Footings and Foundation Design

Thitchener Consulting has been designing footings across Australia for more than four decades. Our experience spans diverse ground conditions including reactive soils, variable fill, sandstone profiles, soft coastal sand deposits, and challenging geotechnical environments across multiple climates and regions.

Strip Footings

Conventional reinforced concrete strip footings suitable for stable ground conditions with adequate bearing capacity. The standard foundation system for most residential and light commercial construction on competent sites.

Pad Footings

Individual square or rectangular concrete pads supporting isolated column loads. Commonly used for timber or steel frame structures where concentrated loads can be efficiently transferred to competent bearing strata.

Reinforced Concrete Piers

Deep foundation elements (bored piers or caissons) extending through poor surface soils to competent bearing strata. Used on sites with poor surface conditions, variable fill, steep slopes, or where conventional footings cannot achieve adequate capacity or settlement performance.

Driven Piles

Steel or concrete piles driven to depth, suitable for coastal sand deposits, very soft ground, or sites with high water tables where surface bearing capacity is inadequate. Useful where bored piers are impractical due to site constraints or ground conditions.

Screw Piles (Helical Piles)

Helical screw piles for appropriate site conditions, building types, and load requirements. Particularly useful for lightweight structures, additions, or where minimal site disturbance is required. No spoil removal needed, making them suitable for environmentally sensitive sites.

Contiguous Piled Walls

Secant or tangent piled retaining walls for deep excavations or sites requiring both foundation support and lateral earth retention. Commonly used on constrained urban sites or where deep basement construction is required.

Stabilised Foundation Material

Ground improvement techniques including compacted fill, geotextile reinforcement, or chemical stabilisation where existing soil conditions require improvement before conventional footing design is viable. Allows footings to be founded on modified ground rather than extended to greater depths.