See Also: Kissama Foundation foundation, national park maintenance Angola(finance)
FOUNDATION(law)
foundation(dictionary)
Foundation(medicine)
foundation course(dictionary)
FOUNDATION GP(finance)
foundation(encyclopedia)
foundation(dictionary)
Eye Foundation Hospital(health)
Ford Foundation(encyclopedia)

foundation (sh)




Part of a structural system that supports and anchors the superstructure of a building and transmits its loads directly to the earth.

To prevent damage from repeated freeze-thaw cycles, the bottom of the foundation must be below the frost line. The foundations of low-rise residential buildings are nearly all supported on spread footings, wide bases (usually of concrete) that support walls or piers and distribute the load over a greater area. A concrete grade beam supported by isolated footings, piers, or piles may be placed at ground level, especially in a building without a basement, to support the exterior wall. Spread footings are also used
in greatly enlarged form
for high-rise buildings. Other systems for supporting heavy loads include piles, concrete caisson columns, and building directly on exposed rock. In yielding soil, a floating foundation
consisting of rigid, boxlike structures set at such a depth that the weight of the soil removed to place it equals the weight of the construction supported
may be used.