Strip footing
Strip footing is a continuous reinforced concrete beam below loadbearing walls. Used on Class A/S/M sites under AS 2870, masonry or brick veneer construction.
Ask Chalkline about this →A strip footing is a continuous reinforced-concrete beam cast in a shallow excavation below the line of a loadbearing wall, transferring the wall load into the founding soil along the length of the wall. It is the traditional residential footing type for masonry and brick-veneer construction on stable (Class A) and slightly reactive (Class S or M) sites under AS 2870:2011, Residential slabs and footings (verified 2026-05-15). Strip footings work well in combination with timber suspended floors or precast suspended slabs but are less common on modern single-pour stiffened raft slabs, which integrate the footing line into a thickened beam.
Typical residential dimensions (Class A or S site, single storey, brick veneer):
| Element | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Width | 300 to 450 mm |
| Depth (below ground) | 300 to 450 mm |
| Reinforcement | 2 No. N12 top and bottom, or trench mesh (T8 / TM8) per AS 2870 Table 3.2 |
| Concrete strength | N20 to N25 |
| Cover to reinforcement | 50 mm bottom, 40 mm sides |
Class M, H1 or H2 (highly reactive) sites require deeper, wider or more heavily reinforced strip footings or, more commonly, a switch to a stiffened raft slab to manage seasonal soil movement. Class P sites (problem) need site-specific engineering, not standard footing detailing.
Contrast with other footing types:
- A pad footing is a localised square or rectangular pad under a single concentrated load (a column, a pier).
- A raft footing is a continuous concrete slab covering the building footprint, with thickened edge and internal beams; loads distribute across the whole raft.
- A strip footing concentrates load along the wall line only; under masonry walls this is structurally efficient and historically the default.
Common defects on strip footings:
- Reinforcement out of position at the pour: cover compromised, durability reduced.
- Insufficient depth below founding level: footing bearing on disturbed fill, not natural ground.
- Cold joint where pour stopped overnight without a planned joint detail.
- Missing termite barrier integration where AS 3660.1 termite management is required.
Also known as: continuous footing; wall footing; spread footing (the loose term).
Category: Structure.
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Last updated: 2026-05-15. Verified: 2026-05-15. Quarterly review for currency.