What is a foundation?

Foundation of a structure is always constructed below the ground level

so as to increase the lateral stability of the structure.It includes the
portion of the structure below the ground level and is built, so as to
provide a firm and level surface for transmitting the load of the
structure on a large area of the soil lying underneath. The solid ground
on which the foundation rests is called the Foundation Bed.

Types of construction of building

TYPE I-A--Fire Resistive Non-combustible (Commonly found in high-rise
buildings and Group I occupancies).
TYPE I-B--Fire Resistive Non-Combustible (Commonly found in mid-rise office
& Group R buildings).
TYPE II-A--Protected Non-Combustible (Commonly found in newer school
buildings).
TYPE II-B--Unprotected Non-Combustible (Most common type of noncombustible construction used in commercial buildings). Building constructed
of non-combustible materials but these materials have no fire resistance.
TYPE III-A--Protected Combustible (Also known as "ordinary" construction with
brick or block walls and a wooden roof or floor assembly which is 1 hour fire
protected).
TYPE III-B--Unprotected Combustible (Also known as "ordinary" construction;
has brick or block walls with a wooden roof or floor assembly which is not
protected against fire. These buildings are frequently found in "warehouse"
districts of older cities.)

Soils that are used with different types of

foundations:
Rock
Rocks such as limestone, granite, sandstone, shale and hard solid chalk have a high
bearing capacity. The rock may simply need to be stripped back and levelled off to build
from. Rock can be impervious, so topsoil is likely to require drainage as it is not possible
to build soakaways to dispose of rainwater or surface water. Off-mains drainage options
will also be very limited.

Chalk Strip foundations

are commonly used in chalk. Providing the chalk is not too soft, widths of 450mm for
low-rise buildings are generally acceptable. The depth of the foundation must be below
any frost action (700mm). If the chalk is soft it will need to be excavated until firm chalk
is reached. Chalk soils can be prone to erosion so be wary of hollows or caves.

Gravel and sand Dry

compact gravel, or gravel and sand subsoils are usually adequate for strip foundations.
Generally a depth of 700mm is acceptable, as long as the ground has adequate bearing
capacity. If the water table is high (i.e. the gravel is submerged), the bearing capacity is
halved, so its important to keep the foundations as high as possible. A shallow,
reinforced, wide strip foundation may be suitable. Sand holds together reasonably well
when damp, compacted and uniform, but trenches may collapse and so sheet piling is

often used to retain the ground in trenches until the concrete is poured.

Clay
The first 900-1,200mm layer of clay is subject to movement due to expansion and
shrinkage depending on moisture content, so it is generally necessary to excavate
foundations to a depth where the moisture content of the clay remains stable. British
Standard 8004 recommends a minimum depth of 1m for foundations But if there are, or
were, trees nearby, depths of up to 3m may be necessary. In clay, prior to concreting the
foundations, the trench is often protected from heave by lining it with a compressible
layer (e.g. Clayboard). Firm clay over soft clay A traditional strip foundation is
sometimes acceptable but it is important not to overdig as this may increase the stress on
the softer clay beneath. A common solution is to dig wide strip foundations with steel
reinforcement however an engineered foundation may be necessary. Peat Peat and
loose waterlogged sand are very poor subsoils. If the peat can be stripped back to find
suitable load-bearing ground of at least 1.5m depth, strip foundations may be suitable. A
reinforced raft foundation will likely be required. -