Surefoot the concrete free

foundation system

applications/industriesToday Surefoot is used in a wide range of applications and industries across Australia.

• Housing industry

• Energy Industry

• Park equipment

• Communication industry

• Signage industry

• Tethering industry

• Portal frame construction

• Defence industry

• Banner & Flag industry

• Temporary structures

• Slab stabilization & under pinning

• Event industry

• Shade sail industry

• Lighting industry

• Retaining walls & sound barriers

• Decking and boardwalks

• Mining industry

• Bus shelters

• Fencing

• Stock yards

• Green construction

Builders report up to 60% savings

Head Office P: 1300 397 122F: 03 9998 1964E: info@surefootfootings.com.auW: www surefootfootings.com.au

aboutNicknamed the metal tree stump, Surefoot is best described when compared to a trees’ root system. Surefoot spreads its foundation over a greater surface area achieving larger load capacities and is faster and more cost effective than concrete.

Surefoot is a cost effective way to ground posts of any size without the need for digging, excavation or cement. An especially designed steel plate secures pins in place that provide the strength needed to hold any post in place.

A jackhammer is then used to drive pipe into the ground providing a strong footing. Once in place, the invention can hold posts of any size, for virtually any purpose. The result is a fast, effective way to provide footing for posts without the need for digging, excavation or cement.

Larger load capacities can be achieved on the basis of site specific soil conditions and specific design.

surefoot vs concrete

Fixed costs

Excavations required

Dirt or spoil removal off site or relocation on site

Engineering Impection required

Concrete pump required

Propping materials for setting up posts

Gravel for bottom of post holes

Instant bearing capacity of foundations so your works can continue same day

Workplace health & safety risk

Total installation time

Rain delays - post holes full of water

Number of trades and maerials required to organise

Access issues for machinery & materials

Environmentally friendly

Reestablishment of landscape required

Adjustable in both plumb & level after your foundation is installed

CONCRETE SUREFOOT

HIGH LOW

LONG SHORT

UP TO 10 2

environmental impactEmbodied energy is the total energy required for the extraction, processing, manufacture and delivery of building materials to the building site. Energy consumption produces CO2, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Your Home technical manual – Lawson buildings, materials, energy and the

environment (1996) www.yourhome.gov.au

Biodiversity on siteSurefoot helps avoid unnecessary disturbance to vegetation and soil and responds to the natural topography of a site eliminating the use of heavy machinery to install foundations. This saves energy, preserves natural drainage patterns and prevents soil erosion and sediment run offs from waste spoil. Excessive excavation can damage the ecological integrity of the site and disturb groundwater zones.

Waste minimisationSurefoot reduces on site waste such as excess concrete and spoil from foundations. This waste in most cases is transported off site which adds to the total embodied energy of a building and CO2 emissions.

Recycling Surefoot sources its steel from environmentally focused suppliers who use up to 90% recycled steel as part of their manufacturing processes. At the end of a building’s design life Surefoot can be removed from the ground and recycled back into its raw form to produce other steel products.

Concrete Embodied Energy

928.02 MJ

Surefoot Embodied Energy

719.72 MJ

engineering principlesIntroductionSurefoot foundation system was developed approximately 4 years ago by Mr Neil Despotellis in collaboration with RE Proud & Associates consulting engineers. During this time Surefoot has undergone extensive design development, compliance and certification and is intended as an alternative foundation system to systems currently used within the building industry today. It’s primary design & purpose is to adapt and be used in a wide variety of industries for a range of different structures easily, providing a more effective way of grounding structures for the end user.

Engineering principalsSurefoots’ engineering principles are based on piling technology using a combination of skin friction and point bearing. Surefoot is installed via steel tubular pins driven into the ground by a commercially available industrial jackhammer and attachment tool. This provides the necessary driving force to install the piles to the required depth.

