Areas that have tropical weather often need plenty of space beneath them for air to circulate, so buildings in places that have something other than sand often use footings as their support. This method of building is an older one than slab construction, but it works well in areas where the danger of sinking into the ground is minimal. It is often the most cost-effective way to support a house, so it is the chosen method of builders in areas where basements are not used and sand is a non-issue.
When footings are used to support a building, the engineers will determine the weight of the final construction, and they will focus on distributing it evenly to all the footings. Part of their calculations is to decide how wide and deep each footing must be to maintain good support for years. Once the footings have been poured, the main beams that will support the building are attached to them and construction of the building can be completed.
