Details about Concrete Pedestal

KOLKATA, India - Jan. 29, 2022 - PRLog -- A concrete pedestal is a widely used term in construction industry news. A classic pedestal is a square, circular, or octagonal compressive structure that is placed between the footing and the column so that the load is transferred uniformly into the footing.

In absence of a concrete pedestal, the load which is subjected to the column is not transferred uniformly to the footing, which leads to structural failure and damage in both the column and the footing.

Functions of the concrete pedestal

A concrete pedestal has several functions some of them are given below.

• A concrete pedestal helps in equal distribution of column's load to the footing.
• In case the soil on which the construction is to be done is of inferior quality (near to the water table), then there are chances of corrosion of the column, to prevent this a concrete pedestal is used.
• When wood or metal is used as a column then the moisture forms the soil can damage and weaken the column, to prevent this a concrete pedestal is used.
• A long and thick column that is suspended on a thin footing may lead to structural failure, to avoid this the columns are cut short and to compensate for that height a concrete pedestal base is used.

Concrete pedestal design detail

A concrete pedestal consists of three parts.

• Plinth - The lowest part or the base of the pedestal.
• Die - The middle part, rectangular block of the concrete pedestal.
• Cap - The topmost part of the pedestal.

All three parts of the concrete pedestal are constructed monolithically.

The dimensions of the concrete pedestal depend upon the pedestal reinforcement details (https://www.sketchup3dconstruction.com/const/reinforcemen...), which ensure the safe and uniform transfer of column load to the footing. After this a reinforcement cage is fixed with pre-decided shutter material. The shuttering of footing, pedestal and column are fixed consecutively, leaving a gap for concrete filling.

Concreting

The concrete is made in a rotating drum mixer and then is poured inside the reinforcement cage. After that the concrete is vibrated so that there are no air voids left. After that it is left for 24-48 hours and then the shuttering is unfixed. The structure is further cured for 7 to 14 days.

Advantages of the concrete pedestal

• Distributes weight on the column uniformly on the footing.
• Prevents structure failure.
• Allows construction where the soil bearing capacity is low.
• It strengthens the structure by preventing a direct application of load on the footing.
• Concrete being strong and durable is the best choice for a pedestal.

Conclusion

The advantages of a concrete pedestal exceed its disadvantages, making it the best choice for construction. It ensures the long life of the building and avoids structure failure, which was common when a concrete pedestal was not used.