The difference between Foundation and Footing

People often take foundation and footing as same. or sometime they even don't care about it. But actually these two are different. Rakshita Nagayach explained the detailed difference between these very well, which can clear your doubt easily.

Foundations are broadly classified as : 

• Shallow Foundations and
• Deep Foundations

According to Karl von Terzaghi, a foundation is shallow if its depth is equal to or less than its width. Foundations constructed by open excavation are also called shallow foundations.

The term footing is used in conjunction with shallow foundations commonly. A footing is a foundation unit constructed in brick work, masonry or concrete under the base of a wall or a column for the purpose of distributing the load over a large area. A footing or a shallow foundation is placed immediately below the lowest part of the Superstructure supported by it. 

Some examples of footings are:

Spread footings for columns

Spread footing

Spread footings for walls 

Combined footings for columns and walls 

Strap footing 

The Deep foundations are simply called foundations. The depth of the foundation is more than the width. 

Some examples are: 

• Pile foundation

Stages in forming vibro-expanded piles

Well Foundation

Coffer dams

The two terms are also defined as : 'A foundation is the part of the structure which is in direct contact with the ground to which the loads are transmitted, while the lowermost portion of the foundation which is in direct contact with the sub-soil is called the footing.'