A shallow foundation transfers the load to the shallow depth up to 1.5m. The source of the vast majority of foundation problems is water. Foundation is the lowest part of any structure, which has the main function is to take load coming from upper components and safely transfer it to the below soil.Generally, foundations are of two types named as the shallow foundation and deep foundation. The earliest precursor to the modern version may be the concrete rafts developed for the building of Millbank Prison in 1815 by Robert Smirke.įor a floating raft foundation – or simply "floating foundation" – the foundation has a volume such that, if that volume filled with soil, it would be equal in weight to the total weight of the structure. The foundation is literally what the house is built on, what keeps the building where it was built, transferring the dead loads and the live loads into the ground. It was a necessary innovation in the development of tall buildings in the wet soil of Chicago in the 19th century, when it was developed by John Wellborn Root who came up with the idea of interlacing the concrete slab with steel beams. JSTOR ( June 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)įloating raft is type of land-based foundation that protects against settlement and liquefaction of soft soil from seismic activity. Floating foundation definition: a foundation used in yielding soil, having for its footing a raft tending to displace a.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Floating raft system" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.