About the Handbook
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgement

The author has been engaged in designing, testing and review of machine foundations for various industrial projects viz. Petrochemicals, Refineries, Power plants etc. for the last about three decades.

The handbook is written primarily for practising engineers as well as for students at Post Graduate level. Handbook shares author's long experience on the subject and focuses on the improvements needed in the design process with the sole objective of making practising engineers physically understand and feel the dynamics of machine foundation system.

The handbook covers basic fundamentals necessary for understanding and evaluating dynamic response of machine foundation system. The author has also conducted extensive tests on machine foundation models as well as on prototypes. For over two decades, the author has been associated with Failure Analysis Studies on various types of machines.

Observations from all the above studies suggest need for improvement in the design of foundations for better performance of machines. These include:

1. More comprehensive evaluation of Site Soil Data
2. Better understanding of Machine Data and its use in foundation design
3. Improvement in the Design Philosophy that suggests
1. Improvement in the Modeling Technique
2. Improvement in Analysis Technique
3. Improvement in Structural Design process, and
4. Improvement in Construction Technology

It is the author's concerned observation that in most of the cases, due recognition to Machine, Foundation and Soil data is lacking. More often than not, machine data as well as soil data is treated as black box and used in the design without its proper understanding. A better interaction between foundation designer and machine manufacturer would definitely improve the foundation performance and thereby machine performance. Over the years, author has observed that such interactions are lacking. It is the author's concerned opinion that such an interaction is not only desirable but essential too.

It is anticipated that this handbook shall serve as a Reference Book. The author is confident that it shall bridge the knowledge gap and shall be beneficial to the practising engineers, students, academicians/researchers as well to the industry.

The text is divided in to 6 Parts.

Part I takes care of Theoretical Aspects.

• An overview focused on Understanding Dynamics of Machine Foundation & providing basic familiarization to the subject is covered in Chapter 1.
• Necessary understanding of Theory of Vibration with specific application to machine foundation design is included in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 caters to Basic Theory of Vibration Isolation.

• Chapter 5 provides reasonable coverage to Soil Dynamics and evaluation of Design Soil Parameters as applied to Machine Foundation Design.
• Desired emphasis has been given to Design Machine Parameters. Translation of Machine Data to Design Data is given in Chapter 6.
• Chapter 7 is attributed to Design Foundation Parameters. It covers all those aspects related to foundation that play vital role in computing Dynamic Response.

• Chapter 8 is devoted to Modeling and analysis including Finite Element Analysis. All possible aspects of modeling related to design of foundation have adequately been covered.
• Chapter 9, 10 & 11 cover Design of Foundation for real life Machines. Block Foundations are addressed in Chapter 9; Frame Foundations in Chapter 10 and Foundations for Impact Type Machines are addressed in Chapter 11.

• A good amount of emphasis is given to Vibration Isolation of the Foundations. Design of Foundations with Isolation Devices is covered in Chapter 12.

• Unlike new projects, R & M projects pose many limitations to the designers. Reasonable coverage is provided to cater to the situations of installing new machines on existing foundations, use of Vibration Isolation for the design of foundations etc. A few real life designs of foundations are covered in Chapter 13.

• Construction Aspects are covered in Chapter 14.
• Case studies and Observations are given in Chapter 15.