Floating Foundation
Floating Foundation
(OP)
I live in NC and several engineers in the area design a floating founation when the encounter poor bearing soils. They design the slab to carry all the gravity loads.
I don't care for this approach since if the slab encounters a hard or rocky section then the entire slab will tilt.
Has anyone used this method or what are the pro's and con's.
I don't care for this approach since if the slab encounters a hard or rocky section then the entire slab will tilt.
Has anyone used this method or what are the pro's and con's.






RE: Floating Foundation
RE: Floating Foundation
RE: Floating Foundation
RE: Floating Foundation
The case most often is where a basement is dug. The inspection department comes out to inspect the footings and probes the ground by pushing a steel rod into the ground. If it has very low resistance he requires an engineered designed foundation. I suggest to the clients that they have a soil bearing test run at which point i have no problem with a design. Another engineer in the are desings the slab on grade stong enough to distribute the load to a low level. I have never checked their designs but my concern is that if one area has a lot lower soil bearing value than another area that the entire slab will have a tendency to tip at the lower value area.
Am i missiing something?
RE: Floating Foundation
Example: Take a square building on a floating foundation. If half the building is on poor soil then the shape of the foundation wouldn’t be square and the location of the building on that foundation wouldn’t be in the middle …
RE: Floating Foundation
Hint: most (all?) residential floor slabs are tilted. But no one really cares, because the tilt isn't appreciable.
Please see FAQ731-376 for great suggestions on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora. See FAQ158-922 for recommendations regarding the question, "How Do You Evaluate Fill Settlement Beneath Structures?"
RE: Floating Foundation