In Construction, What is a Foundation?
Whenever construction workers begin work on a new building, they must first assess where and how they will build the foundation. The foundation is a structure, commonly made of concrete for homes, that transfers the weight of the building onto the earth below. There are different types of foundation designs and each serves a different specific purpose, but generally, every foundation works to transfer the weight load of a structure to the soil beneath. Most small and medium homes are built upon a shallow foundation. These are usually comprised of concrete strips that are laid about a meter beneath the soil, or of a single large concrete slab that is also set about a meter beneath the soil. When applicable, the foundation will extend beneath the frost line. When engineers design the foundation of a building, they must keep in mind how much the soil will settle beneath the foundation, as well as how much weight will go on top of the foundation. If calculated incorrectly, the foundation m
