Thin unreinforced concrete house foundation walls

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of building residential basement foundation walls of unreinforced concrete thinner than the conventional 200 mm thick wall. The thin-wall foundation should require no special engineering attention, and should be acceptable as a standard to the industry.The study comprised a literature search, building code review, and a feasibility analysis which included technical and cost considerations. Additionally, an industry perspective was obtained through interviews with house builders and contractors specializing in residential basement work.Key issues were determined to be strength, quality control, construction methods and tolerances, cost savings, and market acceptance. As thickness decreases, strength is sacrificed, and the negative effect of axial eccentricity increases, particularly for foundation walls supporting brick veneer. Quality control, particularly in respect of concrete strength and water-to-cement ratios, is important from the perspect...