions, the factor of safety against bearing
capacity failure of rafts on sand is very large.

For saturated clays with 𝜙 = 0 and vertical loading condition, [5.8]

Qu = cuNcFcsFcd + q

Where

𝑐𝑢 = undrained cohesion

(Note: N𝑐 = 5.14, N𝑞 = 1, and N𝛾 = 0)

From table 5 (chapter 3) for 𝜙 = 0,

𝐵 𝑁 𝐵 1 0.195𝐵
𝐹 = 1+ =1+ = 1+
𝐿 𝑁 𝐿 5.14 𝐿

Substitution of the preceding shape and depth factors into equation yields
[5.9]
.
𝑞 = 5.14𝑐 1+ 1 + 0.4 +𝑞

Hence the net ultimate bearing capacity is [5.10]

.
𝑞 ( ) = 𝑞 − 𝑞 = 5.14𝑐 (1 + )(1 + 0.4 )

For FS = 3, the net allowable soil bearing capacity becomes [5.11]

( ) .
𝑞 ( ) = = 1.713𝑐 1+ 1 + 0.4
Figure 5.3 shows a plot of 𝑞all (net )/𝑐𝑢 for various values of 𝐿/𝐵 and 𝐷𝑓/𝐵

The net allowable bearing capacity for mats constructed over granular soil
deposits can be adequately determined from the standard penetration
resistance numbers. From equation (53 chapter 4), for shallow foundations,
𝑘𝑁 3.28𝐵 + 1 𝑆
𝑞 ( ) = 11.98𝑁 𝐹
𝑚 3.28𝐵 25.4

Figure 5.3 Plot of 𝑞all (net )/𝑐𝑢 against 𝐷𝑓/𝐵

Where

Ncor = corrected standard penetration resistance

𝐵 = width (m)

𝐹d = 1 + 0.33(𝐷𝑓/𝐵) ≤ 1.33

S𝑒 = settlement, in mm

When the width, B is large, the preceding equation can be approximated

(assuming 3.28𝐵𝐵 + 1 ≈ 3.28𝐵𝐵) as [5.12]

Qall(net) (kN/m2) ≈ 11.98Ncor Fd (Se/25.4)

= 11.98Ncor [1+0.33(Df/B)][Se(mm)/25.4]

≤ 15.93Ncor [Se(mm)/25.4]
In English units, equation may be expressed as [5.13]

Qall(net) (kip/ft2) = 0.25Ncor [1+0.33(Df/B)][Se(in)]

≤ 0.33Ncor [Se(in)]

Note that equation (13) could have been derived from equations (54 and 56
from chapter 4)

Note that the original equations (53 and 56 from chapter 4) were for a settlement
of I in. (25.4 mm) with a differential settlement of about 0.75 in. (19mm). However,
the widths of the raft foundations are larger than the isolated spread footings. As
table 3 chapter 4 shows, the depth of significant stress increase in the soil below a
foundation depends on the foundation width. Hence, for a raft foundation, the
depth of the zone of influence is likely to be much larger than that of a spread
footing. Thus the loose sol pockets under a raft may be more evenly distributed,
resulting in a smaller differential settlement. Hence the customary assumption is
that, for a maximum raft settlement of 2 in. (50.8 mm), the differential settlement
would be 0.75 in. (19 mm). Using this logic and conservatively assuming that 𝐹𝐹𝑐𝑐
equals 1, we can approximate equations (12 and 13) as

𝑞all (net )(kN/m2) ≈ 23.96Ncor [5.14]

And

𝑞all (net )(kip/ft2) = 0. 5Ncor [5.15]

The net pressure applied on a foundation (figure 5.4) may be expressed as

Figure 5.4 Definition of net pressure on soil caused by a mat foundation

Q = Q/A - yDf [5.16]

Where

𝑄 = dead weight of the structure and the live load

𝐴 = area of the raft

In all cases, q should be less than or equal to 𝑞all (net ).

Example 1

Determine the net ultimate bearing capacity of a mat foundation measuring 45 ft

× 30 ft on saturated clay with 𝑐𝑢 = 1950 lb/ft2, 𝜙 = 0, and 𝐷𝑓 = 6.5 ft.

Solution

From equation (10)

0.195𝐵 𝐷
𝑞 ( ) = 5.14𝑐 1+ 1 + 0.4
𝐿 𝐵
0.195 × 30 0.4 × 6.5
= (5.14)(1950) 1 + 1+ = 𝟏𝟐, 𝟑𝟎𝟕 𝒍𝒃/𝒇𝒕𝟐
45 30

Example 2

What will the net allowable bearing capacity of a mat foundation with
dimensions be of 45 ft × 30 ft constructed over a sand deposit? Here, 𝐷𝑓 = 6 ft,
allowable settlement = 1 in., and corrected average penetration number
N𝑐or = 10.

Solution

From equation (13)

Qall(net) = 0.25Ncor [1+0.33(Df/B)]Se ≤ 0.33Ncor Se

Qall(net) = 0.25(10)[1+0.33(6)/30](1) ≈ 2.67 kip/ft2