“Building on a Firm Foundation”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

Key Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29

There are many famous structures around the world:
1. Statue of Liberty, New York
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris
3. Great Wall of China
4. Taj Mahal, India
5. Burj al Arab Hotel, Dubai
6. Neushawanstein, Bavaria
7. Jin Mao & SWFC, Shanghai
8. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Standing at an incredible 828 metres tall, (2717 feet) it towers above Dubai, UAE. It has 160 floors and was officially opened in 2010.

Structures like Burj Khalifa depend on their foundations. The purpose of a foundation is to spread the weight of the structure over a wide area.

There are a few kinds of foundations:

Shallow foundations – at least 3 feet below the surface of the ground; for small, light buildings such as residential homes
Deep foundations – 60 to 200 feet below the top of the ground; usually use piles (long cylinders of strong material like concrete pushed deep into the ground); used where there are layers of weak soil at the surface; for large, heavy buildings such as high-rise structures

Every building structure needs to built on a firm foundation.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its unique structure. Construction began in 1173 and by the time the workers had finished the second floor it was already leaning. This is because it was built 0.2 degrees north of vertical. After completing the seventh floor it was leaning 1 degree to the south. Today is it leaning 4 degrees from vertical which is about 13 feet. At one time it was leaning 5.5 degrees after restoration attempts. The tower was built on soft group composed mostly of clay, fine sand, and shells. The foundation was only 3 meters deep for a 14,500 ton tower. Contrast this to the Burj Khalifa with a foundation that uses piles and goes 50 meters deep (164 feet).

Again, it is very, very crucial to build on a solid foundation. 

What can happen if something is not built on a firm foundation?
1. Cracks in the foundation walls
2. Walls fall apart
3. Structure settles
4. Structure tips over
5. Structure sinks (sink hole)
6. Structure is blown away by a storm, tornado, or hurricane
7. Structure is swept away by a flood
8. Structure crumbles by an earthquake