Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations IFRs on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

foundation design for settlement 4

Status
Not open for further replies.

larce

Structural
May 20, 2005
4
I am not very familiar with design of reinforced concrete yet, I really have only taken the one class in college. Now, I am given the task to design a foundation for a house based on the total settlement of up to 5" and differential settlement of approximately 3". I can't find a good example anywhere. I am thinking of a just designing a continuous footing for the loading and just see what the midspan deflection will be. Is this the normal approach? I should mention that this settlement is due to liquefaction of the soils, so it would be a sudden, dynamic settlement that is governing my design.

Thanks for your help.
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

Larce,

I suspect you are getting a poor response from other enginers due to your lack of knowledge. It may be time to take the ultimate challenge in Ethics - Tell the client that you cannot assist as you do not have the necessary skills for this particular project. Better still delay until your boss returns.

Just for the record - I've got 17 years experience and I don't have the necessary skills for this one! The particular circumstances described are certainly not common. If there are other developments in your area on similar ground there will be other engineers who have developed an appropriate solution.

Do not be discouraged by software developers setting tight parameters on what their software can be used for. You (or your firm) are the engineers - Use whatever tools you find appropriate. If it goes wrong the client will be after you not the software supplier.

I got the impression that you have access to other engineers but don't like their solutions to similar problems. You are right in that you should not accept blindly a solution that you feel to be inapropriate. You are wrong however to dismiss their solutions simply on the grounds of a perceived flaw in their theory. We are all busy and no one likes to be challenged over their designs but try to find a way of discussing your concerns properly with another engineer.

Look on the bright side. This is REAL engineering. You will learn a great deal from this situation (Even if you don't get to your vision of the right answer).

Good luck.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor