Civil Engineering Photos

Photo Credit: Alex Mead

Seen here are three rebar cages for the spread footings of a large building. Spread footing foundations are preferred to deep foundations. This is due to the increased work, and therefore increased cost, of a deep foundation. Deep foundations could use H-piles, micro-piles, or other options to support the building. For the design of a foundation, the bearing capacity of the soil or rock and the column loads of the proposed building must be understood. If the size of the footing can be made feasibly, given the loads and bearing capacity of the project, spread footings will be used.

Photo Credit: Alex Mead

Seen above are column footings being constructed in an excavation. These masses of concrete will eventually transfer the entire load of the building above to the soil. Also known as a shallow foundation or spread footings, column footings are always preferred to deep foundations due to their significantly small cost of construction. Unfortunately, shallow foundations are not always possible due to poor baring capacity of the soil.