i'm new to greenbuildertalk and was thrilled to find so much information in one place.    i'm going to build a footer with form-a-drain and will be stepping the footer 32"  in three places.   this will match up the 16" tall icf blocks i will be using.   at the steps in the fad  should i bend rebar in the footer to match the step?   what is the best way to handle the step as far  as pouring the concrete go's?   do i cover and brace the vertical face of the fad and fill it with concrete when i pour.   i'm i thinking about this all wrong?   i've looked for descriptions on how to do this but i've had no luck .    hope someone here can help me.  

Two 16" steps would be better and easier.

I agree with TLC-ICF, 16" steps would work better. I know that the code here states you can only step a maximum of 24" down and then have to run a minimum of 24". The code may be different where you are building, it would be worth your while to investigate this.

If you are doing a poured foundation, it should be ICFs, you do not need to do a bulkhead. Just end the upper footing and start a new one on the lower level. If you are doing CMUs, you should rethink it.

sorry, re-bumping this thread way way up. I am in the middle of designing a similar situation. I have a walkout basement, so the footing on the walkout side needs to be -3' grade where at the opposite side of the basement is right below the floor (which is -8' below grade.).
I am planning on using FAD. It is my understanding that, since I am using ICF, I can stop my footer at the step levels (which will be 16-24" range). However when using FAD, do I still use their continuous 90 degree angles to keep the drainage continuous or do I break the FAD, and basically have 3 separate footer sections? What Buntly mentioned above is what I assumed I would need to do, or something similar.

The next question is the -3' foundation section (which will be ICF with double stud wall forming the exposed "basement" wall). Ive seen some people stopping drainage at the floor line, and either sump it or daylight it. They then use wood forms to do the deep footings 3' below floor line and not have drainage tile down in the trench. The other option is to run the FAD continuous, stepping it down, and then taking it to a deep sump. Thoughts on this?

We have the same situation, frost wall on a walkout with FAD. We just ended the FAD with the ends open on the upper wall and filled the trench in with pea gravel. That way the upper drain could perk to the lower, then day lighted the lower (we are on a hill side). So far it has worked well, although we are in Colorado, and it doesn't get real wet.