What size footing do i need?

You can look up the recommended footing size, based on the size and type of house and the bearing capacity of the soil. As you can see, heavy houses on weak soil need footings 2 feet wide or more. But the lightest buildings on the strongest soil require footings as narrow as 7 or 8 inches.

How do you calculate footing size?

How to Calculate Footing Size

  1. Determine the width and length of the cement slab in inches.
  2. Divide the width by 12 to convert it to feet. …
  3. Divide the length by 12 to convert it to feet. …
  4. Determine the depth or thickness that is required for the footing in inches. …
  5. Multiply the width by the length and then by the depth.

How deep and wide do footings need to be?

The minimum depth of footings below the surface of undisturbed soil, compacted fill material or controlled low strength material (CLSM) shall be 12 inches (305 mm). Where applicable, the requirements of CBC Section 1809.5 shall also be satisfied. The minimum width of footings shall be 12 inches (305 mm).

How thick do footings need to be?

The minimum thickness for pier footings is 8 inches or 1-1/2 times the length of the footing projection from the pier, whichever is greater. (HORIZONTAL). Reinforce footings when the projection on each side of the wall, pier, or column exceeds 2/3 of the footing thickness, or when required because of soil conditions.

What is the size of footing for 2 storey house?

The minimum thickness for pier footings is 8 inches or 1-1/2 times the length of the footing projection from the pier, whichever is greater. (HORIZONTAL). Reinforce footings when the projection on each side of the wall, pier, or column exceeds 2/3 of the footing thickness, or when required because of soil conditions.

What size footings do I need for a retaining wall?

For a wall that will be higher than 750mm make the footing three times the thickness. All footings should be a minimum of 150mm (6″) in depth, with the bottom 350 – 400mm (14-16″) below ground level on most soils. For clay soil however, thicker and deeper footings should be used.


What is the size of footing for 3 storey house?

Column footing size for 3 storey (G+2) building:- for 3 storey (G+2) house or in simple 3 floor building, general thumb rule, using standard 9″ thick walls, we recommended size of column footing should be 5’×5’×5′ (1.5m x 1.5m×1.5m) for isolated footing shallow foundation in gravel and sand soil with higher bearing …

Do you need gravel under footings?

You do need gravel under a concrete slab, footing, or patio. Gravel provides a solid foundation for your concrete as it can be compacted. It also improves drainage, preventing water from pooling beneath the concrete.

How deep should footings be for a 3 foot wall?

The general rule of thumb is to bury about one-eighth of the height of the wall. For example, if your wall will be three feet (36 inches) tall, the first course of blocks should start five inches below soil level. The gravel base should start three inches below this.

Is rebar required in footings?

Including rebar in a concrete footing means that you can reduce the risk of the concrete being pushed and pulled apart – cracking – from ground force pressures. Knowing this, it is generally a good idea to use rebar in footings for any structure. However, it is not required in many cases.

How deep must a foundation be?

The minimum depth of the strip foundation trench must be at least 400mm below the original ground level. The average minimum thickness of the foundation must be at least 200mm. The strength of the concrete used for unreinforced strip footing must be at least 15MPa or better.

How deep do footings need to be for a garage?

In good soil a garage will generally be ok with 450mm wide trenches going down 2’6″ to 3′. The trench fill certainly saves a bit of back ache!

How deep should footings be for a 2 storey extension?

The minimum foundation depth for two-storey foundations is 200mm, to ensure they have the necessary strength to fulfil their purpose.

How thick is a footing for a house?

Footing thickness – 8 to 12 inches. Footing depth – varies based on frost line and soil strength (some footings can be shallow, while other must be deep)

How deep should a foundation be for a 2 story house?

Conclusions:- as per thumb rule, minimum depth of foundation is 1 metre (3.5 feet) is acceptable for one storey building in medium clay soil, 4 feet (1.2m) depth for 2 story, 5 feet (1.5m) depth for 3 story, 6 feet (1.8m) depth for 4 story and 7 feet (2.1m) depth for 5 story building.

How thick should a footing be for a retaining wall?

The footing dimensions will largely be determined by the size of the wall. A poured concrete footing for concrete, block or brick walls should be at least twice as wide as the planned wall. The footing should be at least as thick vertically as the wall’s planned width.

How deep should a concrete footing be for a retaining wall?

Concrete retaining wall footing size

The depth to the bottom of the base slab should be kept at a minimum of two feet. However, it should always be below the seasonal frost line, and that often is much deeper in northern climates.

How deep should a footing be for a block wall?

