Bearing capacityIn geotechnical engineering, bearing capacity is the capacity of soil to support the loads applied to the ground. The bearing capacity of soil is the maximum average contact pressure between the foundation and the soil which should not produce shear failure in the soil. Ultimate bearing capacity is the theoretical maximum pressure which can be supported without failure; allowable bearing capacity is the ultimate bearing capacity divided by a factor of safety.
Effective stressEffective stress is a fundamental concept in soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering that describes the portion of total stress in a soil mass that is carried by the solid soil skeleton, rather than the pore water. This concept applies broadly to granular media like sand, silt, and clay, as well as to porous materials such as rock, concrete, metal powders and biological tissues.
Strap footingA strap footing is a type of combined footing consisting of two or more column footings connected by a concrete beam. A component of a building's foundation, this type of footing is also called a strap beam. It is used to help distribute the weight of either heavily or eccentrically loaded column footings to adjacent footings. A strap footing is often used in conjunction with columns that are located along a building's property or lot line.
Wall footingA wall footing, or strip footing, is a continuous strip of concrete that serves to spread the weight of a load-bearing wall across an area of soil. It is a component of a shallow foundation. Wall footings carrying direct vertical loads might be designed either in plain concrete or in reinforced concrete. Since a wall footing deflects essentially in one way, it is analyzed by considering as a strip of unit width and its length.
FormworkFormwork is molds into which concrete or similar materials are either precast or cast-in-place. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering molds. In specialty applications formwork may be permanently incorporated into the final structure, adding insulation or helping reinforce the finished structure. TypesFormwork may be made of wood, metal, plastic, or composite materials: Traditional timber formwork.
Structural engineeringStructural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and joints' that create the form and shape of human-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and calculate the stability, strength, rigidity and earthquake-susceptibility of built structures for buildings and nonbuilding structures.
ColumnA column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. The term column applies especially to a large round support (the shaft of the column) with a capital and a base or pedestal, which is made of stone, or appearing to be so. A small wooden or metal support is typically called a post.
Reinforced concreteReinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility. The reinforcement is usually, though not necessarily, steel reinforcing bars (known as rebar) and is usually embedded passively in the concrete before the concrete sets.
SubsidenceSubsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope movement.
Foundation (engineering)In engineering, a foundation is the element of a structure that connects it to the ground, or more rarely water (as with floating structures), transferring loads from the structure to the ground. Foundations are generally considered either shallow or deep. Foundation engineering is the application of soil mechanics and rock mechanics (geotechnical engineering) in the design of foundation elements of structures.Structural loadA structural load or structural action is a mechanical load (more generally a force) applied to structural elements. A load causes stress, deformation, displacement or acceleration in a structure. Structural analysis, a discipline in engineering, analyzes the effects of loads on structures and structural elements. Excess load may cause structural failure, so this should be considered and controlled during the design of a structure.PilingA pile or piling is a vertical structural element of a deep foundation, driven or drilled deep into the ground at the building site. A deep foundation is a type of foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from the surface than a shallow foundation does to a subsurface layer or a range of depths. There are many reasons that a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, such as for a skyscraper.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.