A Case Study of Foundation Reuse for Sustainable Construction

In the current scenario, foundations constructions that go deep below the earth surface are highly energy sensitive; since, they are usually received from non-renewable sources comprising large share of concrete and reinforcement material. If the consumption of these ecologically critical materials is reduced, it will serve as a vital contribution to the sustainability goals of infrastructure projects. One such sustainability effort which is globally looked like an alternative is reuse of existing foundations for new projects. In India, based on authors’ experience, awareness on reuse of foundation is fast picking up and is finding inclusion in several contract documents. This paper presents a case study covering need for and importance of foundation reuse in realizing sustainability goals envisaged as a part of any agency’s environmental conservation vision. A case study of Mahatma Gandhi Setu for foundation reuse is presented in this paper covering different quality aspects and tests for the existing foundation so that it serves as a future guideline for practicing engineer.