Whenever one builds a house or does any construction like dams, bridges etc., one of the primary considerations are the foundation. Load transfer of construction becomes one of the significant factors. The load of the building or the structure needs to be transferred to the foundation through various methods. Appropriate Strip Footing is selected to share this load. There are many types of footing like the continuous system, isolated footing, raft footing, pile footing, strap footing and many more. It is the civil and the soil engineer who decides on the Strip Footing after inspecting the nature of the soil where the foundation is done.
The Types Of Strip Footings Used In House
In general, concrete slabs and joists are used to build a house in Australia. But, in extreme cases, some other types of Strip Footings are installed to balance the structure. It is better to discuss the same with an engineer. He can help you to select the right Strip Footing after inspecting the soil and existing foundation.
Conditions For Selecting A Particular System
The structural engineers recommend Strip Footing after examining the composition of the soil. There are different types of Strip Footings available and various types of footing involves different costs and in Australia. After the recommendation of the engineer the client decides on one of them according to the budget and the future extension plan of the building.
Australian Standards are followed while selecting the Strip Footing and usually E or P class is done for building a simple house without much load. As per the Australia Standard 1684, Bearers and joist can be used as the part of the Strip Footing. They follow the timber framing manual. Again while using concrete slabs, the Australia standard changes to 2870, and it is followed.
The best part is one does not have to engage the services of a structural engineer and can cut down the construction cost to a much extent if the building project matches with the standards laid down by the regulatory authorities.
Although bearer and joists with timber floors are not exactly referred to as the primary Strip Footing, they are generally used for the subfloors. The central part is the stumps, piers or post on which the bearers and the joists sit on.
The Popular Ones
With the growth and change of technology and research and development, strip footing and concrete slabs are gaining popularity day by day. Timber and joists need regular maintenance, but in case of concrete and strip footings, the recurring maintenance cost can be reduced.
Again, this footing has many subdivisions, mostly with the composition of the concrete slabs. The composition of the ingredients varies according to the soil quality, the depth or the load that it has to carry. Step by step process is carried on while doing strip footing, and they include digging of the trenches, applying the leveling sands to make the casting beds even, and a barrier is used to prevent moisture vapour.
After these processes are complete, reinforced steels and wire mesh is placed inside the trench. Many people lay the electrical or plumbing pipes inside the casting to keep them concealed. After laying the lines as per need, the concrete mixture is poured or pumped to complete the casting.
The foundation of any construction should be robust to withstand the overall weight. However, for biding a home in Australia concrete and strip Strip Footing is replacing the traditional timber and joists footings. It is time to turn the dreams to reality, building your home staying within the budget.
