Stay-in-place footing form assembly and method of use

A method of constructing a concrete footing using a stay-in-place footing form assembly, said stay-in-place footing form assembly comprising:

• a plurality of inner form boards, each having a top, a bottom and a first end section and an opposing second end section, the inner form boards aligned in series with the first end section and the second end section of two immediately adjacent inner form boards against each other;
• a plurality of outer form boards, each having a top, a bottom and a first end section and an opposing second end section, the outer form boards aligned in series with the first end section and the second end section of two immediately adjacent outer form boards against each other;
• a plurality of pairs of inner joining brackets, each pair comprising a top bracket and a base bracket structurally independent of each other, the top bracket having an open lower end and the base bracket having an open upper end, and each top and base bracket having two opposing flanges with an inner width in mating relationship with a predetermined thickness of the first and second end sections of the inner form boards;
• each pair of the inner joining brackets disposed at an interface between two immediately adjacent inner form boards and joining the top and the bottom, respectively, of the two immediately adjacent inner form boards at the interface, each pair inner joining bracket disposed at the interface being separate and distanced from other inner joining brackets;
• a plurality of pairs of outer joining brackets, each pair comprising a top bracket and a base bracket structurally independent of each other, the top bracket having an open lower end and the base bracket having an open upper end, and each top and base bracket having two opposing flanges with an outer width in mating relationship with a predetermined thickness of the first and second end sections of the outer form boards;
• each pair of the outer joining brackets disposed at an interface between two immediately adjacent outer form boards and joining the top and the bottom, respectively, of the two immediately adjacent inner form boards at the interface, each pair inner joining bracket disposed at the interface being separate and distanced from other inner joining brackets;
• a plurality of lower spacing rails with a predetermined length, each lower spacing rail disposed between and connecting the base brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally, and each lower spacing rail comprising one or more first rebar receptacles, each first rebar receptacle in a form of recess from an upper edge of the lower spacing rail configured to hold a horizontal reinforcement bar used in the concrete footing;
• and
• a plurality of upper spacing rails with a predetermined length, each upper spacing rail disposed between and connecting the top brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally, and each upper spacing rail comprising one or more second rebar receptacles, each second rebar receptacle in a form of recess on a side of the upper spacing rail configured to hold a vertical reinforcement bar used in the concrete footing;
• the method comprising:
• (a) in a trench excavated for the concrete footing, joining the inner form boards in series using the plurality of the inner joining brackets, joining the plurality of outer form boards in series using the outer joining brackets, and connecting the lower spacing rails between the base brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally;
• (b) placing a plurality of the horizontal reinforcement bar horizontal rebars into the first rebar receptacles on the lower spacing rails;
• (c) connecting the upper spacing rails between the top brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally;
• (d) placing a plurality of the vertical reinforcement bar into the second rebar receptacles of the upper spacing rails;
• (e) repositioning soil to fill the trench around the stay-in-place footing form assembly;
• and
• (f) pouring a concrete paste into the stay-in-place footing form assembly, and curing the concrete paste to form the concrete footing with the stay-in-place footing form assembly as an integral part of the concrete footing.