Normally a foundation wall with seven rows of blocks will be 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep and should have a footing 30 inches below grade.

How deep should a foundation be for a 3 story building?

Foundation walls for two (2) story buildings under 25′ 0″ in height shall be a minimum of ten inches (10″) in thickness, measured horizontally, through a cross-section of the foundation. Foundation walls for three (3) story buildings over 25′ 0″ in height shall be a minimum of twelve inches (12″) in thickness.

Can you have too much gravel under concrete?

Adding crushed stone under your concrete slab will provide a level surface for your foundation. Simply pouring concrete onto the ground will expose it to elemental erosion that will cause cracking and sinking. Similarly, if there are roots or plants under your slab, they may rot and cause unevenness.

Can you pour concrete directly on dirt?

Long story short, yes you can pour concrete over dirt.

How much gravel goes under a footing?

While discussing our project with local excavators, several mentioned that they commonly include 4 to 6 inches of crusher run gravel UNDER the footings – properly compacted, of course – to improve forming and pouring of the footings.

Does a 2 foot retaining wall need drainage?

These walls need a drainage system regardless of the wall height. If there are poor draining soils such as clay behind the wall, there needs to be drainage incorporated the wall system. Clay when wet is very weak, so it is essential to provide a way for water to escape from behind the wall.

How long should a footing cure before laying block?

Assuming you are using 3,000-psi concrete for the footings, you should be safe installing the anchors after 28 days in most circumstances. But there are a few things that can greatly alter the “normal” rate of strength gain: concrete temperature and the use of fly ash or admixtures.

Where should rebar be placed in a footing?

Assuming you are using 3,000-psi concrete for the footings, you should be safe installing the anchors after 28 days in most circumstances. But there are a few things that can greatly alter the “normal” rate of strength gain: concrete temperature and the use of fly ash or admixtures.

How far apart should rebar be in concrete?

Place rebar in a grid pattern with a spacing between bars of approximately 12 inches. In either case, blocks should be used under the reinforcement to keep centered within the concrete. Synthetic fibers have also proven to be beneficial in driveways as a way to reduce shrinkage cracks.

How thick should a building foundation be?

As a practical consideration, residential designers need to keep in mind that concrete foundation walls are typically 6, 8 or 10 inches thick (nominal). The typical concrete compressive strength used in residential construction is 2,500 or 3,000 psi, although other strengths are available.

How deep should footings be in clay?

Seasonal changes affect clay soils – causing them to swell in winter and shrink in summer. That’s why there are minimum foundation depths for each type of clay. Strip, trench fill or pad foundations must be cast at a minimum of 750mm in low plasticity clays, 900mm in medium, and 1000mm in the highest risk areas.

How thick should a foundation slab be?

A slab foundation is made of concrete that is typically 4″ to 6″ thick in the center. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage or to act as a cushion. Houses built on a slab lack crawlspaces, and there is no space under the floor.

How wide should garage footings be?

“For a single-story garage we look for an 8-inch foundation wall,” says Farrell. “A two-story structure would require at least a 10 inch foundation wall.”

Do you need a footing for a garage?

Basic garage structures are not required to have foundation footings unless your lot slopes or has poor soil conditions. Most garages have a 4″ inch poured concrete slab-on-grade, and the structure is built directly on the slab. … Garages built on a slope will often need a raised reinforced concrete slab with footings.

Can you build a garage without footings?

Yes, but you’ll need several long, strong &amp, wide, deep anchors to hold it in place. So long as the base is level &amp, solid — such as a concrete slab, you can drill the slab &amp, put anchor bolts through the ground plate the build your framing up from that.

How deep should footings be for a one storey extension?

“The depth depends on what the ground is like you have to dig to solid ground. For a single storey building strip foundations will typically be 450mm wide and at least 200mm deep, and for two storeys 600mm wide and 200mm deep.”

How deep should footings be UK?

Footings need to be minimum 1m deep by 600mm wide.

What type of footing is most common in residential construction?

Individual Footing or Isolated Footing

Individual footing or an isolated footing is the most common type of foundation used for building construction. This foundation is constructed for a single column and also called a pad foundation.

What comes first footings or foundations?

T-shaped foundations are used in areas where the ground freezes. First, the footing is placed. Second, the walls are constructed and poured. Lastly, the slab is placed.

How deep do footings need to be in Michigan?

The frost depth for this area, and most of the state of Michigan, is 42″. Footings are required to be a minimum of 42″ deep., measured from the finish grade to the bottom of the footing.