Daniel Glauser of Risinger Build walks through the foundation system used on homes built over Austin's expansive clay soils. Because clay shifts vertically with moisture, concrete can't simply rest on the ground — it has to be isolated from it. The solution is a voided concrete system: wax-coated cardboard forms support wet concrete during the pour, then break down over time, leaving a gap that allows soil to move without affecting the structure above. Piers anchor everything to stable ground below the active clay layer. Plumbing is suspended in the void and tied directly to the slab rather than buried in the soil.

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