The whole house rests on the foundation or it will sink. What does the foundation rest on? Why doesn’t the foundation sink just as easily?

Question

I get that some foundations do have sinking issues, but how does having a foundation help? If the foundation is poured and solidifies, what stops the weight of the house from immediately sinking/tilting the foundation?

In: 2809

Answer 1

Not a lot of ELI5 responses in here. Think snow shoe. Without a snow shoe, your foot focuses the downward force of your body to a smaller area. The snow shoe takes that force and spreads the love over a larger area.