Foundation Types Essay

Types of Foundation

The foundation is the base for the constructed building and as such is required to carry out several functions as follows:

0 The foundation should safely sustain and transmit to the ground the combined dead and imposed loads of the building without resulting in any settlement or other movement of the building or any adjoining works.

1 Foundations should be deep enough or be constructed in such a way as to avoid damage by the swelling, shrinkage or freezing of the subsoil.

2 The foundation should be capable of resisting attack by chemicals such as soluble salts or other deleterious materials present in the subsoil. Choice of Foundation

The designer is required to choose the most appropriate type...show more content...

Traditional strip foundation without trench timbering.

Strip foundation in firm ground, typical of most housing sites.

Strip foundation in firm ground, typical of most housing sites.

Strip foundation ready to receive brickwork. This foundation is for a two bedroom starter home.

Strip foundation ready to receive brickwork. This foundation is for a two bedroom starter home.

There are various methods of modifying the concept of strip foundations to allow its use in other situations, for instance where some soil has a poor bearing capacity. This may be the case in wet ground, soft clay or filled ground, where the width of the strip foundation can be extended to spread the load over a larger area of soil. This will require the provision of reinforcement to the foundation in order to withstand tension and spread the load over a wider area.

When a strip foundation is to be used on a sloping site the most economic solution is to use a stepped foundation which will reduce the amount of excavation, construction under ground, backfill and trench support. The provision of stepped foundations following the line of the ground requires each step to be between 150 and 225millimetres in order to accommodate brick or block courses. The lap of concrete at the step should be not less than the depth of the foundation concrete and never less than 300millimetres whichever is the greater.

Deep Strip or Trench Fill Foundation

A further modification Get