Is this basement footer going to cause issues?

Question

I'm having an addition put on my house with a full basement. The contractor poured the footer and is getting ready to do the foundation walls. He marked the lines for the walls, and I couldn't help but notice that one corner is cutting it very close where the block actually overhangs part of the footer (see pics below). Also note, they didn't use a form for the footer and just poured it into a trench in the dirt, so the edge is rough and some of the concrete supporting the block is just over-pour and not solid footer. It looks like only about 7" of the 12" block will be fully supported by the footer!

Is this footer going to work? Is it to code? If not, what needs to be done to fix it? Can they just dig out more to the side to add to it? Does the part of the footer, or even the whole thing, need to be replaced?

Edit More details about the addition: The addition is 15'x30', with 2 15' walls and a 30' between them. (The other 30' side ties into the existing structure.) The corner shown is the end of one of the 15' sides. About 2/3 of it will be 2 stories, including the space above the corner in question. Wood framing with 2x6 external walls will sit on top of the foundation. Greater Philadelphia, PA area.

Update Spoke to my GC, and he confirmed that his concrete subcontractor screwed up by about 6-8 inches. They will be digging the difference out today and pouring additional concrete. But the question still stands: Is this a good, code-compliant solution that won't give me trouble 10-20 years down the road?

Answer 1

No, no, no, that foundation is NOT acceptable. Where is the rebar?

Retaining walls are designed differently than any other type of wall. Specifically: 1) size of rebar, 2) location of rebar in wall, 3) placement and extension of rebar out of the footing.

1. Because the retaining wall is in bending due to soil placed against it, rebar is significantly larger. There is no rebar extending out of the footing and cannot be drilled into the footing and installed later.

2. Rebar is installed on the tension side of the wall, which is the outside face of the wall. Generally, the rebar is located on the exterior half of the wall, but your foundation wall is not “solid” enough for the installation of rebar and masonry. (This will be discussed later too.)

3. In order for rebar to act properly in the wall, the rebar needs to be anchored properly in the footing. This anchorage extends horizontally in the top of the footing and then bends up into the wall. This extension MUST be a minimum of 18” in order for proper lap of the rebar to be placed in the wall.

I also know that you do not have a Building Permit (which is required by law), because the lack of rebar extending out of the footing would not pass an inspection. I’d ask to see the plans and the Building Permit.

I’d also be concerned that backfill has been placed against the footing without a waterproofing (and probably drainline) being installed. To keep the subsurface water from seeping through the wall, I recommend installing a minimum 4” drainline 6” below the top of the slab and a moisture barrier on the exterior side of the foundation wall and install a 2” thick plastic mesh on the wall to allow water to flow down to the perf pipe and extend down a minimum of 12” below the top of the slab. If dirt is allowed to be backfilled against the wall, the dirt could hold the moisture giving it a chance to seep through the wall and create tremendous pressure on the wall.

Once collected it needs to be disposed by extending a solid pipe over an embankment or in a collection well and pumped away.