TLE REVIEWER well as small, older houses, oftentimes rest on a
series of concrete piers. Some houses utilize all of
Grade Beams - or grade beam footing is a these methods for different portions of the house.
component of a building's foundation. It consists of a Houses with perimeter foundations, for example,
reinforced concrete beam that transmits the load from often have post-and-pier supports beneath a beam
a bearing wall into spaced foundations such as pile that runs under a load-bearing wall along the middle
caps or caissons. of the house.
Columns - A column is defined as a vertical The bottom part of a foundation is called a footing (or
compression member who is mainly subjected to footer). The footing is generally wider than the
the effective length and axial loads of which foundation wall and is located about 12 inches below
exceeds three times its least lateral dimension. the frost line (the average depth at which soil freezes
year after year). The footing distributes the house’s
weight to prevent settling or movement.
Footings - are typically made of concrete with rebar
reinforcement that has been poured into an excavated
trench Types of Foundations
Foundation Plan - is a plan view drawing, in There are three types of conventional concrete
section, showing the location and size of footings, foundations: poured concrete, concrete block, and
post-and-pier. Size and acceptable types are regulated
by building codes.
piers, columns, foundation walls, and supporting
beams.
Raised Perimeter Foundation
Foundation walls - a solid wall attached to the
footing and rising to ground level at the point where As shown below, a poured-concrete foundation may
the ground is highest under the building be a raised perimeter foundation, a flat slab, or a
combination of the two.
Pier - a series of vertical pillars or piles that transfer
the building load to the soil. Beams are then built on
top of these columns
Pilaster – an upright architectural member that is
rectangular in plan and is structurally a pier but
architecturally treated as a column and that usually
projects a third of its width or less from the wall
Introduction
A house needs a foundation to shoulder its
considerable weight, provide a flat and level base for
construction, and separate wood-based materials from
contact with the ground, which would cause them to
rot and invite termite infestation. Depending on when
and where a house was built, the foundation may be
made of stone, brick, preservative-treated lumber,
concrete block, or poured concrete. By far the most
common material for foundations is concrete.
Most houses have a raised perimeter foundation that
supports floors and load-bearing walls. Some are
built on a flat, concrete slab, which provides both a
base for the structure and serves as the bottom floor
of the house. Still others, notably vacation homes as
Conventional Perimeter Foundation with Slab
Pier and Footing Foundation
Houses in warm climates may have a monolithic slab,
where footing, foundation, and slab are a single,
integral unit. A conventional perimeter foundation A concrete pier resting on a footing, as shown, may
has a poured concrete wall supported by a poured be used to help support beams at mid-span. Though
concrete footing. Both are strengthened by steel some older homes rest entirely on piers, this method
reinforcing rods (rebar). This type of foundation is has been phased out in favor of foundation methods
used in connection with both raised floors and slabs. with greater integrity.
Beams, Columns and Pilasters
Beams and columns are two important types of
structural elements that play a key role in creating a
safe load path to transfer the weight and forces on a
structure to the foundations and into the ground.
Beams and columns could be built using the same
shapes and materials but each serves a different
function and is designed differently. Beams are
usually horizontal structural elements that carry loads
perpendicular to their longitudinal direction.
Beams are used to support the weight of floors,
ceilings and roofs of a building and to transfer the
load to a vertical load bearing element of the
structure. Sometimes bigger and heavier beams called
transfer beams are used to support the cumulative
weight of stacked walls or other beams and transfer
the load to the supports.
Concrete Pier and Footing
A stepped footing, as shown at left, can support a
concrete block wall. Blocks have nominal dimensions
of 8 by 8 by 16 inches (they are actually 3/8 inch
smaller to allow for mortar joints). They are hollow
when laid up; steel reinforcing bar is added and the
hollows are often filled with concrete. They lend
themselves to construction where forming concrete is
impractical.
Concrete blocks are also used for standard foundation
wall construction. They are supported by a concrete
footing; both are reinforced with steel rods, and the
concrete blocks are filled with grout.
Columns are used to support floor/roof beams and the
columns of the floor above. The columns at the
bottom floor of a tall building must carry the
accumulative weight of all the floors above. This is
why the location of columns ideally should be
consistent throughout all floors. This is not always
possible especially with a challenging architectural
design where each floor has a different layout.
