Department of Civil Engineering
Islamic University of Gaza
ECIV 4352– Foundation Engineering
Fall Semester 2011
Total Credits: 3 credit hours : 3 Lectures per week
Course Description: The purpose of this course is:
(a) to provide the students with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the principles
governing the design of foundation systems for structures.
(b) to provide them with an opportunity to apply the design procedures to a "real life"
foundation design project.
Instructor: Dr . Jihad Hamad:
Engr.: Ahmed Kullab
Engr. Safaa Abu elaish
Phone : 286-0700 ext. 2819 , Email : jhamad@mail.iugaza.edu
Office Hours : Sat, Mon ,Wed,10.:11& 12: 1:0 .and, Sunday & Tuesday &. 11:001.00 PM
Teaching Assistant: Engineers:………….
Prerequisites: ECIV 3351 – Soil Mechanics
Text book: Das. M. B., 2011 "Principles of Foundation Engineering", Seventh Edition,
Thomson Brooks.
References:
 Terzaghi , K., Peck, R., and Mesri, G., 1996 "Soil Mechanics in Engineering
Practice", Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
 Liu, C. and Evett, J., 1998 " Soils and Foundation", ", Forth Edition, Prentice Hall.
 Bowles, J., “Foundation Analysis and Design” ", Forth Edition ,McGraw Hill
 Muni Budhu , 2007 “Soil Mechanics and Foundations”, second Edition john
Wiley and Sons.
Course Aims: Prepare a geotechnical engineering report, documenting procedures used and
findings from site investigation, laboratory characterization of subsurface materials, analysis
performed and final recommendations with regard to the optimum design of the foundations
system
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
o Identify the essential steps involved in a geotechnical site investigation and specify
appropriate laboratory test procedures for the characterization soil materials with respect to
strength and compressibility.
o Identify the principal types of foundations and describe the factors governing the choice of
the most suitable type of foundation for a given situation.
o Perform: (a) bearing capacity and, (b) settlement analyses for shallow foundations.
o
Evaluate (a) end bearing capacity and (b) skin friction for a given type of deep
foundations and hence estimate the axial load capacity.
o Prepare a geotechnical engineering report documenting procedures used and findings from
site investigation, laboratory characterization of subsurface materials, analysis performed
and final recommendations with regard to the optimum design of the foundations system.
Course Conduct:
Midterm Exam ( 35 points), Assignments (10 points), Project (10 points) and Final Exam (45
points).
Course Outline:
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Fundamental soil mechanics principles related to engineering classification of soils,
stresses in soil masses, soil compressibility and soil shear strength
Classification of foundations, Historical developments in foundation engineering,
Building codes
Performance requirements for foundations, Designing against bearing capacity failure,
Total and differential settlements, Allowable differential settlements for various types
of structures, Uncertainties in design, Factors of safety
Site Investigation, Borehole layout and borehole depth, Soil sampling techniques,
laboratory testing, In-situ testing, Economics of site investigation and testing
Shallow foundations – Bearing capacity, Bearing pressure versus bearing capacity,
Methods for estimation of soil bearing capacity, Plate load tests, Bearing capacity
analysis, Selection of soil shear strength parameters,
Shallow Foundations – Settlement, Stresses in soil beneath a foundation, Settlement in
cohesive soils, Settlement in cohesion less soils, Settlement of footings in stratified
soils
Deep Foundations, Types of deep foundations, Pile Foundations, Drilled Shafts, Load
transfer mechanisms, end bearing resistance, skin friction.
SIGN PROJECT:
The student will be assigned a "real life" problem to solve during the course. The problem will
be assigned approximately 2 to 3 weeks into the course and the students are required to submit
a final written report and make an oral presentation near the end of the semester. The design
exercise will be completed as a group project.
Project will be Due on Sat. 24 of Dec.