ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the design criteria for settlement and angular rotation, and then sets out the basic principles of settlement analysis. The design criteria for the serviceability limit state can be stated as follows: ρmax≤ρallθmax≤θall where ρmax is the maximum computed settlement of foundation, ρall the allowable foundation settlement, θmax the maximum computed local angular distortion and θall is the allowable angular distortion. The chapter provides a suggested approach to the acceptable angular distortion, θall, of structures, based on Juang et al. The sum of the immediate and consolidation settlements is commonly referred to as the 'primary settlement'. An approximate extension to elastic settlement analysis, which allows for non-elastic deformations of shallow foundations on clay, has been described by D'Appolonia et al. for shallow foundations. The existence of creep complicates the prediction of both the magnitude and the rate of settlement of foundations on clay soils.
