Foundation Engineering

Engineering for the design and construction of foundations is one of the most commonly requested services that we perform.  Whether it is a deep foundation for the support of a bridge or a shallow foundation for a small building, S&ME has the expertise to address your project needs.

Load capacity and limiting displacement are the primary design issues for foundations.  Settlement analyses (immediate, elastic, consolidation, etc.) are used to evaluate foundation displacements and bearing capacity and stability analyses are used to evaluate foundation loading.  If the soil is too compressible or not strong enough, our analyses may consider ground modification options that can improve performance and reduce construction costs.  For deep foundations, lateral loading is often an important design consideration and we frequently perform lateral analyses for single piles/shafts and groups of piles/shafts.

For all foundations, constructability is a critical consideration.  Whether the issue is site preparation for a shallow foundation, hammer and installation-aid requirements for a driven pile, or equipment and method requirements for drilled shaft construction, we have the expertise to provide the appropriate guidance.

• Settlement & Consolidation
• Ground Improvement Design and Evaluation
• Deep Foundation Design for Axial and Lateral Loading