Fills Between Foundation Footings

To reduce the thickness of a raft foundation without compromising the integrity of the entire structure, column/wall footings are placed above the raft foundation surface. The footing evenly distributes the load from the column/wall across the raft foundation, preventing puncturing and ensuring structural stability. This method is an effective and economical way of creating foundations.

However, footings present a challenge: the space between them must be filled and paved to create a level surface, which can be added to the usable area of the building (such as in a car park, or factory floor). Traditionally, this space is filled with a gravel-sand mix, compacted in layers of 20-30 cm, and covered with a plastic sheet to prevent concrete leakage. Then, 20 cm of concrete with double steel mesh reinforcement is poured and paved. Additionally, plumbing installations are typically passed through the compacted material before the concrete is applied.

The main disadvantage of this method is the large volume of fill material that must be transported to the site and carefully compacted, causing delays while the site waits for this step to be completed.

With ABS Void Formworks, operational savings are significant - 50 trucks of traditional fill material can be replaced by just one truck of void formworks. The application can be done at any stage during the construction process, removing the "foundation fill application" step from the construction schedule and shortening the overall project duration. An added benefit is that the void space can be used for MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) installation passages or as a flood prevention measure. Finally, because ABS Void Formworks create structures with exceptional load-bearing capacity, they eliminate the risk of cracking.