Methods of Strengthening of the Shallow Foundations

Strengthening of the foundations might be needed due to the alterations in serviceability of the buildings; these changes will directly affect the amount of gravity loads of the structure. Existence of some errors in calculating the loads, especially lateral forces such as earthquake, during the designation procedure is another important parameter that makes the strengthening necessary. In most cases, process of strengthening of the foundations is done under inconvenient conditions. Strengthening requires the use of special technologies and also organization of construction materials. Execution of construction work under constrained conditions hampers the use of mechanized equipment and complicates the supply of necessary construction materials. Problems of strengthening of foundations are practically untouched in the standard specifications and corresponding reference materials which are in present-day use. The current paper describes some of the general methods of strengthening of the shallow foundations which are used widely and also have a great influence on increasing the force bearing capacity of the building. Obviously, selecting the appropriate method of strengthening will be done by consideration of the site conditions.