TABLE OF CONTENTS ROBERT B. ANDERSON
One of the most common forms of residential foundations is the slab-on-ground. This encompasses slabs both at the surface, which are common in most warmer climates, and below-surface slabs, which form basements. The concept is essentially the same from a design standpoint. In referring to slab-on-ground construction, the name says it all. The slab is supported on the ground. This means that a major focus of the design should be on the ground conditions and proper preparation of the ground for receiving a slab.
In most instances, the reinforcing associated with slab-on-ground is fairly minimal as compared to elevated slabs. This should highlight the importance of the supporting soil conditions and their affect on any slab-on-ground design. Paramount importance should therefore be placed on the identification of soil conditions prior to the undertaking of any foundation design, regardless of the size of the project. As a design professional, it is necessary to have proper identification of soil conditions either from personal experience, local code requirements, county soil surveys, or preferably a site-specific soils investigation. Failure to secure such information and citing its source on the design drawings is essential.
The choice of slab-on-ground construction is a function of architectural requirements and soil conditions. If the structure is to be elevated with a crawl space, the foundation will more than likely be pier supported with either spread footings, continuous strip footings, or a deep foundation. If soil...
