Civil and Building Engineering.

In addition to having knowledge of soil mechanics and foundation engineering, the foundation engineer needs information on the soil profile supporting the foundation that is site specific in order to make the necessary computations of bearing capacity and settlement. The principal soil properties needed are the soil classification, the location of the water table, and the properties related to the shear strength and compressibility of the soil. In addition, the foundation engineer should anticipate events that might affect the performance of the foundation and consider them as warranted in the design process.

1 Soil and Rock Classification: The first information of interest to any designer of foundations is the soil and
rock profile in which the foundations are to be constructed...

2 Position of the Water Table: The soil and rock profile also includes information about the presence and
elevation of the water table. The water table is the elevation in the soil profile at which water will exist in an open excavation or borehole...

3 Shear Strength and Density: The shear strength of soil or rocks is the most important soil and rock property used by the foundation designer...

4 Deformability Characteristics: Soils and rocks exhibit deformability in two modes that may occur indepen-
dently or in combination...

5 Prediction of Changes in Conditions and the Environment: The behavior of the soils supporting the foundation is influenced strongly by the stress and groundwater conditions present in the soil and rock profile...