10/6/2014

Chapter 10

Foundation and Floor Systems

Chapter Overview
• Foundation Systems
• Soil Considerations
• Types of Foundations
• Floor Systems
• Reading a Foundation Plan

1
 10/6/2014

Foundation Systems
• Provide a base to distribute the weight, or
loads, of the structure onto the soil evenly
• Must resist floods, winds, and earthquakes
– Requires proper design, anchoring, and
reinforcing

Soil Considerations
• Soil texture
• Compaction
• Freezing
• Water content

2
 10/6/2014

Soil Texture
• Affects soil's ability to resist the
foundation’s load
• The bearing capacity of the soil
determines the amount of weight a square
foot of soil can support
– Depends on its composition and the
moisture content

Compaction
• Increases bearing capacity
• Vibrating, tamping, rolling, or temporary
weight
• Lessens the effect of settling and
increases the soil’s stability
• Minimizes the frost damage

3
 10/6/2014

Freezing
• Causes soil to expand and contract, which
can cause the foundation to crack
• Foundation must be built to a depth where
the ground is not subject to freezing

Water Content
• Water can cause soil to expand and
contract, which can cause the foundation
to crack
• Foundation requires proper drainage and
reinforcing
• Proper drainage also minimizes water
leaks

4
 10/6/2014

Pilings
• Used when conventional trenching
equipment cannot be used safely or
economically

Continuous or Spread
Foundations
• Common
• Consists of a footing
and stem wall

5
 10/6/2014

Grade Beams
• Provide added support for a foundation in
unstable soil
• Can be used in place of the foundation
• Pilings example

Footings
• Poured concrete
• Masonry fireplaces require footings that
are a minimum of 12" (300 mm) deep and
extends 6" (150 mm) past the face of the
fireplace on each side
• Masonry veneer requires footings that are
wide enough to provide support for the
veneer, typically 4" to 6" (100 to 150 mm)

6
 10/6/2014

Stem Wall
• Poured concrete or concrete block
• Usually centered on the footing
• Extends a minimum of 8" (200 mm) above
the ground
• 6" (150 mm) side for plain concrete
• 8" (200 mm) wide for plain masonry walls
• Continuous or spread foundations
example

Stem Wall
• Top must be level
– Stepped when the
building lot is not
level (shown)
– Changes height for a
sunken floor

7
 10/6/2014

Stem Wall
• Anchor bolts
• Mudsill
• Beam cavity or pocket
• Vents
• Insulation if required

Stem Wall

8
 10/6/2014

Footing and Stem Wall

Reinforcement
• Reinforcing steel, or
rebar
• Not shown on the
foundation plan
• Specified in a note
giving the size,
quantity, and spacing
• Shown and
referenced in details
or written
specifications

Retaining Walls
• Similar to a stem wall in purpose, design,
and representation
• Poured concrete, concrete block, or
pressure-treated wood
• 16" (400 mm) wide by 8" (200 mm) or 12"
(300 mm) deep footing

9
 10/6/2014

Protecting Basement Walls from

Moisture
• Reduces lateral
pressure and
moister into the
living area
– Drain at the base of
the wall collects and
diverts water
– Damp proofing and
waterproofing
– Basement windows

Treated-Wood Basement Walls

• Used to frame crawl
space and
basement walls
• Allow for easy
installation of
electrical wiring,
insulation, and
finishing materials

10
 10/6/2014

Partial-Height Retaining Walls

• Require a larger
footing than for full-
height walls
• Resists the
tendency to overturn
• May require a key to
help keep the
footing from sliding

Interior Supports
• Spot footings, or piers
– Generally the same depth as exterior
footings
– Placement determined by the type of floor
system
– Size depends on the load being supported
and the soil bearing pressure

11
 10/6/2014

Interior Supports
• Footings under shear panels and braced
walls
• Continuous footings across small door
openings and door openings in areas with
seismic risk
• Footing is not continuous across large
door openings in areas with low seismic
risk

