The foundation is an integral part of any building; it transfers loads of the structure to the ground to make sure that it would be able to stand for a very long time, if not a lifetime. There are two categories of foundations, namely shallow foundations, which is also sometimes called spread or open footings, and deep foundations.
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Under these categories, there are different types of foundations, including:
Individual footings: One of the most simple and common types of foundations, this shallow foundation makes use of columns that have individual footings, in which the entire load of a building will be distributed.
Strip footings: Usually found in load-bearing masonry constructions, strip footings are shallow foundations used when the building loads are intended to be carried by the walls instead of individual columns.
Raft foundations: Also called mat foundations, this type of shallow foundation is used for low-rise buildings designed with a basement. The basement floor slab serves as the foundation of the structure, with the load evenly spread over the large area.
Pile foundations: The most common deep foundation, it uses piles, which are long shafts made of a strong material, such as wood, steel, and concrete. Pile foundations are used in high-rise buildings, or if the top layers of the site soil are weak, thus, there is a need to bypass these layers and transfer the structure’s loads to a stronger layer underneath.
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Reddy Kancharla is a former civil engineer with years of extensive experience in civil construction, geotechnical consultation, and construction QA/QC. Learn more about these concepts by subscribing to this blog.
