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Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS

Section 1802 — DESIGN BASIS

2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

1802.1 General.

Allowable bearing pressures, allowable stresses and design formulas provided in this chapter shall be used with the allowable stress design load combinations specified in ASCE 7, Section 2.4 or the alternative allowable stress design load combinations of Section 1605.2. The quality and design of materials used structurally in excavations and foundations shall comply with the requirements specified in Chapters 16, 19, 21, 22 and 23. Excavations and fills shall comply with Chapter 33.

[HCD 1] For limited-density owner-built rural dwellings, pier foundations, stone masonry footings and foundations, pressure-treated lumber, poles or equivalent foundation materials or designs may be used, provided that the bearing is sufficient for the purpose intended.

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  4. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  5. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  6. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  7. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  8. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
  9. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  10. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  11. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  12. Chapter 11 — RESERVED
  13. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  14. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  15. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  16. Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  17. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  18. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  19. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  20. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  22. Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. ▸ Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
    Overview
    1. Section 1801 — GENERAL
    2. Section 1802 — DESIGN BASIS
    3. Section 1803 — GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS
    4. Section 1804 — EXCAVATION, GRADING AND FILL
    5. Section 1805 — DAMPPROOFING AND WATERPROOFING
    6. Section 1806 — PRESUMPTIVE LOAD-BEARING VALUES OF SOILS
    7. Section 1807 — FOUNDATION WALLS, RETAINING WALLS AND EMBEDDED …
    8. Section 1808 — FOUNDATIONS
    9. Section 1809 — SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS
    10. Section 1810 — DEEP FOUNDATIONS
    11. Section 1811 — PRESTRESSED ROCK AND SOIL FOUNDATION ANCHORS [O…
    12. Section 1812 — EARTH RETAINING SHORING [OSHPD 1R, 2 & 5]
    13. Section 1813 — VIBRO STONE COLUMNS FOR GROUND IMPROVEMENT [OSH…
  24. Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  25. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  26. Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 21A — MASONRY
  30. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  31. Chapter 22A — STEEL
  32. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  33. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  34. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  35. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  36. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  37. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  38. Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
  39. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  40. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  41. Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
  42. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  43. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  44. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  45. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  46. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  47. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  48. Chapter 34 — RESERVED
  49. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  50. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  51. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  52. Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  54. Appendix E — RESERVED
  55. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  56. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
  57. Appendix H — SIGNS
  58. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  59. Appendix J — GRADING
  60. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
  61. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
  62. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
  63. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  64. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
  65. Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
  66. Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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