NEW ETHIOPIAN BUILDING CODE

ADAPTED FROM EUROCODE

GENERAL PRESENTATION OF
GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN
Members of Technical committee

Alemayehu Teferra - Chairman

Getaneh Terefe - Secretary
Messele Haile
Samuel Tadesse
Tensai Gebremedhin
Yoseph Birru
 Geotechnical Design consists of 2 parts
Geotechnical Design Part 1 : General Rules
ESEN 1997-1:2015
Geotechnical Design Part 2 : Ground Investigation
ESEN 1997-2:2015

Code to be replaced : EBCS7 1995: Foundations

EBCS7 has one volume (142 pages)
New code: ESEN 1997 has two volumes
Part 1 : 184 pages
Part 2 : 200 pages
 Highlights on the contents of parts 1 and 2 of the New
Code:
Part 1 (12 sections and 9 Annexes)
Section 1: General
Section 2: Basis of geotechnical design
Section 3: Geotechnical data
Section 4: Supervision of construction, monitoring
and maintenance
Section 5: Fill, dewatering, ground improvement and
reinforcement
Section 6: Spread foundations
Section 7: Pile Foundations
Section 8: Anchorages
Section 9: Retaining structures
 Section 10: Hydraulic failure
Section 11 : Overall stability
Section 12: Embankments
Annexes consist of Formulas, Charts, and Tables to assist
the designer.
Part 2 (6 sections and 23 Annexes)
Section 1: General
Section 2: Planning of ground investigations
Section3: Soil and rock sampling and groundwater
measurements
Section 4 : Field tests in soil and rock
Section 5: Laboratory tests on soil and rock
Section 6: Ground investigation report
 Annexes consist of list of tests of geotechnical test
standards, Planning of geotechnical investigations,
different tests , detailed information on the preparation
of soil and rock specimens for testing, detailed
information on tests for classification and description of
soils and rocks.

In this code there are important items that one should

note. These are: assumptions, principles and
application rules.
 ASSUMPTIONS

data required for design are collected, recorded and

interpreted by appropriately qualified personnel;

structures are designed by appropriately qualified and

experienced personnel;

adequate continuity and communication exist between

the personnel involved in data- collection, design and
construction;

the structure will be adequately maintained to ensure

its safety and serviceability for the designed service life;
 DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION
RULES:
In the code distinctions are made between principles
and applications.

PRINCIPLES
The Principles comprise:
general statements and definitions for which there is no
alternative;

requirements and analytical models for which no

alternative is permitted unless specifically stated.

The Principles are preceded by the letter P

 APPLICATION RULES

These are generally recognized rules, which follow the Principles

and satisfy their requirements.

It is permissible to use alternatives to the Application Rules given

in this standard, provided it is shown that the alternative rules
accord with the relevant Principles and are at least equivalent
with regard to the structural safety, serviceability and durability,
which would be expected when using the Eurocodes.
 SCOPE OF PART 1 AND 2
Part 1: Common to all disciplines

Part 2: It is used in conjunction with part 1 and provides rules

supplementary to part 1 in relation to:

Planning and reporting of ground investigation

General requirements for a number of commonly used
laboratory and field tests.
Interpretation and evaluation of test results
Derivation of values of geotechnical parameters and
coefficients.
 APPLICABLE STANDARDS

Geotechnical design - part 2

Ground investigation and testing

EN ISO 14688 EN ISO 22475

EN ISO EN ISO 14689 Sampling and
22476 Identification groundwater
Field testing and measurements
Part 1 to 13 classification of
soil and rock
CEN ISO/TS 17892
Laboratory tests
Part 1 -12
TEST RESULTS AND DERIVED VALUES
 It should be emphasized that accurate information on
ground condition depends on the extent and quality of
the geotechnical investigations. Such information is
dependent on the reliability of the equipment and
professionalism of the technicians. These fundamental
requirements are more significant than the precision of
calculations and application of partial factors
 Some important points considered in the new code:

Limit state design

Introduction of partial factors
Introduction of three design approaches
Categories of soil sampling
Quality class of soil testing

Different partial factors are accommodated for different design

approaches relevant to a particular geotechnical design
 Approach Combinations
1 A1 + M1 + R1

A2 + M2 + R1
OR A2 + M1 or M2 + R4

2 A1 + M1 + R2

3 ( A1or A2) + M2 + R3

The values of A1, A2, M1, M2, R1, R2, R3 , R4 are given
in the code.
 CATEGORIES OF SAMPLING METHODS AND LABORATORY
QUALITY CLASSES OF SAMPLES

Three sampling method categories shall be considered

depending on the desired sample quality as follows :

category A sampling methods: samples of quality class 1 to 5

can be obtained;

category B sampling methods: samples of quality class 3 to 5

can be obtained;

category C sampling methods: only samples of quality class 5

can be obtained
 Soil samples for laboratory tests are divided in five quality
classes with respect to the soil properties that are assumed to
remain unchanged during sampling and handling, transport and
storage.

Samples of quality classes 1 or 2 can only be obtained by using

category A sampling methods.
The intention is to obtain samples of quality classes 1 or 2,
in which no or only slight disturbance of the soil structure
has occurred during the sampling procedure or in the
handling of the samples.
The water content and the void ratio of the soil correspond
to those in-situ. No change in constituents or in chemical
composition of the soil has occurred.
.
 Using category B sampling methods will preclude achieving
samples of quality classes better than 3.
The intention is to obtain samples that contain all the
constituents of the in-situ soil in their original proportions
and for the soil to retain its natural water content.
The general arrangement of the different soil layers or
components can be identified. The structure of the soil has
been disturbed
By using category C sampling methods, samples of quality
classes better than 5 cannot be obtained.
The soil structure in the sample has been totally changed.

The general arrangement of the different soil layers or

components has been modified so that the in-situ layers
cannot be identified accurately.
The water content of the sample needs not to represent the
natural water content of the soil layer sampled.
 Quality classes of soil samples for laboratory testing and
sampling categories to be used
Soil properties/quality class 1 2 3 4 5
Unchanged soil properties
particle size
water content

density, density index, permeability

compressibility, shear strength
Properties that can be determined:

sequence of layers
boundaries of strata broad
boundaries of strata fine
Atterberg limits, particle density, organic content
water content
density, density index, porosity, permeability
compressibility, shear strength
Sampling category A
B
C