Geotechnical Engineering: Foundation Designing One of the most, if not the most important part of every construction project is the structure’s foundation. The foundation has many functions. It holds a structure up and it holds it together. It bears the structure’s weight and keeps it stable when the ground is not. Basically, the foundation is a structure’s first and strongest line of defence against unstable ground and natural calamities like earthquakes. Not all foundations are designed and built the same. Different structures and different soils will require different foundation designs. For this reason, GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING information is required in order to come up with the best possible foundation design for a particular structure. Below, we discuss the process that experienced geotechnical engineers go through to come up with good foundation design: The Input GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING studies the ground’s different properties and behaviours. Engineers gather this information from soil samples they obtain from the ground. Geotechnical engineering firms then conduct laboratory tests on the soil to determine the properties and behaviours of the ground. They assess them and analyze them to find out if any of those properties or behaviours would pose problems for the stability of the structure. The Process Given the input, geotechnical engineering companies now get to the designing work. They have to put into consideration the information that they obtain in the design of the foundation to ensure maximum security and stability. Most geotechnical engineering jobs will require dealing with different software. Different kinds of software are also to be used when designing foundations to be able to create accurate foundation models. There are even a lot of GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING software that allow these foundation models to be tested in different real-life scenarios to see if they are effective. The Output Because the foundation of a structure is crucial, the foundation designs that the engineers come up with are subject to extensive tests. They have very high standards and are strict with what designs would make the cut. Once they are happy and extremely sure about a design, they are sent for approval. When the designs are approved, the geotechnical engineering consultant recommends it to the client. He advises the client on the different resources and labor that are needed for the design as well as explain why such design is chosen for the structure. Finally, the foundation design stops being just a design and becomes a reality. They are laid out accordingly and accurately. Engineers closely monitor and supervise this process to make sure that everything is done according to plan. There is no room for error. Developing good foundation designs is just one of the many geotechnical engineering services that engineers offer. A whole lot of work is put into these GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING processes but the blood, sweat and tears are worth it in the end. The lives of everyone who will be using the structure—even the construction workers—are at stake. For these people, a good foundation may just be the difference between life and death. edgedrilling.au/
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 13:52:02 +0000
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