You Gotta Go Down to Go Up

The phrase “build on a good foundation” is so common as to almost be meaningless.

What is a good foundation?

Simple—A solid foundation fully supports the structure above.

And not so simple. A New York tower requires a more substantial foundation than a single-family home in Burma Road Estates. The foundation creates a lasting stable interface with the ground below the structure. A strong foundation ensures the building will last for generations.

At Burma Road Estates, the ground is stable and well drained so the foundation is a simple footing that the walls are then build on.  The footing is a couple feet wide and about a foot deep.  That spreads the weight of the house over a broad area and supports the house for the years to come. The footing is formed with wooden sides. A grid of rebar is assembled within the forms and concrete is pored into the forms to create a solid substrate for the walls to be erected.

With a solid foundation on good soil, the house will remain solid for generations to come. That’s a good foundation.