Grade Beams
Encyclopedia
The "grade beam" and drill
ed pier foundation is a common design in areas where the surface soil’s load-bearing capacity is less than the anticipated design load
s. Grade beams are different from continuous footings. Grade beams bear on piers which then bear on the soil while continuous footing bears on soil.
Grade beams may also be used in conjunction with spread footings, in a case with large moments from lateral loads, in order to reduce the size of each spread footing.
"A grade beam footing is a continuous reinforced-concrete member used to support loads with minimal bending. Grade beams are capable of spanning across non-load bearing areas, and are commonly supported by soil or pilings. A continuous grade beam is frequently constructed by digging a trench at least 8" wide to the depth needed to span the distance between supports. Grade beam footings differ from continuous spread footings in how they distribute loads. The depth of a grade beam footing is designed to distribute loads to bearing points, while the width of a continuous spread footing is designed to transfer loads to the ground."
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
ed pier foundation is a common design in areas where the surface soil’s load-bearing capacity is less than the anticipated design load
Design load
In a general sense, the design load is the maximum amount of something a system is designed to handle or the maximum amount of something that the system can produce, which are very different meanings. For example, a crane with a design load of 20 tons is designed to be able to lift loads that weigh...
s. Grade beams are different from continuous footings. Grade beams bear on piers which then bear on the soil while continuous footing bears on soil.
Grade beams may also be used in conjunction with spread footings, in a case with large moments from lateral loads, in order to reduce the size of each spread footing.
"A grade beam footing is a continuous reinforced-concrete member used to support loads with minimal bending. Grade beams are capable of spanning across non-load bearing areas, and are commonly supported by soil or pilings. A continuous grade beam is frequently constructed by digging a trench at least 8" wide to the depth needed to span the distance between supports. Grade beam footings differ from continuous spread footings in how they distribute loads. The depth of a grade beam footing is designed to distribute loads to bearing points, while the width of a continuous spread footing is designed to transfer loads to the ground."