Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations in Residential Construction. Phase 1

摘要

The report addresses an investigation and demonstration of frost-protectedshallow foundations. Specific objectives included field testing the frost-protected shallow foundation technology on homes in the United States; investigating the cost-effectiveness of the technology; and developing design and construction guidance for builders, designers, and code officials. A frost-protected shallow foundation is a practical alternative construction method in cold regions where more costly deep foundation construction methods are used. The most extensive use of the technology has been in the Nordic countries, where over 1 million homes have been constructed successfully over the last 39 years. Demonstration homes were constructed at three locations for the project: Fargo, North Dakota; Spirit Lake, Iowa; and Williston, Vermont.