• Screwpile Specification

• Foundation Design

• Reference Documents

• Terminology and Definitions Used

• Cellars and Pools

• Soil Stabilization - Retention

• Compression Screwpile Design

• Tension Screwpile Design

• Pile Load Testing

• Soil Classifications

• Cyclonic Foundations

• Acid Sulphate Soils

• Corrosion - General

• Dial Before You Dig

• Wind Regions of West Australia

Engineers

Terminology and Definitions Used

Geotechnical and Structural Terms and Explanations Relation to Foundation Design.

Bearing Capacity: - The limiting pressure that a footing can support.

Sub-Foundation: - Structure that transmits the load to the underlying ground.

Foundation or Footing or Slab: - Element that transmits loads from the superstructure to the ground.

Embedment Depth: - The depth below the ground surface where the base of the sub-foundation or foundation system rests.

Bearing Pressure: - The normal stress imposed by the footing on the supporting ground, (weight of superstructure + self weight of foundation system + overburden soil weight)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity: - The maximum bearing pressure that the soil can sustain before it fails.

Safe Bearing Capacity: - Maximum pressure the soil can carry without shear failure, or the ultimate bearing capacity divided by a factor of safety.

Allowable Bearing Capacity: - The working pressure that would ensure an acceptable margin of safety against bearing capacity failure, or at the point where there is neither soil failure of excessive foundation settlement that would be detrimental to the structure.

Ultimate Limit State: - The state that defines the limiting shear stress not to be exceeded by the maximum load during the life span of the total foundation system or any geotechnical system.

Serviceability Limit State: - The state that defines the limiting deformation or settlement of the foundation system which if exceeded is likely to impair the function of the supported structure.

Shallow Foundations: - Concrete Strip and Pad Footings, Raft Slabs. 

Deep Foundations: - Deep Concrete Ground Beams, Screwpile or Concrete Piling and Anchoring.

Isolated Foundation: - A single concrete footing on its own.

Strap Beam: - Interconnecting beam between isolated pad or longitudal footings.

Ground Beam: - Cast in-situ concrete beam having the capacity to span a specified distance.

Combined Foundation: - A foundation that picks up more than one load point.

Raft Foundation: - A Foundation that pick up load from numerous load points.