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Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................... 1
Definition of Raft Foundation.................................................................................2
Foundation Design Considerations........................................................................2
Types of Raft Foundations...................................................................................... 4
Solid Slab Rafts................................................................................................... 4
Beam and Slab Raft Foundations........................................................................6
Cellular Raft Foundations....................................................................................7
Advantages and Disadvantages of Raft Foundations.............................................9
Best Practices for Utilization of Concrete.............................................................10
Concrete as a Material Hazard..........................................................................10
Access.............................................................................................................. 10
Delivery Tickets................................................................................................ 10
Slump Test........................................................................................................ 11
Weather Conditions.......................................................................................... 12
Regulatory Requirements.................................................................................... 12
Conclusion........................................................................................................... 13
Bibliography......................................................................................................... 14

Introduction
The foundations of a house are the most important part of the build
structure, if this part is not done properly it could cause you severe
problems in the future. Foundations act as the interface between the loads
from a building and the ground. Therefore, the foundations must be
robust, strong, durable and balanced to ensure effective load transfer to
the ground.
There are different methods of building the foundations. The selection of
foundation type depends upon the nature of the ground, characteristics of
the building form and the extent and nature of loads from the building. In
this report we will focus on Raft foundations. It will discuss the different
types of Raft foundations, analyse when the use Raft foundations are most
appropriate and look at various safety measures that need to be taken
account of when Raft Foundations are being utilised.

Definition of Raft Foundation


A Raft foundation is a thick concrete slab reinforced with steel which
covers the entire contact area of the structure like a thick floor.
Sometimes area covered by raft may be greater than the contact area
depending on the bearing capacity of the soil underneath. The reinforcing
bars runs normal to each other in both top and bottom layers of steel
reinforcement. (M.J. Tomlinson, 2001)

Foundation Design Considerations


Some important factors must be considered before the most suitable type
of foundation can be selected. These are:
1. The type of the structure
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Raft foundations are most commonly used in the the construction of


commercial buildings than they are for domestic homes, but can be used
very successful in both situations.
2. The loads employed by the structure
There are three main types of load:
a. Dead loads are the static or constant weight of the structure made
up from the walls, floors, roof, etc. The complete dead load acting
on the components of the structures should be taken account of in
the design.
b. Live loads (also known as imposed loads) such as furniture, goods
and people, are movable. In addition, there are variable loads
caused by the weather, such as snow and rain.
c. Wind loads can be positive or negative. They are not dead or
imposed and therefore require specific consideration. When the
buildings are high and narrow the wind pressure must be taken
account of.
If the loads transmitted by the columns in the structure are so heavy or
the allowable soil pressure so small that individual footings would cover
more than about one-half of the area, it would be most appropriate to
provide a continuous footing under all columns and walls and thus use a
Raft foundation. (Choice of the Type of Foundation, 2016)

3. The subsoil characteristics


Raft foundations are usually built on weak ground such as very soft clay,
alluvial deposits and compressible fill material where other types of
foundations would not provide a stable base without unnecessary
excavation. The reinforced concrete raft is designed to transfer the total
load of the building from the raft to the ground. This therefore greatly
diminishes the chances of settlement occurring in the structure. Since
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rafts are usually at some depth in the ground, a large volume of


excavation may be required. If weight of the excavated soil is equal to the
weight of the structure and that of the raft, and the centers of gravity of
excavation and structure coincide, settlement would be negligible. (Civil
Construction Tips, 2016)
Therefore, to decide about the type of foundation, subsoil investigation
must be carried out. Then the soil characteristics within the area below
the building should be carefully appraised. The allowable bearing capacity
of the affected soil strata should then be projected. In essence a Raft
foundation is required where soils have low bearing capacity and have to
support heavy structural loads. (Choice of the Type of Foundation, 2016)

Types of Raft Foundations


There are three types of raft foundations namely:
1. Solid Slab Raft
2. Beam and Slab; either with up-stand or down-stand beams
3. Cellular Rafts

Solid Slab Rafts


A Solid Slab Raft is used for low rise buildings on weak soils and it is
reinforced to take tensile and shear stresses. The slabs can be made
deeper to take the weight of internal and external walls. In order to start
constructing the solid slab raft foundation, the top soil is removed then
the soil left behind is compressed. From time to time, hard-core maybe
be added to raise the ground floor level. A layer of blinding is added to the
surface of the hard-core or directly to the compacted soil to provide a
level surface that will take the reinforcement and concrete. After the
blinding has been allowed to cure for a period of time a temporary
formwork is constructed. Mould oil can be used on the surfaces and sides
of the formwork which prevents the concrete from sticking to the wood
used. The reinforced steel bars will then be placed into the formwork.

