Foundation Design: Principles and Practices

Donald P. Coduto

Preference :

Builders have long recognized the importance of a solid foundation, and that the integrity of a structure can be no greater than that of its foundation. If a foundation fails, the overlying structure fails with it. These truths were especially evident in Palladio’s renaissance Venice, where heavy masonry structures were being built on small islands in a lagoon underlain by very soft soils. In addition, as Palladio observed, defects in the foundation are very difficult to repair after the structure has been built. Thus, well-designed and well- constructed foundations continue to be an essential part of successful construction. However, foundations can also be very expensive, so over-designed foundations are needlessly wasteful and inefficient. Our goal is to provide sturdy foundations that properly support the superstructure while avoiding costly over- design. The methods of doing so form the subject of this book.