If you have ever been involved in the construction of any kind of infrastructure, you might have heard of the term foundation. Foundations are used to give support to the infrastructure to transfer the weight from it to the soil.

There are two types of foundations, which are Shallow foundations and Deep Foundations.

Here we will be discussing about deep foundation, its types, uses, and advantages.

You can contact any civil construction company regarding any kind of construction project with high-quality foundation equipment.

The different types of deep foundation

1. Pile Foundation

In Pile Foundation, the civil work contractor makes use of piles to carry the vertical compressive load. It is commonly seen in the construction of infrastructure like bridges and buildings.

Materials like concrete or steel are used to make cylinder or columns to weigh down the structure and transfer the weight.

Pile foundations can further be classified based on their function and the material used. The different types of pile foundations include sheet piles, friction piles, steel piles, concrete piles, composite piles, etc.

In which situations do civil contractors use pile foundation?

A civil construction company uses pile foundation often when the soil at surface depth is compressible or when the groundwater table is at a high level.

It is also used when there is no choice of soil excavation, or when there is a water source like a canal near the infrastructure.

2. Well Foundation

The second type of deep foundation used by civil contractors is Well Foundation. It is commonly used below water level for structures like bridges and have been in use since the ancient times.

The forces that act on a well foundation is not just the weight of the structure. It is also weighed down by seismic forces and those by water currents, earth pressure, etc.

In a Well Foundation, civil contractors make use of something called cassion. Cassion is an equipment similar to a box which is dropped to the land or water to a deep level to bear the weight of the structure.

They can be a box cassion, an open one, or a pneumatic one used in dry conditions. The different parts of a Well Foundation include the staining, the ring beam, the cutting edge, a bottom plug, the backfill, and a top plug.

While the staining is the wall of the well the ring beam supports the staining. It is called the curb and is used for the purpose of reducing skin friction. The lowest part of the curb is the cutting edge.

3. Basement foundation

Civil contractors use Basement Foundation which is a structure that holds down the weight of buildings like houses.

Basement structure is sunk to a floor below the ground level and allows the house owner to use the basement which can become a typical room.

- Advantages of basement foundation:

If you are looking to construct a home with the basement, the best thing for your civil construction company to do would be to use basement foundation.

Apart from the setting up of a basement, the other advantages offered by Basement Foundation include protection against flooding and additional insulation.

To avail of these benefits, you need to reach out to a civil construction company or any civil work contractor near you that uses high-quality construction materials.

4. Hollow Box Foundation

Another type of deep foundation is the Hollow Box Foundation. They are also called a buoyancy raft and are used on weak soils to reduce the intensity of the structure over the soil.

When a civil construction company constructs such a foundation, the soil below it is removed. The weight of the removed soil is then compensated by the weight of the structure.

When does a civil work contractor make use of a buoyancy raft? It is often used when the soil bearing capacity is at the lowest. It is also used when the building settlement is higher than the safe limit.

- Advantages Of Using A Hollow Box Foundation

A Hollow Box Foundation is used by a civil construction company  for areas that have soft and weak soil. It is a much more economical option unlike using pile foundation or any other types of deep foundation.

The house or any structure would be more elevated and would provide protection against events like flood.

5. Pier Foundation

A Civil work contractor makes use of a Pier Foundation when constructing a multi storied infrastructure. It is used to move heavier loads which cannot be done by shallow foundations.

Compared to pile, it is much shallower and comes with many advantages.

But unlike pile foundation, it does not make use of skin friction and only does the job of transferring the load by bearing.

It is often used when the top soil is solid and stiff or if the rock strata is under a tough rock layer at the top.

- Advantages Of Pier Foundation

Pier foundation is skipped by civil contractors due to the harm that it causes to the entire site and since it requires intense protection of the floors.

Apart from these disadvantages, the benefits that it offers include the different kind of materials that you can work with and since it is an economical option.

6. Drilled Shaft Foundation

If your building has a large axial and lateral weights, the option that a civil work contractor goes for is Drilled Shaft Foundation. A lining or a cage is built inside a deep excavation and it supports the structure. Other elements like concrete are then used to fill the structure.

The advantages of using drilled piers is associated with the elimination of the troubles caused by pile driving like the noise. Also, unlike pile driving, they can easily go through the soil.

In this process, the civil construction company can skip the use of pile caps and work with a less number of shafts with larger diameters.

We hope that the article has helped you with all queries regarding deep foundations. It is necessary to contact civil contractors who make use of high-quality equipment to do foundation works.

Contact a civil work contractor like Reliable RCA for any construction works.

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