Footings in loose sand

[bflannery]

Quick question. I have a contractor who poured footings for a single story home in fine, loose sand. The code required minimum standard is 16" X 8". His are 20"-22" by 5"-6" at the center, 2 1/2" to 4" towards the edges. He claims that wider is better and they should be thick enough. I think that the minimum depth should be met or he should consult a professional to analyze. Who's right? Also, it's 5 bag mix unreinforced. Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

[bb29510]

Rebar has to be three inches from bottom of footing then the bars need to be in the bottom 2/3 of thickness to counteract the tension of the footing.Eight inches minimum really need to be 12

 

[phuduhudu]

He's right that wider is better but thinner is worse! As our friend says you can't get enough cover for your reinforcement with the thickness he has and it does seem too thin. Also in a fine loose sand are you sure the founding strata is OK. See article on my website below.
Carl Bauer

http://www.bauerconsultbotswana.com