We specialise in raft foundations, strip foundations, block and beam foundations and large concrete projects across south Wales, Gloucester and surrounding areas.
What are foundations?
Foundations provide support for structures, transferring their load to layers of soil or rock that have sufficient bearing capacity and suitable settlement characteristics.
Very broadly, foundations can be categorised as shallow foundations or deep foundations. shallow foundations are typically used where the loads imposed by a structure are low relative to the bearing capacity of the surface soils. Deep foundations
are necessary where the bearing capacity of the surface soils is not adequate to support the loads imposed by a structure and so those loads need to be transferred to deeper layers with higher bearing capacity
shallow foundations include:
- Strip foundations (or footings).
- Pad foundations.
- Raft foundations.
Raft foundation vs strip foundation
A strip foundation is a narrow strip of concrete that supports the walls of the building. A raft foundation is a large slab of concrete that covers the entire area of the building, a strip foundation is used for smaller, lighter structures on stable ground, while a raft is used for larger, heavier structures or areas with weak, unstable ground.