Concrete Foundation Wall Thickness

R404 1 3 2 2 concrete foundation stem walls supporting light frame above grade walls.
Concrete foundation wall thickness. The thickness of concrete foundation walls shall be equal to or greater than the thickness of the wall in the story above. Where the unbalanced backfill retained by the stem wall is greater than 18 inches 457 mm the minimum nominal thickness of the wall shall be 6 inches 152 mm. Table 4a is based directly on the aci method but for table 4b the author has applied a reduced strength reduction factor a factor of safety. The minimum thickness is also determined by wall height soil classification and the height of unbalanced backfill or backfill on only one side of the wall.
The foundation wall of a building may be a cast in place concrete retaining or basement wall or a structural wall complete with load bearing pilasters. The appropriate depth of the wall depends on several factors and there is no single standard for every home. Concrete masonry is used to construct various foundation wall types including full basement walls crawlspace walls stem walls and piers. Materials used may be concrete or reinforced masonry.
Where a concrete foundation wall is reduced in thickness to provide a shelf. Increasing the strength of the concrete mix or the thickness of the wall increases the wall s capacity. Concrete masonry is well suited for below grade applications because of its strength durability economy and resistance to fire insects and noise. Concrete foundation walls support the home standing above so any weakness can undermine the stability of the house.
So taller walls in heavier soils should be made thicker or with stronger concrete. As soon as you go higher or have greater depths of soil pushing against the wall you need to increase the thickness to 10 inches. For plain concrete walls which are walls without or with little reinforcement 7 1 2 inch thickness is adequate. Concrete foundation walls with corbels brackets or other projections built into the wall for support of masonry veneer or other purposes are not within the scope of the tables in this section.
Table r402 2 minimum specified compressive strength of concrete a ƒ c weathering potentialb.