Well foundations

Introduction:
Well foundations have been used in India for centuries for
providing deep foundations below the water for
monuments, bridges and aqueducts.
For example the famous Taj Mahal at Agra stands on well
foundations.

A well foundation is similar to an open caisson.

Well foundations can be constructed on the dry bed
or after making a sand island.

At locations where the depth of water is greater

than 5m to 6m and the velocity of water is high,
wells can be fabricated on the river bank and then
floated to the final position and grounded.

A strong cutting edge is provided to facilitate sinking.

The tapered portion of the well above the cutting edge is
known as well curb.
The walls of the well are known as steining.
Steining is made up of brick masonry, stone masonry, plain
or reinforced concrete.
As the steining later becomes an integral part of the structure,
it should be properly designed for the imposed loads.
Further, it should be heavy enough to overcome frictional
resistance during sinking.

After the well has been sunk to the final position, the
bottom plug is formed by concreting. The bottom plug
serves as the base of the well. The well is filled with
sand partly or completely.

At the top of the well, a top plug is formed by

concreting.

A RCC well cap is provided at the top to transmit the

load of the superstructure (pier or abutment) to the
well.

Different shapes of well:

1. Circular- This is a commonly used
shape. It has high structural strength
and is convenient in sinking. The
chances of tilting are also minimum in
this shape. The shape is quite suitable
for piers of the single line railway
bridges and the double line road
bridges. However, when the piers are
excessively long, the circular shape
becomes uneconomical. The maximum
diameter of circular wells is generally
limited to 9 m.

2. Double D wells- These are used for the piers and abutments of
bridges which are two long to be accommodated on a circular well of
9m diameter. The wells of this shape can also be sunk easily.
However, considerable bending moments are caused in the steining
due to the difference in pressure between the outside and the of the
well. Further, the square corners at the partition wall offer greater
resistance to sinking.

3. Double octagonal wells- These are comparatively better than

double D wells. The square corners are eliminated and bending
stresses are considerably reduced. However they offer greater
resistance to sinking than double D wells. Construction is difficult.

4. Twin circular wells- These are two independent wells placed

very close to each other with a common cap. The wells are sunk
simultaneously. These wells are suitable where the length of the pier
is considerable, which cannot be accommodated on double-D wells.
or double D-octagonal wells. Twin circular wells are advantageous
when the depth of sinking is small and the bearing capacity of the
soil is high. The disadvantage is that there is a possibility of the
relative settlement of the two wells even if a heavy RCC cap is
provided.

5. Rectangular wells- These are generally used for bridge foundation

having depths up to 7-8 m. For large foundations double rectangular
wells are used. For piers and abutments of very large size, rectangular
wells with multiple dredge holes are used. Bending stresses in the
steining are very high in rectangular wells.

Forces acting on the well foundation:

1. Dead loads
2. Live loads
3. Impact loads
4. Wind loads
5. Water pressure
6. Longitudinal forces
7. Centrifugal force
8. Buoyant forces
9. Earth pressure
10. Temperature stresses
11. Seismic forces

Sinking of wells:
1. Laying the well curb:

2. Well steining:
3. Sinking process:

Measures for rectification of tilts and shifts:

The following precautions must be taken to avoid tilts and shifts1.The outer surface of the well curb and steining should be regular
and smooth.
2.The diameter of the curb should be kept about 4 to 8 cm larger than
the outer diameter of steining and the well should be symmetrically
placed.
3.The cutting edge should be of uniform thickness and sharpness.
4.Dredging should be done uniformly on all sides in a circular well
and in both pockets of twin well.
Tilts and shifts must be carefully checked and properly recorded.
IS:3955-1967 recommends that the tilt should generally be limited
to 1 in 60. The shift should be restricted to one percent of the
depth sunk.

In case they exceed the above limits, the following measures are taken
for their rectification1. Regulation of Grabbing:

2. Eccentric loading:

3. Water jetting:
4. Excavation under cutting edge:
5. Inserting wooden sleeper under the cutting edge:

6. Pulling the well:

7. Strutting the well:

8. Pushing the wells by jacks