What Are Strip Footings?

In technical terms, the foundations of a structure are designed to support the load of a building, acting as a physical feature that transfers and distributes the weight of steel, brick, concrete, and all other building materials into the ground. It is crucial that these foundations deliver this support without cracking or deteriorating, which means they have to be made from robust materials. An adequately widened trench provides the beginnings of this substructure support area, upon which a layer of concrete is added to provide the groundwork of the foundation. Let’s pause for a second; the strip of land is cleared of soil and turf. It is now filled with hard-setting concrete, a natural surface to begin building on, but this basic foundation isn’t enough, not in scenarios where the foundation has to hold firm. Steel-cored reinforcement adds backbone to the job, an infusion of engineered toughness.

We give this strip of concrete and steel a title, naming it a strip footing. The concrete strip is approved for width and weight distribution by the structural engineer, and the reinforced steel matrix running through the concrete assures all concerned that the material will hold firm when faced with tough soil conditions from below. When attacked on a second front, from above by masonry walls and load-bearing columns, the concrete footing strip again handles the engineering factor with calculated ease, holding its form thanks to the industrially-graded steel core. Here’s a concise list of factors handled by strip footing:

• Grade of the land
• Soil condition
• Eccentric load-bearing assets. A narrow column is a good example of this issue
• Wall material type and height
• Drainage issues

Begin by clearing the land with your mini digger. The canny contractor might use his delegation “powers” to assign a youngster to manually dig the foundation trench, but we believe in ensuring you get the area carved out properly the first time, so stick with the mini digger. Its multi-purpose 600mm bucket can clear the strip, nip around the occasional tree, and assemble a central pile of dirt before circling back to the trench for the next assignment. That same mini digger is better able to cover ground with superior geometrical movement, reversing in a straight line to keep the edges of the trench sharply defined. Then it’s time to lay out the steel reinforcement rods, another task where the mini digger can take charge and aid in transferring heavy sections of steel-reinforced metal to the trench.

It’s easy to mark out the trench with pegs and string, to dig the trench with clean lines, and lay the steel reinforcement with the muscle of your digger at your side. At this point, we return to standard foundation work with the laying of the concrete. Use the digger to position the concrete mixer at the edge of the work site, fill the trench, and enjoy the view of an expertly laid substructure groundwork, all complete with drainage outlets and labelled utility points.

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