ABSTRACT
Any structure that is not flying or floating rests on or in the ground and the base of the structure and the soil together make up the foundation. Buildings and embankments must have foundations and so must vehicles and people. The criteria for the design of a foundation are that the settlements should be limited so that the building does not become damaged, vehicles can still move about and you do not lose your boots in mud. All foundations settle because nothing (not even tarmac or rock) is absolutely rigid, but obviously some settle more than others; look at the Tower of Pisa for instance. When you walk across the beach and leave a footprint it is simply a mark of the settlement of a foundation and so too is a tyre track.
