Foundation (engineering)
Foundations are designed to have an adequate load capacity depending on the type of subsoil/rock supporting the foundation by a geotechnical engineer, and the footing itself may be designed structurally by a structural engineer. The primary design concerns are settlement and bearing capacity. When considering settlement, total settlement and differential settlement is normally considered. Differential settlement is when one part of a foundation settles more than another part. This can cause problems to the structure which the foundation is supporting. Expansive clay soils can also cause problems.
Academia del Sagrado Corazón (Puerto Rico)
After the early school was destroyed, it was decided to rebuild the school with a cement block structure that would be able to withstand future hurricanes. The land where the new building was to be constructed belonged to the government of Puerto Rico. However, building a cement block structure would be too expensive, far beyond the financial contributions that the project could receive. Therefore, a mortgage was needed for the project. But to have a mortgage on the land, the land could not belong to the government, instead it had to belong to the school. Since the government was constitionally prohibited from donating the land to a church, a group of parishioners came together to form a non-profit association that would build and administer the school. After lobbying the legislature, the association bought the land from the government for $1 with the condition that this association build and run the school. The association obtained the necessary funds with personal financial guarantess from its members.