Plastics in Atlantic Canada
Simple invention a hit with construction workers
Plastic footings save time, money and aggravation
By Becky Harris
Contributing Writer
Being a contractor, Kirk Swinimer, vice president and general manager of F&S Manufacturing Incorporated, knew the frustration of the wooden box method of constructing concrete construction tube footings.
It took three days to go down into the hole, construct the box, level it, pour concrete, wait for it to set, etc. He knew there had to be a better way.
"I thought of a big plastic form footing," Swinimer says. "The first thing I saw that would even compare to it was an inverted flower pot."
That evening he did some drawings and in 1996, F&S Manufacturing was born.
It began producing Bigfoot Systems, the original and only code evaluated engineering footing form for construction tubes that meets or exceeds building codes throughout North America.
The product reduces labour costs by as much as 90 percent by saving time, money and aggravation.
The footings, which are made from recycled high density polyethylene plastic, are easy to use, pre-made, sturdy and lightweight.
Bigfoot Systems footing forms can be used both above and below ground for cottages, gazebos, sunrooms, verandahs, gate posts, jack posts, fence posts, screen rooms, storage sheds, signs, wharfs, carports, moorings, additions, pole barns, raised decks, and standards for street lamps.
Because the tube and footing pour out as one unit, the footing forms allow for greater structural stability, safety and convenience.
They eliminate the hassle of building individual wooden box forms, possible frost heaves, and effectively shed water away from the footing.
Today, F&S Manufacturing, Incorporated sells the footings in eight countries with its biggest market in the United States. They also participate in 30 to 40 trade shows a year.
"It’s becoming the norm in states and provinces," Swinimer says. "It was a product that was well received by contractors and engineers. It gives them a better, stronger job and saves them money."
The cone-shaped footing form comes in four different sizes: Model BF20, Model BF24, Model BF28 and Model BF36. It has a uniform height with six flanges at the top to allow for different sized construction tubes.
The form is attached to the construction tube with at least four wood screws, set into the ground on undisturbed soil or on compacted crushed stone or gravel and leveled. It may be backfilled, and then is filled with concrete to create a monolithic pour.
After the concrete is cured, the construction tube and plastic footing remain in place.
Bigfoot Systems footing forms are designed to increase the strength of the structure. Ribs on the sloped portion of the footing form give the structure added strength so it can resist any distortion to its form from the backfill or the concrete.
They also allow trapped air to escape. Small vent holes in the sloped sections allow air (that’s trapped inside the footing form when the footing is filled with concrete) to escape. This prevents honeycombing of the concrete.
The footing base is sloped to eliminate any 90 degree angles and allow ground water running down the pier to drain away from the footing.
The sloped surface creates a resistance area when backfilled which withstands frost heave and bending forces exerted against the vertical piers.
Swinimer is happy with his invention’s success but is modest about his great idea. "It’s a stupid little invention," says Swinimer. "There’s no rocket science to it. It was just something that was meant to happen."
Bigfoot Systems footing forms may be purchased at your local lumber retail dealer or concrete outlets. To find your nearest distributor call 1-800-934-0393.