1.1.

1 Basement construction: A single storey basement is proposed across the site

footprint. Illustrate how the retaining walls are constructed and the likely foundation
solution(s). Outline a process for construction.
Basement Retaining wall
It is understood that the building is going to be extended to create a basement, where the
construction of the basement will involve the use of embedded retaining to provide lateral
support to the ground. Surrounding buildings currently at the sight pose restriction on some of
the procedures that may be carried out to achieve the final results. For example, the effect of
noise, vibrations and settlement of the soil are some of the consideration when deciding a
suitable basement. The exact location of the water table on the site is something that may
need further investigation, overall it is estimated to be approximately between 1.04 and 1.65
m above OD in relation to the base of the basement which is located at 1.675m above OD. As
an added security the basement water will be required to be water proof both internally and
externally.
Two of the most popular types of water limiting piles are sheet and secant piles. Sheet piles
can be installed using two different techniques vibration or jacking. Due to site constraints the
most suitable method of installation will be the jacking technique. However, the type of soil
will pose a difficulty that may require pushing the pile into the ground hydraulically, which can
lead to possible settlement issues. Overall the sheet piles may be cheaper than Secant piles
but the vibration and settlement issues make them less suitable than the secant pile, which
provides a much greater rigidity and stiffness and also better control of potential ground
movements. Secant piling would be used to form the basement wall because apart from the
fact that they are very quickly constructed and easy to produce, very little vibration is created
during the construction meaning minimum impact is caused to surrounding buildings.
The construction of the piles involves first of drilling into the ground using a CFA rigs and then
injecting concrete at high pressures into the hole. Once the hole is filled with concrete a
reinforced cage is inserted into the grout. A capping beam is then placed on top of the wall
once the walls have been completed. Excavation can now take place to create the basement.

Foundation treatment
The site located at king street has a general soil composition of made ground which is
composed of brick, rubble, and sandy soil with a depth of approximately 2m, below that is
gravel which has a depth of approximately 7m. Below the gravel is stiff dark grey clay. The
foundation will be located within the gravel layer which an extremely high bearing capacity
and as a soil will offer a stable support for the foundation.
Two main types of foundation where considered based on the structural layout of the building.
Pad and Piles. Both types of foundation will be adequate for performing the load
bearing job however pad foundations are quicker to produce, cheaper and require less
excavation, suitable for tight site areas like at the sight. So based on the ground conditions
present at the sight and the fact that dense gravel have a high bearing capacity, pad
foundations will be used to form the foundation of the structure.