The foundation of the Pope Building is a combination of reinforced concrete floating raft and grillage.
Reengineering the foundation due to the quicksand problem meant only a single sub-basement was constructed.

In the sub-basement, the sheet piling was plastered and then waterproofed with felt and tar.
The felt/tar waterproofing was flashed over the top of the sheet piling and extended horizontally about 1 foot (0.30 m) past the outer wall.
Below the sub-basement floor was another waterproofing layer that consisted of 6 inches (15 cm) of reinforced concrete poured atop the watery sand and then topped with felt and tar.
The sub-basement walls were built directly against the waterproofed sheet piling, and made of concrete 3 feet (0.91 m) thick.
The upper part of the sub-basement walls were reinforced with rebar 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 6 inches (15 cm) apart.

Grillages to hold the columns in place were placed atop the waterproof layer.
Each grillage consisted of two tiers of interlocking 24-inch (61 cm) I-beams.
Each grill supported a single one of the 40 columns that made up the building's superstructure.
The floor of the sub-basement was poured atop the waterproofing layer, and made of reinforced concrete.
Originally, the building was to have relied on the sheet piling and sub-basement wall columns to support the outer walls.
Structural engineers, however, felt that the re-engineered steel sheet pilings would give way under the centripetal forces placed on it by the quicksand as well as the building's weight.
This required them to alter their plan for the wall columns that supported the building's frame and upper floors.
The new foundation's wall columns (now called "fulcrums") were set inward 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) from the sub-basement wall.
Each fulcrum consisted of two C-beams, each 15 inches (38 cm) wide and held together by four 18 inches (46 cm) cover plates.
A girder, made of steel plates bolted together and 21.4 inches (54 cm) long, 18 inches (46 cm) wide, and 50 inches (130 cm) deep, acted as a cantilever.
One end was anchored atop the fulcrum, while the other end was supported by a "cantilever support column" (almost identical to the fulcrum) set 12.5 inches (32 cm) from the sub-basement wall.
There were no steel wall columns against the outside walls of the basement or above-ground floors.
Rather, a cup-like seat surrounded the inward end of the cantilever beam and the top of the fulcrum.
Into this was seated the load-bearing column above (which, like those in the sub-basement, were set inward 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) from the exterior wall).
The downward pressure of the load-bearing column helped to keep the cantilever in place atop the fulcrum, which in turn acted like a lever to support the exterior walls of the basement and upper floors.

Between the grills, 16 inches (41 cm) of reinforced concrete helped to spread the load and keep the grills in place.
The concrete between the grillage and for the floor was poured as a single unit 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) thick.
A short girder was placed between the base of each near-wall column and the grillage surrounding the fulcrum to help the grillage and floor retain integrity.

A 4-inch (10 cm) thick brick wall was built against the waterproofed sheet piling in the basement.
Against this brick wall, a 2-foot (0.61 m) thick concrete wall was poured.
The basement floor was made of reinforced concrete, and designed to support the weight of the building's steam heating plant, air conditioning plant, and other mechanical equipment.
The load-bearing columns in the basement were all 17 feet (5.2 m) long.

The Pope Building had the deepest basement in Cleveland.
It was likely that this was the first time steel sheeting had been used as pilings in a large building anywhere in the United States, and local architects and The Plain Dealer newspaper called the soil engineering and foundation the most successful method of dealing with quicksand that the nation had ever seen.

The original basement and foundation design had an estimated cost of $175,000 ($5,000,000 in 2019 dol
The foundation of the Pope Building is a combination of reinforced concrete floating raft and grillage. Reengineering the foundation due to the quicksand problem meant only a single sub-basement was constructed.
In the sub-basement, the sheet piling was plastered and then waterproofed with felt and tar. The felt/tar waterproofing was flashed over the top of the sheet piling and extended horizontally about 1 foot (0.30 m) past the outer wall. Below the sub-basement floor was another waterproofing layer that consisted of 6 inches (15 cm) of reinforced concrete poured atop the watery sand and then topped with felt and tar. The sub-basement walls were built directly against the waterproofed sheet piling, and made of concrete 3 feet (0.91 m) thick. The upper part of the sub-basement walls were reinforced with rebar 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 6 inches (15 cm) apart.
Grillages to hold the columns in place were placed atop the waterproof layer. Each grillage consisted of two tiers of interlocking 24-inch (61 cm) I-beams. Each grill supported a single one of the 40 columns that made up the building's superstructure. The floor of the sub-basement was poured atop the waterproofing layer, and made of reinforced concrete. Originally, the building was to have relied on the sheet piling and sub-basement wall columns to support the outer walls. Structural engineers, however, felt that the re-engineered steel sheet pilings would give way under the centripetal forces placed on it by the quicksand as well as the building's weight. This required them to alter their plan for the wall columns that supported the building's frame and upper floors. The new foundation's wall columns (now called "fulcrums") were set inward 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) from the sub-basement wall. Each fulcrum consisted of two C-beams, each 15 inches (38 cm) wide and held together by four 18 inches (46 cm) cover plates. A girder, made of steel plates bolted together and 21.4 inches (54 cm) long, 18 inches (46 cm) wide, and 50 inches (130 cm) deep, acted as a cantilever. One end was anchored atop the fulcrum, while the other end was supported by a "cantilever support column" (almost identical to the fulcrum) set 12.5 inches (32 cm) from the sub-basement wall. There were no steel wall columns against the outside walls of the basement or above-ground floors. Rather, a cup-like seat surrounded the inward end of the cantilever beam and the top of the fulcrum. Into this was seated the load-bearing column above (which, like those in the sub-basement, were set inward 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) from the exterior wall). The downward pressure of the load-bearing column helped to keep the cantilever in place atop the fulcrum, which in turn acted like a lever to support the exterior walls of the basement and upper floors.
Between the grills, 16 inches (41 cm) of reinforced concrete helped to spread the load and keep the grills in place. The concrete between the grillage and for the floor was poured as a single unit 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) thick. A short girder was placed between the base of each near-wall column and the grillage surrounding the fulcrum to help the grillage and floor retain integrity.
A 4-inch (10 cm) thick brick wall was built against the waterproofed sheet piling in the basement. Against this brick wall, a 2-foot (0.61 m) thick concrete wall was poured. The basement floor was made of reinforced concrete, and designed to support the weight of the building's steam heating plant, air conditioning plant, and other mechanical equipment. The load-bearing columns in the basement were all 17 feet (5.2 m) long.
The Pope Building had the deepest basement in Cleveland. It was likely that this was the first time steel sheeting had been used as pilings in a large building anywhere in the United States, and local architects and The Plain Dealer newspaper called the soil engineering and foundation the most successful method of dealing with quicksand that the nation had ever seen.
The original basement and foundation design had an estimated cost of $175,000 ($5,000,000 in 2019 dol
Halle Building