Compliance The system is compliant with the following Australian standards and codes of practice which form part of the Building Codes of Australia.AS2870 - 2011 Residential slabs and footings AS/NZS 1170.2 - 2011 Structural design actions and wind actions AS/NZS 4600 - 2005 Cold formed steel structures AS 2159 - 2009 Piling design and installation AS 4100 - 1998 Steel structures

Design and certificationFoundation design and certification using Surefoot should be carried out by a registered professional engineer. Under no circumstances should Surefoot be sold or installed without prior design and engineering being undertaken except where relevant code related provisions permits such actions.

InstallationInstallation should be undertaken by known trained and experienced installers who hold relevant industry experience or license classes to carry out such works.

Foundation inspectionUnlike traditional founding methods Surefoot foundations are an all in one process therefore there is no opportunity for an engineering inspection of foundations. As with conventional pilling installers are required to document the actual driven depths of piles and provide a written report to the project engineer upon completion, it is therefore mandatory that this be done during the installation process of Surefoot.

Foundation maintenanceIt is advised to refer to the CSIRO information service leaflet 10 – 91’ “a Guide to Home Owners on Foundation Maintenance and Footing recommendation” All parties must recognise that this leaflet is to be regarded as an integral part of AS 2870 and its recommendations are to be applied to all sites investigated where relevant.

Load capacitiesSurefoot is engineered to yield loads ranging from 1 to 30 tonne depended on which Surefoot type is used. Ultimate load capacities of each Surefoot are determined by soil type, wind and terrain category and associated implied loads of a structure. It is important to realise that ultimate loads capacities will vary depended on the above mentioned factors and differ with each application and site specific environment. Additional load capacities can be achieved with Surefoot on the basis of specific design of a foundation system.

Driving pins32 nominal bore x 2.6mm minimum thick galvanised steel tube (commonly known as light tubing) is required to be installed in conjunction with the Surefoot base. Pins should be driven to appropriate depth specified or to refusal whichever is lesser. The test for refusal shall be where the pile penetration for each 15 seconds of hammer time is less than 5mm.

Site classesSurefoot can be installed in all soil types. Surefoot works best and is typically where the system offers the best cost savings. For rocky sites, pre-drilling of your driving pin holes will be required to the specified depth. Where fill has been identified, the pin depths specified are depths of penetration into natural undisturbed soil below the fill unless density testing has verified and appropriate max dry density exists.

Wind CategoriesSurefoot can be installed in all wind categories.

Fixings Hot dipped galvanised steel bolts are required to be used to bolt structures to the Surefoot base in accordance with AS/NZS1252.

Tek screws are required to be used to provide locking of each driving pin into the Surefoot pile guide. Class 4 (12 – 24) screws to AS/NZS 3566 should be used with a minimum shear strength of 8.6 (kN). These Tek screws are designed for highly corrosive environment and have a yellow chromate finish. This provides the best resistance to humidity and environmental effects.

Design LifeThe Surefoot system complies with the minimum design life as set out in the current Australian Building Standards In respect of the recommend design life of 50 years for residential building.

It is important to realise that the systems ultimate life expectancy is determined by many factors such as the type of soil and the surrounding environmental effects. Soils that have low PH levels and low moisture levels will perform best over soils that have high PH levels and high moisture levels. It is therefore recommend that if additional information is required on this subject matter in order to further calculate life expectancies beyond the 50 year minimum requirements that an appropriate soil survey be conducted at the location in which the system is to be installed taking into consideration the surround environment.

load capacities

SF200Load Capacity90kN Gravity, 75kN Uplift based on stiff volcanic clay with 1200mm imbedded piles

SF300Load Capacity150kN Gravity, 112kN Uplift based on stiff volcanic clay with 1200mm imbedded piles

SF400Load Capacity200kN Gravity, 150kN Uplift based on stiff volcanic clay with 1200mm imbedded piles

SF500Load Capacity300kN Gravity, 220kN Uplift based on stiff volcanic clay with 1200mm imbedded piles

SF600Load Capacity360kN Gravity, 260kN Uplift based on stiff volcanic clay with 1200mm imbedded piles“Surefoots aim is to inform all

Industries that there are better, faster, cleaner and easier

alternatives than using concrete.”