Legal definition of building pads
From Law Insider:
Building pads means the area occupied by a building or buildings on a building site, including the open area contiguous to and surrounding such buildings and having a slope not greater than is permitted.”
A workman’s definition of building pads
As defined, the pad foundation is supposed to spread the concentrated load safely to the bearing soil. Thus, the pad foundation (building pad) must be designed stiff so that there is uniform spreading of the load to the soil, and that must happen without making the foundation pressure exceed the permissible bearing stress.
Types of building pads
There are varying types and methods of building pads, including the following:
- Concrete
- Reinforced concrete
- Continuous pad foundation
- Combined pad foundation
- Pad and ground beam foundation
Let’s look at each of these briefly.
Concrete
This the most economical and basic of methods, a simple concrete pour without reinforcement. It is only used when the load placed on top of the pad is very light.
Reinforced concrete
Used generally for wide and shallow foundations, but foundations which will carry a slightly heavier load and thus need reinforcement of some sort, either bolts or rebar in nature.
Continuous pad foundation
A method whereby the pads, and the columns they support, are closely spaced.
Combined pad foundation
This involves extending the pads beyond the building dimensions, tying those into the interior pads for added continuity and strength, and better pad balance.
Pad and ground beam foundation
Smaller pads are connected by ground beams to provide structural rigidity.
Choosing from among the different types of building pads
The choice of building pads to be used on a construction site depends on several factors:
- The safe bearing capacity of the soil
- The load to be supported
- The column arrangement
- Site conditions
- Accessibility
- Subsurface conditions
- The depth of the water table
- Cost factors and budget
The bottom line about building pad construction
If you have read this far, the following statement should be obvious: the use of building pads is crucial for a successful construction project, and the building pad construction should only be done by professionals who have a very accurate knowledge of soil composition and the experience to put that knowledge to use. Without the knowledge and the experience, the foundation pour will be an exercise in futility, and trouble will follow, if not sooner then certainly later.
And, before all that happens, the excavation and grading of the pad is crucial, in conjunction with the determination of the proper soil to be used and the preparation of that soil. It all begins with the soil. Choose the wrong soil, prepare the soil in the wrong way, and the foundation will be poured on a surface incapable of properly holding the weight.
This is not a job for amateurs. This is not a job for someone lacking in knowledge about common soils at a particular worksite. You want experienced excavating contractors. This is a job which screams “experience” in excavating and grading, and in Fort Worth that experience is found at J & A Excavating.
Choosing a building pad expert
Follow the references. Follow the experience. Those experienced in building pad construction will be easily recognized by their track record. Those without the necessary experience will also be easily recognized, because there is no way to hide poor workmanship in the construction industry.
