Residential foundation engineering
Hamilton Structural Engineers helps Cambridge homeowners with foundation designs for new buildings, additions, and altered supports. We assess loads, ground information, and nearby construction before developing details.
Detailed service overview
We assess the proposed building and available ground information before designing its foundations. The work can include footings, walls, piers, and supports for new posts, with details for reinforcement and connections.
The design explains where support is needed and how new foundation work meets existing construction.
Residential engineering services
Foundation design based on the proposed building and the available site information.
New foundations designed alongside the existing house and its supports.
Footing design where a new support transfers loads beneath the home.
Wall design considering building loads, reinforcement, and pressure from the surrounding ground.
Supports designed for the loads arriving at particular points in the structure.
Review and design where proposed work changes an existing foundation.
Repair or reinforcement details developed from an assessment of the affected foundation.
We review the changes you want to make and the plans or information already available.
We review the building or site information and design the structural elements your project needs.
The agreed package explains the designed members, supports, and connections.
Any included permit responses, contractor questions, or design revisions are handled as the project progresses.
Homeowner questions
We design support for new homes, additions, garages, and structural alterations. Depending on the project, that can include footings, foundation walls, slabs, piers, or foundations beneath new beams and posts. Connections between new foundations and the existing house are included where the project needs them.
The foundation must transfer building loads into suitable ground. Available site information may be enough for some decisions, while uncertain fill or other unknown conditions can require geotechnical investigation before completing the design. The engineer uses ground information alongside building loads to establish suitable foundation requirements.
That requires assessment of the existing foundation and the new loads. Its condition, dimensions, ground support, and connections determine whether reuse is suitable or whether new foundation work is needed. The connection between old and new work must account for their actual levels and construction.
A floor slab is not necessarily a footing. We need to establish the load at the post and the construction beneath it before deciding whether the floor can carry that support. Existing footing records can help, but their relationship to the proposed post must be clear.
They can show foundation locations, dimensions, reinforcement, and connections to the building above. Connections and reinforcement at level changes need to be clear enough for the builder to follow.
Yes, nearby excavation can affect existing support. The design needs information about the position and depth of relevant foundations so the new work can be considered alongside the structure that must remain supported. The planned excavation must be considered before assuming the existing wall remains adequately supported.
No. An inspection assesses existing conditions and may recommend investigation or repair. The inspection findings can inform the design, but they do not replace drawings for new construction.
Changes to walls, openings, roofs, or posts can alter foundation loads. The revised layout should be checked before construction so the details still match the building and supports being proposed. A roof revision may alter the forces reaching walls and the foundations beneath them.
Hamilton Structural Engineers provides foundation engineering for homeowners in Cambridge.
We can help you understand the structural work behind your plans or investigate a concern about the existing house. Get in touch to discuss your Cambridge project.
