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Footings & Foundation Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two functions of the foundation?

A
  1. Transfer live & dead loads over a large enough area so the structure doesn’t move
  2. Avoid frost causing movement in structure
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2
Q

What are live loads?

A
  • Varied load
  • Examples: people furniture, wind, soil
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3
Q

What are dead loads?

A
  • Fixed loads
  • Weight of building material + soil around foundation
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4
Q

What are the 10 components of a foundation?

A
  • Collar tie
  • Roof rafter
  • Ceiling joist
  • Floor joist
  • Bearing wall
  • Bearing beam
  • Column
  • Exterior wal
  • Foundation wall
  • Footing
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5
Q

What are the three configurations of a foundation?

A
  1. Basement
  2. Crawlspace
  3. Slab on grade
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6
Q

What are the three different arrangements for a slab on grade foundation?

A
  1. Floating
  2. Supported
  3. Monolithic
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7
Q

What material can a foundation be made of?

A
  • Concrete
  • Wood
  • Brick
  • Stone
  • Hollow clay
  • Cinder block
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8
Q

What are the 7 types of soil in order of strength?

A
  1. Bedrock
  2. Gravel
  3. Coarse sand
  4. Fine sand
  5. Clay
  6. Silt
  7. Organic material
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9
Q

Why must footings be below the frost line?

A

This prevents frost from reaching the bottom of the foundation resulting in frost heaving

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10
Q

What are the measurement requirements for step footings?

A

Steps should be 2 ft apart & no > 16 - 24 inches high

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11
Q

What can be used to lower basement floors?

A
  1. bench footing
  2. underpinning
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12
Q

When are piles used?

A

Used instead of footings when soil is poor

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13
Q

What is the purpose of a pilaster?

A
  • Support a concentrated load
  • Prevent wall from bowing
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14
Q

What are caissons?

A

Foundation system created by drilling holes & filling them with concrete

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15
Q

What is a cold joint?

A

2 separate foundation pours

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16
Q

What is honeycombing?

A

Occurs when air pockets are not vibrated out during foundation pour

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17
Q

What are the 4 different types of cracks?

A
  1. Shrinkage cracks
  2. Settlement cracks
  3. Heaving cracks
  4. Horizontal force cracks
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18
Q

What is the cause of shrinkage cracks?

A

Natural curing

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19
Q

What are the 3 types of settlement cracks?

A
  1. Differential settlement cracks
  2. Uniform settlement cracks
  3. Tipping
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20
Q

What is a differential settlement crack?

A

When one part of the house settles at a diff rate than the rest

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21
Q

What is the maximum lot slope?

A

1 in 2. Every 2 ft of horizontal distance = ground should not rise/fall no > 1 ft

22
Q

What are cut & fill lots?

A

To create a flat building pad, the hill is cut back to form the pad. This results in the uphill half built in undisturbed soil & the downhill half built on backfill

23
Q

What indicates more movement, a house with one large crack, or with many small cracks?

A

A house with many small cracks

24
Q

What are the 3 planes of differential movement?

A
  1. Rotational
  2. Vertical shear
  3. Into/out of the wall space
25
What are pyramid cracks?
- If 2 cracks form a pyramid, inside the triangle may be dropping. - Related to differential settlement.
26
What are V-shaped cracks?
- Not related to differential settlement. - Potentially related to heaving, shrinkage, rotation
27
What are the 5 repair strategies to stop building movement?
1. Mud jacking 2. Underpinning 3. Foundation irrigation systems 4. Remove & replace footings/foundations 5. Use steel rods, cables, channels
28
What are clues to indicate cracks may be active?
- Cracks have been patch & opened again. - Crack is on a painted wall & there is no paint inside the crack. - No dirt / debris inside the crack. - Corners of cracks are sharp
29
What are the 3 implications of lowering a basement floor?
1. Bench footing may undermine existing footing 2. When underpinning is used, differential settlement cracks may form as the concrete shrinks & cures. 3. Become closer to the water table where the exterior perimeter drainage tile me be ineffective
30
What are the 4 causes of heaving?
1. Frost heave 2. Adfreezing 3. Expansive soils 4. Hydrostatic pressure
31
What does soil need to cause heaving?
Moisture
32
What are the 5 common causes of frost heaving?
1. Saturated soils 2. Leaving the house unheated during winter 3. Adding basement walkouts 4. Insulated basements 5. Shallow footings
33
What is adfreezing?
Where ground beside the foundation freezes, attaching itself to the foundation. As the ground heave upward, it picks up the house with it
34
How do you identify heaving cracks?
- If cracks are open = moving apart - If driveways, sidewalks, patios around the house slope upward - If floor slab has lots of cracks around columns - If original soil line on house is higher
35
When can you build without frost footings?
- Building on bedrock - Building on dry soils (free-draining & never get wet) - Insulating the soil around the building to prevent frost penetration
36
Which is worse: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal cracks?
Horizontal cracks
37
Why are horizontal cracks a serious structural issue?
Foundation walls may no longer be able to carry their load
38
What are 3 characteristics of horizontal cracks?
1. Bulging 2. Bowing 3. Leaning
39
Where do foundation walls receive their support?
- Footings - Floors - Walls
40
What will the height of the backfill determine for a foundation wall?
- How thick foundation walls should be. - Refer to building code for specs
41
What is stronger: poured concrete or masonry?
Poured concrete
42
What does rising damp mean?
Water drawn up via capillary action
43
What is spalling?
Splitting, chipping, crumbling, splintering of concrete/masonry
44
What causes spalling?
- Low quality / poor install - Masonry not intended for below grade use - Freeze / thaw cycles
45
Are cinder blocks intended for below grade use?
No
46
Why is spalling more serious on concrete blocks than brick walls?
- Brick wall = 3 bricks thick - Concrete block wall = single thickness
47
How do you identify pier movement?
- Check if its plumb - Look for a gap at the top of the pier - Look for a sag in the floor above - Look for crushing at the top of the pier or underside of the floor
48
What is a cold joint?
Occurs when concrete is poured at two different times
49
What is honeycombing?
Large voids / bubbles in poured concrete walls
50
What are short foundation walls?
When the exterior foundation wall has < 6 inches clearance above grade
51
What is an implication of short foundation walls?
This can lead to potential water ingress into the wood foundation

Structure (2 decks)

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