ABSTRACT
The cumulative floor loads of a building, a bridge, or a retaining wall are supported by the foundation substructure in direct contact with soil. The soil underneath the substructure becomes compressed and deformed during its interaction with the substructure. This deformation is the settlement that may be permanent because of dead loads or may be partly elastic because of transitional live loads. The magnitude of the settlement depends on many factors, such as the type of soil, the load intensity, the ground water conditions, and the depth of substructure below the ground level.
