Feature Story on “Challenges in the Design of Tall Building Foundations”

Abstract

This paper reviews some of the challenges that face designers of foundations for very tall buildings, primarily from a geotechnical viewpoint. Some characteristic features of such buildings will be reviewed and then the options for foundation systems will be discussed. A three-stage process of foundation design and verification will be described, and the importance of proper ground characterization and assessment of geotechnical parameters will be emphasized. The application of the foundation design principles to meet the challenges will be illustrated via three high-rise projects.