Foundations & piles
Foundations transfer building loads to competent soil or improve ground to control settlement.
Spread, strip, and raft foundations suit shallow bearing layers. Driven, bored, or cast-in-place piles and caissons reach through deeper weak soils.
For supertalls, bridges, and offshore works, foundations can rival the superstructure in cost. Much of Burj Khalifa’s engineering is invisible below grade.
Bearing capacity, consolidation, liquefaction, and groundwater must be established through investigation before selecting a method.
Excavation support, cutoff walls, and monitoring of neighbors are as important as permanent work in cities. Foundations require construction control underground.
