Description

This theme examines the analysis, design, and performance assessment of foundation systems supporting buildings, bridges, transportation infrastructure, industrial facilities, offshore installations, and other engineering structures. It encompasses shallow foundations, isolated and combined footings, strip footings, raft foundations, pile foundations, piled rafts, bearing capacity, immediate and consolidation settlement, differential settlement, load transfer mechanisms, and foundation–ground interaction. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding how foundation geometry, soil stratification, groundwater conditions, geological heterogeneity, loading characteristics, and soil constitutive behaviour influence foundation safety, serviceability, deformation, and long-term engineering performance.