Precast concrete foundation system for residential construction

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The Canadian residential dwelling market is continuously increasing; in 2004 alone, new housing construction reached 233,431 units. Due to Canada's cold weather, the construction season is too short to meet the demand for new houses, extending the construction duration of these new residences. Longer construction duration results in higher construction costs, which are transferred to homeowners. The current "cast-in-place" construction practice for basement walls is expensive and takes a long time to construct. It's also unsafe: the fresh concrete does not allow for instant backfilling, forcing construction workers and passersby to walk around large open trenches for weeks. Current cast-in-place construction methods also carry significant gas emissions to the environment: it uses more concrete and requires a large number of trucks to deliver its components to the site during construction. Precast concrete basement walls foundations (PCF) offer an excellent alternative for the Canadian construction industry. PCF subdivides the basement walls of a house into panels for quick on-site assembly. The panels use high-performance concrete with insulation embedded within to form a continuous barrier against heat and moisture transfer. This feature makes basements warmer and drier, enhancing the indoor air-quality and living conditions for those who use the basement as a living space. Low heat transfer basement walls also reduce heating costs for homeowners and the homes are more energy-efficient. The research team is designing, engineering and developing a PCF system suitable for Canadian climate. This provides Canadian industry with a more economical approach to residential construction with shorter construction times, extended construction seasons and easier winter construction, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This research will industrialize residential construction, making a Canadian solution for Canadian residential construction.