Structure Inspection Section#1 Footings and Foundations Quiz#5

You should have finished Study Session 4 and Quick Quiz 4 before starting this Study Session.

The estimated completion time is 30 minutes.

Objectives
At the end of this study session, you should be able to:

• Describe common footing types.
• Understand the implications of lowering a basement floor.

List nine clues that a basement floor has been lowered.

1. Curbs around the perimeter indicating bench footings

2. The foundation wall material changes part way down, indicating underpinning

3. Unusually high basement ceiling

4. New or extended basement stairs

5. Furnaces or other equipment on raised pads on the floor

6. Utility lines entering or leaving the house above basement floor level

7. Sumping pumps or sewage ejector pumps

8. Interior foundation drains

9. The basement floor is different from other houses in the area

Often there will be a settlement crack at the joint between an old house and an addition. Why would this crack develop?

Cracks between the original house and additions are common where the houses are attached because the original house has settled before the addition is added. As the addition settles, it moves relative to the original house, resulting in a crack.

What is a concentrated load?

Loads from large areas are concentrated on a small point. This could be the end of a beam, bottom of a chimney or a column, for example.

What problems could result form lowering a basement floor?

Lowering a basement floor may undermine the original footings. The original footing may settle down onto the new foundation and footing system that shrinks while it cures. Flooding and seepage problems are common in lowered basements.

Where would a step footing be used and where would you look to find cracks?

A step footing is typically used on a house built on a sloping lot. Cracking is common at the steps in the foundation. They may be diagonal, vertical or horizontal cracks.