Pilasters may be constructed against the existing
foundation wall(s) to add stability and resist further
movement.
In the case of a new building, there is more flexibility
in choosing the size and type of materials for beams The Carson Dunlop Associates sketch below (an
that work best for the structure. The most common article) shows how a pilaster may appear in a
types of materials recommended are beams made out building for a different reason than an attempt to
of steel sections, reinforced concrete, grouted stiffen a bulging foundation wall. In this case the
masonry, and beams made from wood. All materials pilaster is supporting a beam placed as a girder to
have their pros and cons, but are usually selected support the floor that will be constructed above. So
based on their cost, size and fire rating. don't assume just because you see a pilaster that it
was built to address a foundation damage problem.
Columns are vertical structural elements where the
load is transferred parallel to the longitudinal axis as
compression, and sometimes as tension. For example,
think of a rectangular table with four legs at the
corners. The weight of the table and all the objects on
the table is transferred to the floor through the legs
acting in compression. In this case the legs can be
considered as columns.
Spread footings and pilasters schematic (C) Carson • Openings in foundation wall such as windows,
Dunlop Associates doors and vents
A pilaster is a masonry column or short wall which is • Beams and Pilasters
constructed butting against the original wall at right
angles. In this photo the masonry block pilaster is • Direction, size, and spacing of floor joists or trusses
itself damaged and spalling. Additional repairs and
steps to direct water away from this foundation wall
• Drains and sump (if required)
are still needed.
• Details of foundation and footing construction
• Complete dimensions and notes
The foundation plan is drawn from information
presented on the floor plan, plot plan, and elevation
plan drawings. Before drawing the foundation plan,
examine the floor plan to determine the type of
exterior walls specified. For example, a 4” brick
ledge is required for the brick veneer house. This
adds 8” to the length and width of the foundation.
The plot plan and elevation plan drawings should also
WHAT IS A FOUNDATION PLAN? be examined to anticipate the need for stepped
footings, retaining walls, and problems related to the
grade of the land.
The foundation plan is a plan view drawing, in
section, showing the location and size of footings,
piers, columns, foundation walls, and supporting In this example, columns are represented by dark-
beams. A foundation plan is a top view of the shaded small boxes that depict its size. Footings are
footings or foundation walls, showing their area the rectangular images that surround the column
and their location by distances between center itself. The shade of excavated line for walling is
lines and by distances from reference lines or under soil material symbol to indicate the excavation.
boundary lines. Actually, it is a horizontal
section view cut through the walls of the
foundation showing beams, girders, piers or
columns, and openings, along with dimensions
and internal composition. The foundation plan is
used primarily by the building crew who will
construct the foundation
of the proposed structure.
A foundation plan ordinarily includes the following:
• Footings for foundation walls, piers, and columns
(hidden lines)
• Foundation walls
• Piers and Columns
• Dwarf walls (low walls built to retain an excavation
or embankment)
Drawing a foundation plan includes the following
• Partial walls, Doors, and Bath fixtures if the house steps. Remember: All items will not apply to every
has a basement situation:
1. Select the scale for the drawing.
2. Locate the outline of the foundations walls from
the floor plan.
3. Draw the foundation walls, piers and columns and
the foundation for a chimney.
4. Indicate breaks in the foundation wall for
windows, doors, access holes, and vents.
5. Layout and draw the footings for the foundation
walls. Use hidden lines.
6. Draw the footings to be used for the piers and
columns.
7. Draw the footings for the fireplace and chimney.
8. Locate the supporting beam if one is required.
Draw the beam using a thick centerline symbol.
9. Show the size, spacing, and direction of floor joists
or trusses.
10. Identify the location of sections and all other
additional information.
11. Draw the necessary sections and dimensions.
12. Determine the location of dimensions needed to
show the size of all aspects of the foundation. The
length and thickness of all foundation wall segments
must be dimensioned. Piers are dimensioned to the
center rather than to the edge.
13. Draw dimensions.
14. Letter necessary notes.
15. Shade foundation wall drawings.
16. Check drawing.
Procedures for drawing a Basement Plan are the same
as for a Foundation Plan except for theaddition of the
needed features (doors, bathroom fixtures,
etc...).How basic foundations are built, including
slabs, perimeter foundations, concrete blocks, and
piers
