Composite footing manufacturer FootingPad has added a 20-inch diameter unit to its lineup, expanding the collection to four.
Made in the U.S. of a composite material combining polypropylene and fiberglass, FootingPad is a post foundation used in deck, post-frame and other inground structures that require structural posts.
The company says the newest footing supports up to 6,545 pounds and has been certified by the International Code Council-Evaluation Services to be compliant to IRC and IBC code requirements. “It completes a line of composite footings with load capacities for almost all applications with load capacities of over 9,300 [pounds],” says AG-CO Products, parent company of FootingPad.
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“A footings success or failure is dependent on the load and surface area of the footing, and these variables do not change based on the material of which the footing is made,” says Glen George founder of AG-Co. “FootingPad is tested to be stronger than the soil capacity and is certified at soils up to 3000 psf load capacity. If overloaded, the soil gives way long before the FootingPad will fail.”
As part of the new introduction, the company has developed an online footing size calculator that guides users to choose the best size FootingPad for their project. “The calculator allows the user to enter data for their deck or post frame projects with output that offers the appropriate footing size,” the company explains.
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FootingPad, the manufacturer explains, is a viable product in most deck and post frame applications because it saves time, making it more profitable for pros. When using FootingPad, the building procedures are the same:
-Contractors dig the post hole below the frost line
-Tamp the bottom of the hole and insert the FootingPad with the smooth side down
-They place the post on the pad (it can be off-center, allowing adjustment of pole placement)
-they back-fill dirt around the post and start building
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The benefit of the system is that there is no need to mix concrete, no need to waiting for a concrete truck or for concrete to cure. What’s more, the composite material is engineered and strong. “More importantly, they are light weight and easy to handle,” the company says.
AG-CO is aware the product sounds too good to be true, but it explains that FootingPad simply takes advantage of physics. “Posts sink because there is too much weight concentrated into too small an area for the soil to handle,” the company explains. “FootingPad greatly increases the surface area supporting the post, keeping the post from sinking.”
The footer is available in 10-inch, 12-inch, 16-inch, 20-inch, and 24-inch sizes.
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