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
Architect here! Very over-simplified but easy visual for you:
Imagine you are at the beach and you set up your lawn chair. The front and back bars of the chair will sink into the sand quite a bit. That is your building walls sinking into the earth.
Now, imagine that you placed two strips of plywood, each 3 inches wide, on the sand, and THEN you place the bars of your lawn chair in those strips of plywood. Your chair would not sink into the sand very much. That is your building foundation (footing, really).
The foundation footing spreads out the load so that your building’s walls and columns can “float” on the earth.
Extra credit concepts – foundations also:
– Provide anchorage against lateral forces (wind, earthquake)
– Resist hydrostatic pressure (water in the soil)
– In cold climates, prevent heaving by being below the frost line
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