Surefoot Concrete-Free Footings vs Concrete

Why Go Concrete-Free With Surefoot WA?

When it comes to building durable foundations, selecting the right type is essential for the long-term success of your project. Traditional concrete footings have been the standard for years, but they come with logistical, environmental, and financial challenges, especially in regional areas like WA. That’s where innovative alternatives like Surefoot Footings come in, providing smarter, more sustainable solutions that overcome the limitations of concrete while still delivering impressive load-bearing capacity and durability.

Here, we’ll explore why Surefoot Footings are quickly becoming the go-to choice for builders, engineers, and project managers looking for a modern foundation solution.

SUREFOOT VS CONCRETE

SUREFOOT

CONCRETE

Excavations required	NO	YES
Dirt or spoil removal off site or relocation onsite	NO	YES
Engineering inspection required	NO	YES
Propping materials for setting up posts	NO	YES
Gravel for bottom of post holes	NO	YES
Instant bearing capacity of foundations so your works can continue the same day	YES	NO
Workplace health & safety risk	LOW	HIGH
Total installation time	SHORT	LONG
Rain delays – post holes full of water	NO	YES
Number of trades & materials required to organise	2	UP TO 10
Access issues for machinery & materials	NO	YES
Environmentally friendly	YES	NO
Re-establishment of landscape required	NO	YES
Adjustable in both plumb and level after your foundation is installed	YES	NO

Superior Load Distribution and Strength

Surefoot Footings are engineered to distribute loads efficiently across multiple micro-piles, ensuring a stable and secure foundation even in challenging soil conditions. Unlike concrete, which relies on large mass to counteract loads, Surefoot maximizes stability through strategic engineering, significantly reducing the risk of settlement or failure.

This makes it especially effective in weak soil or supporting projects with high bending moment loads where concrete often falls short. Additionally, Surefoot footings are built with corrosion-resistant materials, designed to withstand even the harshest environmental conditions, offering a reliable and cost-effective solution for projects demanding long-term stability.

Wilbinga Telecommunications Pole

This 7-meter telecommunication pole in Wilbinga, installed in loose coastal sand, required a foundation beyond traditional concrete. Our S600 and swage piles provided secure anchoring with minimal excavation, effectively addressing the pole's bending moment. A concrete footing would have required extensive earthworks and labor, increasing cost and technical difficulties.

This successful project, demonstrating Surefoot's strength in challenging soil, has led the client to adopt our system for their ongoing installations along WA's coast.

Faster Installation Process

Time is money in construction, and Surefoot excels in efficiency. Traditional concrete footings involve extensive excavation, formwork, pouring, and curing, all of which can slow down progress, lead to project delays, and increase costs.

In contrast, Surefoot’s streamlined process eliminates the need for specialised equipment, large crews, and clear weather, significantly reducing expenses. Installation is completed in just hours, not days, with immediate load-bearing capacity, allowing construction to continue without delay. The process is simple, safe, and easy to learn, meaning any team or homebuilder can install Surefoot Footings, keeping projects on schedule and within budget.

Merriwa Modular Granny Flat

Often residential sites, have limited access to the rear for large machinery. Surefoot installation requires only a jackhammer, and this project took a single day to install in preparation for the building to be dropped.

Many modular granny flats use universal beam subfloors (UBs, HBs, IBs, C Channels, etc.). For this design, Surefoot has a straightforward system that easily connects to the base of the module with a clamp.

Boddington Modular Stump Home

This build marked a significant milestone for us in modular home foundations by tailoring this solution for our clients. The site presented a challenge with its steep slope, requiring the module to be placed on stumps that reached up to 2.5 meters high.

Traditional foundation methods were not an option due to the complexity and cost involved. Thanks to Surefoot's innovative system, we could provide a financially viable and efficient solution that ensured the project could move forward.

