Shallow foundations are often simple and easy to construct and offer a more economic and sustainable solution than deep foundations when site conditions are appropriate. Unfortunately, current design practice often leads to shallow foundations being considered inappropriate. The authors will debate their pro’s/con’s and draw on the recent edition of MOGE to highlight potential opportunities and pitfalls. Some of the changes in the Foundation Design section of MOGE will also be illustrated:

• Overview of risk management, getting the concept right early and approaches to achieve economic and low carbon foundations.
• New methods of shallow foundation design – bearing capacity under combined loading and settlement assessment.
• The opportunity for economy with Piled Rafts.
• Further guidance on driven piles. Benefits and some common risks.
• Design of pile rock sockets.
• Calculation of moment restraint in small pile groups.
• A simple method for partially rigid large pile groups.
• Global ground movements and their impact on piles.

Tony O’Brien is the Global Geotechnics Practice Leader at Mott MacDonald, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a recipient of the BGA Skempton Gold Medal, Visiting Professor at Southampton University and a Board Member of the Schofield Centre at Cambridge University.

He has over 40 years international geotechnics experience from concept to design and construction and has acted as Expert Witness following foundation failures. He has had key roles on numerous working groups (CIRIA, ISSMGE, EC7), authored four books – including on the Observational Method and Numerical Modelling and written over 70 papers including many associated with the design of foundations.

Alan Willoner is a Technical Director and the global ‘Piling’ specialist skills lead at Mott MacDonald and a Fellow of the ICE. His piling experience includes employment with specialist contractors and temporary works piling for a Main Contractor.

He has over 24 years international geotechnical experience from concept to design and construction and has acted as Expert Witness following foundation failures. He has been a member of the EGC7 working group for pile design to Eurocodes and has written over 10 technical papers or technical press articles on geotechnical matters including many Design & Construction case histories with complex piling challenges.