A brief description of subsurface conditions at different building locations follows. Assume a commercial–industrial building is planned. Column loads to be imposed on foundations will vary, and could be up to 2,000 kN. For each location, list the type(s) of foundation which, for preliminary planning, probably could be considered suitable.
(a) Thick stratum of glacially deposited sand– silt–clay mixture, relatively firm–compact, is underlain by rock; water table is deep.
(b) Soil deposit across the area consists of widely varying layers of fine-grained soil and sand soil possessing low shear strength. Rock underlies the area at depths ranging from 10 m to 15 m below the soil surface; groundwater table is at a depth of 3 m.
(c) Thin surface layer of predominantly sand soil (2- to 3-m thick) is underlain by a 3- to 4-m-thick stratum of weak, compressible fine-grained soil. A thick stratum of firm clay underlies the weak compressible layer. The groundwater table is at a depth of 10 m.
(d) A surface layer of weak organic soil ranging from 2- to 4-m thick is underlain by a thick stratum of relatively dense–compact sandy soil with limited silt and gravel content. The area groundwater table corresponds to the surface of the sand stratum, or slightly below.