Spanish Footings: Ground Study, Design and Concrete Volume

The requirement

Spanish footing dimensions come from the ground study, loads and design checks under CTE DB-SE-C. You cannot read a safe width straight from one soil table. Sections 4.2–4.4 cover sizing, bearing and settlement.

The old reference on this page to a width table numbered 4.4 was wrong. Section 4.4 is about settlement. Do not use a table reference without checking its title, inputs and scope.

Depth and frost still need a site check. Section 4.5.1.3.6 gives precautions against ice in the excavation. The absence of one national frost depth does not mean there is no frost risk.

Concrete, reinforcement and cover need the current structural specification. Check the code edition and project dates; do not treat a stale cross-reference in DB-SE-C as a complete statement of the applicable concrete rules.

Work out the concrete volume

Use the concrete sizes on the approved plan. Ground-to-base depth is not the thickness of concrete to pour. Count each shape once where parts meet.

For example, a straight strip 28 m long, 0.50 m wide and 0.60 m thick contains:

28 × 0.50 × 0.60 = 8.4 m³.

These are example sizes, not footing design limits. Agree any extra volume for uneven ground with the supplier.

Sources

• CTE DB-SE-C, §§4.2–4.4 and 4.5.1.3.6.
• Spanish building-code hub.

Source checked on 6 September 2026. A project-specific ground and structural design is still required.