ABSTRACT
The foundations are the most under-appreciated part of any building and often one of the most expensive. The topic of foundations is a specialist subject that is mostly left up to the geotech engineer, the structural engineer, and the contractor, with the architect taking engineering advice. Foundation systems depend mostly on the weight of the building and the condition of the ground beneath. The columns of the building can then be set out on top of this base slab, knowing that there is a mass of resistance sitting just under the slab, spreading the load out over several piles so that weight can be resolved without concerns of later settlement. The old tradition of constructing buildings that sit hard against the neighbouring building may work fine in non-seismic areas, but it is a disastrous policy in areas of high seismic activity.