The concrete is then poured in and spread all over to cover the
reinforcement. When the concrete has been allowed to cure for some days
a layer of damp proof membrane is used to cover the entire foundation.
Then a reinforced mesh wire is laid over it which will receive the concrete
for the main floor slab. Before the concrete is poured all necessary

plumbing piping should be completed. Only after the concrete has been
cured can the main walling for the building begin. (Limited, 2016)

(Architectural Guidance, 2016)

Beam and Slab Raft Foundations


Beam and Slab Raft foundations are alternatives to Solid Slab Rafts and
are used where unsuitable soils are encountered. The beams are used to
allocate the column loads over the area of the raft, the result of this is a
reduction in slab thickness. The beams can be upstand or downstand
depending on the bearing capacity of the soil near the surface. Downstand
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beams will provide a cost saving in terms of excavation whereas upstand


beams create a usable void below the ground floor if a suspended slab is
used. (Architectural Guidance, 2016)

(Architectural Guidance, 2016)

Cellular Raft Foundations


A cellular raft comprises of two-way interlocking foundation beams with a
ground bearing slab at the underneath and a suspended slab at the top
surface. The upper and lower slabs are usually combined within the
beams to form I sections. The interconnecting beams effectively break the
large slab into two-way spanning continuous small panels. The top slab is
cast using precast soffits or other forms of permanent formwork such as
lightweight infill blocks. These rafts are used in places subject to severe
mining activity or in areas of poor ground where large bending moments
are to be resisted. They are also used in locations where a valuable
increase in bearing capacity can be achieved by the removal of the
overburden and where deep foundation beams are required.
The purpose of cellular raft foundations is to resist vertical, lateral and
uplift load and to transmit a foundation load to a solid ground. The thickness of
the constructed foundation may exceed 1 m. The advantage of cellular raft
foundations is that it is suitable for loose soil or soils that tends to settle
unevenly such as back filled inactive mining site. Other types of
foundation are not economical for this type of soil. (Engineer, 2016)

(Architectural Guidance, 2016)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Raft Foundations


Raft foundations are usually cheaper and faster to use than traditional
footings. There are a number of reasons why this is the case:

The foundation and floor slab is combined, which creates time


efficiencies and uses less materials;

Less excavation is required;

They are ideal for poor ground conditions where normal footings
would not cope well as they cannot spread the load as effectively.

Raft foundations can reduce differential settlement which in turn


reduces cracking and other more serious issues.

The main disadvantage of raft foundations is that they can prone to edge
erosion if they are not treated properly. They are not effective if the load
of the building is going to be focused on a single point. (Forum, 2016)

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Best Practices for Utilization of Concrete


Whichever foundation type is selected there are a number of best
practices that need to be followed in order to obtain the optimum results
and maintain safety at all times.

Concrete as a Material Hazard


Cement comprises 7 to 15 percent of total concrete volume. As an low PH
material, wet cement is corrosive, and can cause severe chemical burns.
Thus, working with fresh concrete carries a safety risk. Thus it is best
practice to always wear water-proof gloves, a long-sleeved top, full-length
trousers, and proper eye protection. It is also important to wear waterproof boots that are high enough to keep concrete from flowing into them
If you have to stand in wet concrete. Wash wet concrete, mortar, cement,
or cement mixtures should be washed from your skin immediately. Indirect
contact through clothing can be as serious as direct contact, so promptly
rinse out wet concrete, mortar, cement or cement mixtures from clothing.
And always seek immediate medical attention if you have persistent or
severe discomfort. (Association, 2016)

Access
The site manager should ensure that there is easy access for the delivery
truck to discharge the concrete in an efficient manner so as to avoid
crystallization of the cement in the concrete and possible extra charges
from the concrete company.

