LIGHTLY LOADED FOUNDATION FAILURES AT SOKOTO - INVESTIGATIONS AND SOLUTIONS
LIGHTLY LOADED FOUNDATION FAILURES AT SOKOTO - INVESTIGATIONS AND SOLUTIONS
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Date
1989-10
Authors
ONYEIWU, ERIC C.
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Abstract
The causes of severe cracks on lightly loaded buildings within the
Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority Heaaquarters Complex
have been found to be due to inadequate foundation aesign. The soil
within the complex is founa to be predominantly Reddish Brown Well
Graded Clayey Gravel exhibiting collapsing characteristics. The soil has been
shown to exhibit large settlement and reduction in bearing capacity on
inundating with water. It has been shown that while reduction in bearing
capacity is observed as moisture content is increased, the foundation failures
observed were mainly, due to large excessive total and differential settlements.
It has also been observed that the strip type of foundation used
for most lightly loaded buildings on the site, lacked the rigidity needed for
foundation on collapsible soils. Furthermore it has been shown that
variation in moisture content of the soil across the seasons is minimal from
2.5m downwards. A design criteria for lightly loaded foundations on collapsible
soils is therefore put forward.
A survey of alternative foundation types has been undertaken and the
most favoured of these foundations was that using spread footings at depths
not. suqceptible to Tuch variation in moisture content. It has also been found
that attention need also be focussed on environmental factors such as landscaping
and long term site and plumbing maintenance, if foundation stability
is to be guarranteed. A typical design of the most favoured foundation was
undertaken and found to impose a bearing pressure of 47KN/m2 and an angular
distortion of 1:556 which are less than the permissible values
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF
SCIENCE DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS.
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZAIRA.
OCTOBER, 1989.
Keywords
LIGHTLY,, LOADED,, FOUNDATION,, FAILURES,, INVESTIGATIONS,, SOLUTIONS