{"id":1389,"date":"2022-03-22T09:28:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T09:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yardlink.com\/blog\/base-building-types-of-foundation-explored"},"modified":"2024-07-23T18:53:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:53:44","slug":"base-building-types-of-foundation-explored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yardlink.com\/blog\/base-building-types-of-foundation-explored","title":{"rendered":"Base Building: Types Of Foundation Explored"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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There are different types of foundations in any construction project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, regardless of which type you choose to use, their function remains the same: to distribute weight from laid-bearing walls, and keep moisture out.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, it is the foundation that keeps a building structurally sound and upright. As you have probably guessed, this is very important or your building could be deemed unsafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re building a small commercial property, or a huge skyscraper, getting the foundation right from the outset is absolutely crucial. This helps ensure that your building is stable, and avoids any other part of your structure becoming overloaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note that your foundation needs to be right from the start, because if something goes wrong during construction, it can be very difficult to rectify. Remember this is your base, and everything else is built up from this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, taking your time to ensure you\u2019ve got the right type of foundation, and more importantly, one that is up to industry standards, will save you lots of hassle further down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post we\u2019ll explore why a building foundation is important (building on the points we\u2019ve started above) and the different types of foundations. This equips you with all of the knowledge you need next time you\u2019re starting a building project, to ensure its structurally sound.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Is a Building Foundation Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whilst many people assume that a roof is the most important part of a building<\/a>, it\u2019s not the only vital component that keeps you safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, without a solid foundation and sound structure, you would never get to the stage of having a roof! It all starts with a good base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So without further ado, let\u2019s take a look at the main reasons why you should focus on your building foundation first and foremost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Provides Structural Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The primary purpose of your building foundation is to hold your property up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without a good foundation, your house would quickly sink into the ground\/ surface below which would result in cracks and damage to the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, building a foundation requires more than just drilling or digging into the ground<\/a> and pouring concrete in. For it to be effective, it needs to be tailored towards the nature of the site, which involves inspecting the geology, soil conditions, water table, and even backfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The base also needs to be properly set to ensure it can hold the weight that will be resting on it, even if the surface below changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resists movement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nature is something you\u2019re never going to be able to control!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For starters, soil moisture levels frequently change, temperature fluctuates<\/a>, tectonic plates move, and water tables can be altered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your building is not correctly anchored to its foundation, it can easily break apart, collapse, or be swept away by the natural elements at play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a solid foundation can resist these types of movement and ensures your building stays put. It will transfer the weight of your building to the underlying rock or soil to prevent excess settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insulates your building<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A third reason why the foundation of a building is so important is that it offers insulating properties to keep property\u2019s warm even in the coldest of climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means the inhabitants of the building can save a whole load of money on gas and heating<\/a> bills which is a huge advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a property does not have insulation installed, it can be added to the exterior\/ interior walls to reduce heat loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeps Moisture Out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If moisture gets into your building, it can quickly weaken and compromise its structure which can be very dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following rain and snow, water collects around the surface of a property and saturates the soil. Tree and plant roots can also cause an issue, as they distribute water from above ground through the soil and towards your building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, the soil will expand and shift which puts pressure on the foundation of your building. However, a strong foundation will help keep the water out of your basement, which in turn, keeps the building dry and free from moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damp proofing a foundation wall can also help as this prevents water passing through the concrete walls and seeping into the structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Types of Building Foundations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to building foundations there are two main types that can be found in construction, which are shallow foundations and deep foundations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at both in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shallow Foundations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll often find that a shallow foundation is one that is wider than it is deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as being called shallow foundations, they can also be called spread or open footings so it\u2019s useful to know these terms mean the same thing if you hear them being used interchangeably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of the environment, shallow foundations are more economical as they don\u2019t require as much digging or boring into the earth. It\u2019s often this reason that makes them more common, as they require less time and resources.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shallow foundations are used when a building isn\u2019t exceedingly heavy as the soil can manage the amount of weight, even at a shallow depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep Foundations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re building on sand or any other type of soft soil, then the surface will struggle to withhold the weight of the building above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this scenario, you need deep foundations as this will ensure you\u2019re building on a strong base. For example, if you\u2019re building on top of water, deep foundations are required so that they can establish contact with stronger layers of earth underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridges, dams, and piers are all examples of applications that require deep foundations underwater to ensure structural integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Some Examples of Shallow Foundations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you know the difference between deep foundations and shallow foundations, let\u2019s explore some examples of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to note that each of the examples outlined below have their own structure and are best suited to particular applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mat Foundation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also referred to as a raft foundation, this uses the whole surface area where the building is constructed and often uses a large continuous rectangular or circular concrete slab to carry the load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, it spreads out under the footprint of the building and reduces the contact pressure compared to conventional strip or trench footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes it a suitable solution for low bearing capacity soil, high structure loads, soft pockets or cavities in the soil to unknown extent, and highly compressible soil that extends to a great depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mat foundations are often used in applications where the soil is loose and weak, as this requires the weight of the building to be evenly distributed. There are also situations in mining areas where the soil layer may suffer movements, which makes mat foundations a suitable solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grey<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Individual Footing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Individual footing is one of the most simple and most common types of shallow foundations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are used when the load of the building is carried by columns and usually, each column will have its own footing which is where the column will sit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The footings are generally a square, rectangular, or even a geometric frustum block of concrete<\/a> that carries the load of a single column or pillar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The width of individual footings depends on the volume of weight that it will be carrying and the bearable capacity of the soil underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To estimate the size of the footing, you need to take the total load on the column and divide it by the safe bearing capacity (SBC) of the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if a column has a vertical load of 10T, and the SBC of the soil is 10T\/m2, then the area of the footing will be 1m2. However, you must explore a range of factors before deciding what size of footing you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combined footing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In practice, a combined footing is very similar to an individual footing in the way that it holds weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference is that with a combined footing, one base shares the weight of two pillars or columns that are close enough together to share the same foundation point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, isolated footings for individual columns are generally more economical, meaning combined footings are only provided when necessary. The following situations would meet this criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n