> When I see modern townhouses slab foundation instead of proper basement A mat or raft slab foundation - such as the kind used in the Millennium Tower - can

> When I see modern townhouses slab foundation instead of proper basement A mat or raft slab foundation - such as the kind used in the Millennium Tower - can be just fine for a small structure such as townhome. A mat/raft foundation is different than a regular slab on grade foundation in that it is thicker and has steel reinforcement running throughout, not just in the perimeter footers. [1] Its strength is due to the way the steel reinforcement distributes loads across the subsurface. My 1600 square foot house is built with such a foundation and I got a close-up look at it during a recent major structural renovation and it is incredibly robust, even over-engineered. Just because it was a bad choice for a skyscraper doesn't make it a bad choice for far lighter structures. 1. https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2019/12/30/mat-slabs-an-inventive-foundation-for-difficult-sites https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2019/12/30/mat-slabs-an-inv...