Foundation help

[Mark A. Timpani]

I would like some info on this type of foundation. Maybe a cutaway pic. Something that shows whats going on behind the bricks? Sometimes this wall is 3 ft high. Do they just pack dirt to raise it that high and then pour the pad? Is it still slab on grade, or called something else?

[Richard Mangold]

Mark, I believe that you are describing a stepped masonry foundation that is built on a slope.

Try these resources for more info.:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/...NL_CON-295.pdf
http://www.hometips.com/how-it-works...ion-types.html

[Bruce A. King]

If you have a concrete floor that is a slab on grade. The footers can "step" as needed and still have a "slab on grade". The "grade" in this case is backfill.


Hopefully they did proper compaction (not likely) and/or installed footers under the load bearing walls or at least the major point loads.

The top header block is an L-shape in most cases but that does not look like header block.

Look for large gaps between the carpet and baseboards where the slab may have settled on older homes.

[Richard A. Hetzel]

If there's no basement or crawl space, then it's a slab on ground, and if there's no space on the other side of the foundation part, then either it's all natural soil, or it should have been compacted fill. Sometimes they just fill with crushed stone to save the time and cost of compacting.

[Mark A. Timpani]

no basements or crawls, thanks for the info

[Mark A. Timpani]

Richard, nice links thanks.