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
Foundation is to distribute the load of the structure in such a way that the soil/material beneath the foundation disperse it. The whole surface of the foundation first takes the load from the structure above it and then uniformly carries the load underneath. Thus converting high point loads into uniformly distributed loads. Even if in some cases the structure sinks, the foundation settles uniformly and thus keeping the integrity of the structure intact. Yes there are cases where the foundation sinks or settle from one side but that is tackled by the help of grouting to support the soil underneath the foundation to stabilize. In case of high rise building, usually the reliance is on deep columns that are extended to solid base (usually a stable rock) and thus even if the soil sinks /settle the building stays intact. Besides you can build directly without foundation if you think the soil is enough compact (even during earthquakes) or would not sink . And if you find a solid rock you just build over it without worrying of the structure sinking
Latest Answers