Difference between foundation and footing

Posted by Civil Engineering on

Saturday, 13 February 2021

 

Footing and foundation both are some basic terminologies used in civil engineering. But there are still some people who don’t understand the difference between them. If you are one of them then this is the topic for you. This article will give you a brief detail of the differences between footing and foundation.

A most simple explanation could be that all footings are foundations but all foundations cannot be footings. What does it mean? let’s look into each one of them one by one.

Foundation:

A foundation is a structure that connects the superstructure with the ground and transfers the load from the superstructure to the ground. There are two types of foundation i.e. shallow foundation and deep foundation.

The difference between these two types is that if the width of the foundation is greater than its depth the foundation will be a shallow foundation. But if the said condition is not true that means it’s a deep foundation.

Footing:

The term footing is used in conjunction with shallow foundations commonly. A footing is a foundation unit constructed in brickwork, masonry or concrete under the base of a wall or a column for the purpose of distributing the load over a large area.

A Footing is the part of foundation or a foundation unit in brick work masonry or concrete under the base of walls or columns for the purpose of distributing the load over a large area. A Footing or a shallow foundation is place immediately below the lower part of super structure which transfers the load directly to the soil.

A or the footing is at the base of the foundation. Usually but not always 3 times the width of the wall. This just make a base for the wall to sit on so that it doesn't push into the ground. Without it, the wall would act as a knife and with the weight of the structure, cut into the ground.

Difference between mat foundation and isolated footing?

Isolated footings are constructed individually & Mat foundation is making of mat and connecting all footings with this mat

What is the difference between association and foundation?

An association is an organization that has a common interest or activity. A foundation is an organization established by donation of funds for future causes.

What is the difference between pile foundation and pier foundation?

A pile is more slender than a pier. They are essentially the same thing. The cut off diameter or cross section size for when a pile becomes a pier is unknown but the pile is far better the pier because the total mass is divided equally between each pile used in pile foundation and the foundation is very much stable.

What is the difference between a pile foundation and an ordinary foundation?

Pile foundations are typically much deeper than they are wide. This means that their ability to resist loads is mainly derived from the vertical friction of the side of the pile against the soil (skin friction). However it should be noted that a number of closely spaced piles will act as a group and as such can also have significant resistance to loads by end bearing.

Regular foundations rely on the bearing pressure between the soil and the underside of the foundation, they are cheaper and more common. Piles will be used when greater forces are needed to be transferred to the ground over a smaller area, such as with high rise buildings and those in densely built up areas where land comes at a premium and ground movements will affect neighboring buildings.

A pile can be thought of as analogous to a tent peg whereas an ordinary foundation is like a flagstone.

Labels: Foundation

Thanks for reading Difference between foundation and footing. Please share...!