The foundation wall is supported by

• A. Footing
• B. Slab
• C. Column
• D. Mud sill

Answer: (A)

The base element that carries the weight of the foundation wall is the footing. A footing is a wide concrete pad poured below grade that spreads the wall’s load over a larger area of soil, preventing settlement and cracking. The foundation wall sits directly on this footing, which anchors the wall and transfers its load into the ground.

A slab is a floor surface and, while it may connect to the wall above, does not bear the foundation wall itself. A column carries loads from beams or upper structure, not the foundation wall directly. The mud sill is the bottom framing member that sits on the foundation to anchor the wall above, but the wall’s structural support comes from the footing beneath.