Lightweight and Portable Design

Unlike heavy concrete, Surefoot Footings are lightweight and easy to transport, making them especially beneficial for projects in remote or hard-to-access locations. Transporting heavy materials and equipment to these areas can be both logistically challenging and costly, but Surefoot’s portability eliminates these obstacles.

Traditional concrete footings require large volumes of heavy materials needing specialised equipment and large trucks to transport to the site. This adds complexity, especially in remote regions or locations with limited access. The sheer weight and bulk of concrete often make it impractical to move without significant expense.

Surefoot’s lightweight design simplifies transportation, allowing materials and minimal equipment to be moved in smaller vehicles. This not only cuts down on logistics costs but also speeds up the overall process. The portability of Surefoot is clear in projects needing rapid mobilization, such as disaster recovery or mining camps, where temporary structures need to be set up quickly. Additionally, for projects with multiple phases or locations, Surefoot makes it easy to move and install footings as needed.

Kimberleys Solar Power

Our Clenergy footing system involving Surefoot S250-8P and T150-3Ps proved the ideal choice for supporting solar-powered EV charging stations in the remote Kimberleys.

The lightweight design and ease of transportation significantly reduced freight costs compared to concrete, making the project more cost-effective. This success has led to continued client adoption of our Surefoot system across Western Australia.

Environmentally Friendly Solution

One of the most compelling advantages of Surefoot Footings is their minimal environmental impact. Producing concrete for each project generates significantly higher emissions compared to Surefoot, which uses steel and a lower volume of materials, reducing the overall carbon footprint.

In sensitive environments or areas with strict regulations, Surefoot footings are an ideal solution. Unlike concrete, which requires extensive excavation and soil removal, Surefoot’s micro-piles cause minimal disruption to the ground, helping to preserve the site’s natural state. This approach not only limits environmental damage but also reduces the need for fuel-intensive trips and machinery, further lowering emissions. Surefoot aligns with sustainable construction practices and regulatory requirements focused on sustaining the environment.

Kings Park Boardwalk

Surefoot installed footings for a boardwalk development in Kings Park. Being a preserved area with strict access and building regulations, the client turned to Surefoot as an alternative to traditional methods.

Our eco-friendly, innovative system was the perfect fit, offering an efficient installation that minimized soil disruption and avoided tree roots, ensuring the project adhered to both environmental limitations and regulatory requirements.

Adaptability for Any Project

Surefoot Footings are highly versatile and can be customized to suit a wide range of applications, including modular homes, traditional builds, residential decks, pergolas, industrial projects, dome shelters, infrastructure, and more. The core of their design allows them to easily adapt to varying load requirements, connection details, and project specifications, ensuring they are providing a reliable foundation across different construction needs.

One of the standout features of Surefoot footings is how they minimise the site preparation. Unlike traditional concrete foundations, Surefoot can seamlessly adapt to slopes and uneven terrain, making them the ideal choice for projects in varied or challenging landscapes. Whether you’re working on a flat site or one with complex levelling, Surefoot footings offer flexibility and efficiency without the need for extensive groundwork. This adaptability not only saves time but also ensures a stable, long-lasting foundation for projects of all sizes.

Karratha RDC

We played a key role in the construction of modular buildings for the Safe Space Project, which provides essential safe havens for those in need. Surefoot’s flexibility was vital to the success of the project, as we adapted our connection system to meet specific requirements. We developed a custom solution that used our clamping system on top of stumps, securing the footings to the modular units.

The project was completed in two stages, and thanks to the efficiency of our installation process, our team consistently stayed ahead of the building drop schedule, which helped significantly reduce overall costs and streamline logistics.

It's the Smarter Choice

Whether you’re tackling a residential, commercial, or industrial project, Surefoot Footings offer the durability, versatility, and environmental benefits required for today’s construction standards. Our lightweight, low-impact design is perfect for a wide range of applications, providing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional concrete footings.

If you're ready to take your project to the next level with innovative, eco-friendly foundation solutions, Surefoot WA is here to help. Contact us today to discover how our cutting-edge footings can support your next build and meet all your foundation needs.