SUBSTRUCTURE

‘All work below underside of screed or, where no screed exists, to

underside of lowest floor finishes including damp-proof membrane,
together with relevant excavations and foundations (includes walls
to basements designed as retaining walls).’

It suggests that the function of the substructure is to, ‘… transfer the

load of the building to the ground and to isolate it horizontally from
the ground.’

the substructure includes:

• Foundations up to and
including the damp proof
course.
• Lowest floor assembly below
the underside of the screed or
the lowest floor finish.
• Basement excavation.
• Basement retaining walls up
to and including the damp
proof course. Foundation is the
lowest part of the
This a fairly narrower definition building or the civil
which excludes items such as; structure that is in
finishes, basement walls not in direct contact with
contact with earthwork, the soil which
retaining walls not providing transfers loads from
external walls, and so on. the structure to the
soil safely. Generally,
Some much broader definitions the foundation can
consider the substructure to be classified into
include all works below ground two, namely shallow
level, although clearly, this is a foundation and deep
fairly ambiguous description. foundation

Shallow Deep
Foundation Foundation

Types Of Foundation

Column Stump
 The stump is the simplest and most familiar footing used
for the vertical support and the transfer of building loads to
the foundation.
 Stumps are used to support timber-framed houses for
which they are currently the most cost effective.
 Three types of materials are commonly used for stumps:
 timber  concrete  steel.

 Stumps must have a concrete or timber footing placed

underneath the base of the stump. This is to spread the load
transferred to the stump from the building. This support
beneath the stump is called a 'pad' or 'soleplate'.  Usually
concrete stumps are provided with concrete pads poured in
situ on the site. Timber stumps are provided with timber
soleplates.