Graphical Construction Glossary >> Concrete and Concreting. >> >> Pad Foundations

Pad Foundations

Also known a pier foundation. A foundation designed to carry a point load from a column, post or a pier. Often square, rectangular or circular in plan.

Pad footing are often used to support individual columns that in turn can be out of concrete, masonry or steel. Sometimes in the case of steel columns that are cast into an augured pad footing then no reinforcing steel is used, but mostly they consist of reinforced concrete.

Above is a freshly poured pad that has been formed using fabric formwork. In this instance where there are a lot of these separate pad footings the whole area was excavated to the footing level and compacted rather than making a separate excavation for each one. The cast in hold down bolts indicate that steel column will be bearing on the footing.

A very convenient method of excavating pier foundations is to use earth augers. The photo above shows one that is attached to a backhoe that is drilling foundation holes for light posts. A rebar cage that has hold down bolts incorporated into it is seen in the foreground.

In the case of these augured footings it is the depth and the grip of the earth or skin friction that provides the bearing capacity rather than the surface area of the footing base as in the previous examples.

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