Construction Methods: Building Collapse and Foundation Types

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Questions and Answers

Define 'slab on grade construction' and its characteristics.

Slab on grade construction is a method of describing a building construction based on the assumption that the lowest floor of the building rests directly on the ground.

Explain what is meant by 'foundation failure' in the context of building construction.

Foundation failure refers to collapse or excessive settlement of a building's supporting structure resulting from soil movement or consolidation rather than from a failure of the foundation structure itself.

What is 'crawl space construction' and how is it characterized?

Crawl space construction is a method of describing building constructions based on the assumption that the lowest floor of the building is suspended a short distance (less than a full floor height) above the ground.

Describe 'basement construction' and its key features.

Basement construction refers to a method of describing a building construction that provides one or more full stories below the ground level. Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'spread footing' and what role does it play in building foundation?

A spread footing is the simplest and probably the most common type of building foundation. It usually consists of a square or rectangular reinforced concrete pad that serves to distribute building loads over an area large enough so that the resulting pressure on the supporting soil does not exceed the soil's allowable bearing strength. Signup and view all the answers