Patent ID: 7596923

Claim:
A method for providing a finished foundation for a building, said finished foundation comprising at least one wall structural element embedded into said finished foundation, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a perimeter channel defining the perimeter of the building, said perimeter having an interior portion and an exterior portion; b. providing a first foundation element in said perimeter channel; c. providing said at least one wall structural element, said wall structural element comprising a front side facing said exterior portion and a back side facing said interior portion, and a retaining flange permanently secured to the wall structural element, said retaining flange extending along substantially the entire length of the front side of said wall structural element and secured to the front side of said wall structural element, where a portion of said retaining flange extends in a horizontal direction away from the front of the wall structural element; d. securing the at least one wall structural element to said first foundation element such that the retaining flange faces the exterior portion; e. providing a second foundation element to secure the at least one wall structural element in said perimeter channel, said second foundation element being retained within the perimeter channel and the boundary of the second foundation element being defined by the retaining flange, such that the wall structural element is embedded within the second foundation element, the second foundation element contacting and completely surrounding at least a portion of the front side of the wall structural element, the second foundation element contacting and surrounding at least a portion of the back side of the wall structural element, said second foundation element having a first portion and a second portion, the height of the second portion being less than the height of the first portion and at least part of the second portion extending beyond the front side of the wall structural element.