Foundation (engineering) facts for kids
A foundation is the lowest part of a building. A building needs a strong foundation if it is to stand for a long time. A heavier building or softer soil needs a deeper foundation.
To make a foundation, engineers dig a trench in the ground. They dig until they reach solid ground. When the trench is deep enough, it is filled it with strong, hard material. Sometimes concrete is used. Concrete can be made stronger by putting long thin round pieces of steel into the trench. When the concrete dries, the steel ties the foundation together. We call this reinforced concrete. Once the foundation has been packed down tightly, or dried hard, construction can start.
Images for kids
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Shallow foundations of a house versus the deep foundations of a skyscraper.
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The simplest foundation, a padstone. The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia
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Inadequate foundations in muddy soils below sea level caused these houses in the Netherlands to subside.
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Drawing of Poteaux-en-Terre post in ground type of wall construction (this example technically called pallisade construction) in the Beauvais House in Ste Genevieve, Missouri
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PSM V24 D321 A primitive stilt house in Switzerland on wood pilings.
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A granary on staddle stones, a type of padstone
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Black Eagle Dam – cross-section of construction plans for 1892 structure
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Davis House dry-laid stone foundation ruin, Gardiner, NY
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A basic type of rubble trench foundation
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Typical residential poured concrete foundation, except for the lack of anchor bolts. The concrete walls are supported on continuous footings. There is also a concrete slab floor. Note the standing water in the perimeter French drain trenches.
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See also
In Spanish: Cimentación para niños