Delivery Tickets
On arrival of the concrete delivery dockets must be furnished to the site
manager to ensure proper records can be recorded and filed. The key
items to be noted from the delivery dockets are

Serial number of ticket


Date of delivery
Truck number
Name and location of project
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Grade of concrete
Type of cement
Time of loading
Quantity of concrete

Slump Test
No matter which type of raft foundations mentioned above is selected it is
vitally important to test the the workability of fresh concrete on site before
it is used. This is commonly known as the slump test. If the fresh concrete
has been made off site in a batching plant, it may have been delayed in
traffic. It is important to record the time of arrival and check the delivery
ticket for the time it was originally mixed. The cement will start to form
crystals between two and three hours after mixing, depending on the
weather, and that a late delivery will reduce the placing time on site.) The
slump test will indicate how workable the mix is and whether It has been
re-watered en-route. Re-watering weakens the concrete and thus reduces
the specifications that were initially ordered.

(The Concrete Society,

2016)

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Weather Conditions
If it's too wet and water starts to accumulate in the foundation, you can
end up with weakened concrete. One of the key metrics for a concrete mix
is the free water to cement ratio. If the water content is too low, you
struggle to get it to compact properly, resulting in air voids, and weak
concrete. If the water content is too high, the water can leave pores in the
concrete, which also reduces the strength of the concrete.
If the temperature is low, the hydration reaction slows down. Further, if
the temperature is too low, the water can freeze, which means that it is
not available to hydrate the cement, again affecting the strength of the
concrete.

Regulatory Requirements

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In recent years the quality and consistency of concrete have become more
tightly regulated, mainly by European Standards.
The Irish Standard for Concrete - I.S. 326 - was replaced by a new
European Standard I.S. EN 206-1: 2002, Concrete - Part 1: Specification,
performance, production and conformity. This Standard forms part of a
group of construction standards. The Irish version EN 206-1 consists of the
core text of the European Standard, plus a National Annex.
I.S. EN 206-1 puts substantial responsibility upon the manufacturers of
ready-mix concrete to conform to a series of specified requirements.
Manufacturers must issue a formal Declaration of Conformity along with
the documentation before they can dispatch ready-mix concrete.
I.S. EN 206-1 demands greater clarity on elements essential to quality,
durability and consistency such as:

Consistency of mix
Grade or compressive strength class as it is defined in the Standard.

The Standard also addresses the following design elements:

Gathering information relating to structural and fire design


Determining the intended working life
Identifying relevant exposure classes
Identifying other requirements for the concrete (e.g. aesthetic
considerations; minimizing cracking; coping with temperature
extremes, etc.).

(NSAI, 2016)

Conclusion
The above report illustrates that it is vitally important to conduct the
necessary checks before deciding on the type of foundation required as to
ensure that the foundation design will be appropriate to the nature, scale
and complexity of the building,
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Bibliography
Architectural Guidance. (2016, February 20). Retrieved from Architectural
Guidance:
http://architecturalguidance.blogspot.ie/2008/04/architecturalpresentation-raft.html
Association, P. C. (2016, February 17). Concrete Construction Safety
Measures. Retrieved from Concrete Construction Safety Measures:
http://www.cement.org/for-concrete-books-learning/concretetechnology/concrete-construction/safety-measures
Choice of the Type of Foundation. (2016, February 16). Retrieved from
osp.mans.edu.eg/sfoundation/foundtion.htm

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Civil Construction Tips. (2016, February 16). Retrieved from Civil


Construction Tips:
http://civilconstructiontips.blogspot.ie/2011/06/raft-foundation.html
Engineer, B. (2016, February 20). A Builders Engineer. Retrieved from A
Builders Engineer: www.abuildersengineer.com/2012/12/cellularraft.html
Forum, C. E. (2016, February 21). Civil Engineers Forum. Retrieved from
Civil Engineers Forum: http://civilengineersforum.com/raftfoundation-advantages-disadvantages/
Greeno, R. C. (2014). Building Construction Handbook (10th ed.). Oxon:
Butterworth-Heinemann.
Limited, R. C. (2016, February 20). Castles. Retrieved from
Castlesweekly.com:
http://www.castlesweekly.com.ng/magazine/article/CONSTRUCTION/
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M.J. Tomlinson, R. B. (2001). Foundation Design and Construction (7th ed.).
England: Pearson Education Limited.
NSAI. (2016, February 15). Retrieved from NSAI: https://www.nsai.ie/OurServices/Certification/Product-Certification/Product-Certification-forReady-Mix-Concrete.aspx
The Concrete Society. (2016, February 19). Retrieved from The Concrete
Society: http://www.concrete.org.uk/fingertips-nuggets.asp?
cmd=display&id=559

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