Slab on grade bracing basement wall.
Slab on grade bracing basement wall.
(OP)
In my area it is not uncommon for below grade garages to have CIP basement walls with the bottom of the walls braced simply by the slab on grade. Typically with an isolation material between the wall and slab. When the garages are 3 or 4 stories deep the reaction at the bottom of the wall is pretty large. While this appears to work from experience, I cannot provide a calculation to show it works. Passive pressure of the embedded wall footing is not enough. The compression stress on the SOG is small, but what is the load path after it get's in the slab? Not enough friction, sloped slabs to drains, slab folds do not guarantee a load path to the opposite wall etc.
What ways have you used to show a complete load path?
What ways have you used to show a complete load path?






RE: Slab on grade bracing basement wall.
The owner can then do whatever he wants with that slab on grade (sump pits, holes for infrastructures, whatever).
RE: Slab on grade bracing basement wall.
I'll pay a little more attention to things if there are significant elevation changes in the SOG near the wall or if I expect that future SOG removal really is something that needs consideration. As with all things related to retaining walls, I think that our best friend is that reality that the design loads never come to pass -- or even close. If they did, all those shear reinforced, 10" walls three stories below grade would be bowing in over top of the hoods of the cars parked in front of them. There's a reason designers never check basement wall deflections...
Across the space and into the wall/soil on the other side, like avscorreia's tie beams. Hence my concern for the SOG elevation changes.
The real paranoid folks among us sometimes worry that the slab on grade might shear off the bases of our columns. Wouldn't that be a kick in the nuts.
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Slab on grade bracing basement wall.