Basement construction / Discussions

I'm not concerned with the compression issue, but rather how the lateral (shear) loads get transferred from the concrete footing into the soil, via the insulation layer.  DJB It would be a structural engineer you're looking for, and while we have a team here that deal with everything LEED & Passive House related, s...

...construction with 14 inches of seamless insulation on the exterior and 12 inches below the slab. Note where the doorway is in the front of the image - that is a wood fiber / cement product called Thermasill that allows for a solid surface outside of doors while avoiding the thermal bridging of concrete.  And if you hav...

...basement, what are the implications of having half of the footprint as a slab, and half basement? Thanks Shaun   That is a common question, and a hot topic that often brings dissagreement, but we like that though!  So much so that we have a page highlighting the pros and cons, check it out -  Slab on Grade or Foundatio...