For any building construction project, there’s a need to install concrete footing before anything else gets erected. It’s what will hold the whole structure, no matter how tall that maybe, that’s why it is important to ensure that it’s installed properly.
If you are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in your new construction project, surely, you’d want the best your money can give you. You don’t want to skimp on these concrete footings since it’s crucial for the building’s integrity. Go with the best contractor available, and ask if they can install a concrete footing that suits your building requirements.
Here are four things to consider when installing concrete footing.
Soil Consistency
Before anything else, you need to carefully analyze the soil in your project location. Your groundbreaking ceremony is breaking the ground to check its consistency, to determine the right placement of the concrete footings. This should be done to properly support the foundation and the building itself. You don’t want to start pouring cement only to find out the soil will make your building shift because of the weight. You’re not making the next leaning tower of Pisa, so you want to ensure that you’re placing the concrete footings in the right locations.
Size of Footing
When installing concrete footings in Salt Lake City, contractors should also consider its size. It is important because it determines how much cement you’ll need for the footing. Again, the size would be dependent on the type and size of the property being erected, as well as the bearing capacity of the soil in the area. For context, if you are building big, multi-story houses or commercial structures, your concrete footings should be at least 2 feet wide.
Dimensions and Depth of Footing
Similar to the size, the depth and dimension of the footing should also be considered before the actual building project gets started. This is to ensure that each putting would properly bear the weight of the structure, and won’t unnecessarily carry too much load for it to deteriorate quickly over time. Again, this consideration depends on the type of structure being built, whether it’s for homes or commercial use. Your contractor will have experts that can calculate the depth and dimension of each concrete footing so that it can be built to code and whatever load requirement of the final structure.
Climate and Environment
Lastly, it is important to consider the environment where the building would be erected, as well as the climate of the region. Are you building in a cold region or a warm, temperate area? Would it be raining most of the year, or is it hot and human for several months straight? This is to account for the wear and tear of concrete, which is known to wear down faster in hotter climates. For these situations, you might need to spend on more expensive concrete to counter the effect of climate on the wear and tear. More expensive concrete is usually treated or has mixed preservatives to lengthen the life of your concrete footing.
