Allowable settlements

Abstract

The foundation projects must take into account either the interconnection structure-soil or the establishing of allowable strains for the foundation soil.  This latter criterion is the usually followed one, but it imposes the definition of the strains to be considered and the establishing of the acceptable limits. This paper constitutes a synthesis of the knowledge presented in the bibliography on the types of settlements and the allowable values for the different types of construction, it being made for each case as appreciation of the matter.

The various types of settlement (total settlement, slope, differential settlement and distortion) are defined as well as its use for the various types of construction.  Reference is made to the classification of the damages to the constructions:  architectural, functional and structural.  It is presented, from different authors, the tables of greater interest where are systematized the advisable limits for the different types of deformation and  the  buildings  to  which  they  adapt  for avoiding damages.

The correlations for the different types of strain are also indicated.