Metal Connectors
• Steel straps, hold-down anchors, and post-
and-column bases
• Specified in the notes referenced to the
foundation plan and related details

12
 10/6/2014

Dimensioning Foundation
Components

Concrete Slabs
• Residential and commercial structures
• Provides a firm floor system
• Little or no maintenance
• Less material and labor than conventional
wood floor systems
• 3 1/2" (90 mm) minimum thickness

13
 10/6/2014

Concrete Slabs

Slab Joints
• Help control or prevent
possible cracking
– Control joint
– Construction joint
– Isolation joints

14
 10/6/2014

Slab Placement
• Above grade level
– Common for garages
– Lightweight concrete slab supported by a
platform
• Below grade level
– Common for basements
• At grade level
– 8" (203 mm) above finish grade to keep
wood dry

Slab Preparation Example Note

• 4" CONC. SLAB OVER .006 VISQUEEN
OVER 1" SAND FILL OVER 4"
COMPACTED GRAVEL FILL.

15
 10/6/2014

Welded Wire Fabric

• Prevents cracking
• Example note:
– 4" CONC. SLAB W/6 × 6 W12 × 12 WWM
OVER .006 VISQUEEN OVER 1" SAND
FILL OVER 4" COMPACTED GRAVEL FILL.

Steel Reinforcing Bars

• Prevent bending
• Proper coverage strengthens the bond
between the steel and concrete and
protects the steel from corrosion

16
 10/6/2014

Post-Tensioned Concrete
Reinforcement
• Allows concrete to be poured over
unstable soil
• Flat slab method uses steel tendons
• Ribbed slab method uses concrete ribs or
beams placed below the slab

Moisture Protection
• 6-mil polyethylene sheet plastic
• Plastic over sand, over gravel
• 55# rolled roofing alternative

17
 10/6/2014

Slab Insulation
• 2" × 24" (50 × 600 mm) minimum rigid
insulation under slabs
• Extends past the bottom of the foundation
on the exterior side of the stem wall
• Detail shows insulation installation
• Foundation plan specified insulation with a
note

Plumbing and Heating

Requirements
• Plumbing is usually not shown on
residential plans
– Terminations, such as floor drains, are often
shown
• Heating ducts usually drawn on the
foundation plan

18
 10/6/2014

Changes in Floor Elevation

Crawl Space Floor Systems

• 18" (450 mm) minimum from the bottom of
the floor to the ground
• 12" (300 mm) minimum from the bottom of
beams to the ground

19
 10/6/2014

Joist Floor Framing

Post-and-Beam Floor Systems

20
 10/6/2014

Combined Floor Methods

• Concrete slab, crawlspace, and/or
basement
– Partially sloping lots
– Partial basement
– Full basement
• Typically requires a ledger

Reading a Foundation Plan

• View the floor plan and roof framing plan
first
• Skim the foundation plan to determine the
type of floor framing system
• View the sections
• Look for general notes followed by local
notes

21
 10/6/2014

Glossary
• Construction joint
– A slab joint used to provide a clean surface
where work can be resumed.
• Control joint
– A slab joint created by sawing the concrete
within 6 to 8 hours of placement.
• Coverage
– The amount of concrete placed around the steel.
• Crawl space
– The area formed between the floor system and
the ground.

Glossary
• Footing
– The base of the foundation system and is used
to displace the building loads over the soil.
• Grade beam
– A beam placed under the soil below the stem
wall and spans between stable supports, either
stable soil or pilings.
• Isolation joint
– A joint, also known as an expansion joint, used
to separate a slab from an adjacent slab, wall, or
column, or some other part of the structure.

22
 10/6/2014

Glossary
• Ledger
– A component used to provide support for the
floor joists and subfloor when they intersect the
concrete.
• Piling
– A type of foundation system that uses a column
to support the loads of the structure.
• Stem wall
– The vertical wall that extends from the top of the
footing to the first floor level of the structure.

23