What are square footings?

SQUARE FOOTINGS

This type of footing, also termed an isolated spread footing is probably the most common, simplest and most economical of the various types of footings used for structures. Individual column footings are square in plan though rectangular footings have also to be used when dimensional limitations exist. Basically the footing is a slab that directly supports a column.

The footing behaviour under concentric load is that of two way cantilever action extending out from the column. The footing is loaded in an upward direction by the soil pressure and tensile stresses are induced in each direction at the bottom of the footing. Hence two layers of steel reinforcement perpendicular to each other and parallel to edges are provided.