The foundation is the most important part of the building, as it accounts for the stability and the life of the structure to be constructed. It distributes the load from the structure to the soil evenly and safely and anchors the building to the ground, preventing it from overturning due to lateral forces. Foundations can be built from various types of materials, including but not limited to bricks, stones, concrete, and steel, to name but a few. Nonetheless, the type of building and the nature of the underlying soil have an impact on the selection of the material.
Since the foundation is liable to damage and the most difficult part to reach after the completion of the building, it must be satisfactorily designed and constructed from the very get-go. This guide will walk you through the process, from selecting the right foundation type to inspecting your final product.
Do A Subsurface Investigation To Determine The Soil Strength
Prior to the start of work, an on-site inspection of the soil by an accredited engineer is of the essence to understand the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the soil. The subsurface investigation comes down to the sampling and examination of the below-surface materials, such as rock, groundwater, and manmade materials. Sandy and loam soils are excellent for building foundations on account of their water management and stability, whereas clay and peat soils are far from ideal due to their expansiveness and high water retention. Good soil for construction is capable of capturing precipitation and preventing runoff and erosion from causing structural damage.
Select The Right Foundation For Your Building Design
The materials for the foundation must be water-resistant, sufficiently strong, and immune from termites. Very few materials satisfy these requirements, including basalt, granite, trachyte, limestone, sandstone, shale, and concrete. Lighter projects like residential homes can make use of shallow foundations, which, if adequately reinforced, stand and don’t sink. Heavy buildings, like shopping centers and skyscrapers, require deep foundations (piles or pilings are drilled down into the earth). The most important types of foundations are wall footing, strip footing, combined footing, and cantilever footing. It’s recommended to hire an experienced engineer or architect to design the foundation.
Footings support the foundation walls, spreading the weight over a larger area and don’t require special equipment or skills for construction. It may be necessary to introduce two-way reinforcement within a single layer of the lower section or two layers, one in the upper section and the other in the lower section. The base can be made of concrete or entirely built up of one material, whether it’s bricks or stones. The footing must be properly designed; otherwise, it will have a tendency to break or crack. The concrete used typically consists of Portland cement, which has superior resistance to sulfate attacks.
Contact Your Local Building Department To See What Permits You’ll Need
Nearly every jurisdiction requires a building permit before major construction work can be undertaken to reduce potential hazards. This covers structural integrity, mechanical systems, fire safety, life safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility. Needless to say, navigating the wilds of construction licenses and approvals without knowing what you need can be challenging. The requirements vary from location to location, so you should reach out to your local building office before the start of the project or work with a professional contractor who can handle the permits for you. This can include a building permit, an electrical permit, a grading permit, and a zoning permit.
Prepare The Site To Guarantee A Stable Foundation
Eliminate trees, stumps, roots, roots, and other protruding objects to transform the land into a blank canvas. Equally, you must perform any miscellaneous work the engineer considers necessary, such as sealing an old well or leveling the terrain outside the limits of construction to streamline maintenance and post-construction operations. There are multiple ways to excavate a site for a strong building foundation, and the choice is largely based on the geography of the area and time constraints. Unlike conventional machines, a suction excavator eliminates the risk of underground strikes and potential worker injuries. It’s possible to remove materials that you couldn’t remove before, such as fly ashes and hard clay.
Suction excavators use a powerful fan or pump to excavate soil that has been partially loosened along with fine particulate matter. A work permit is required in addition to the excavation permit. As the market leader in vacuum excavation systems, Saugbaggersales UK has extensive experience in devising and manufacturing customized solutions. If you wish to build the foundation below the water level, be prepared for issues in terms of waterlogging, which means the soil hardens to the extent that neither air nor water can soak through. You can lay a bed formed of smooth concrete to improve the bearing capacity of the underlying surface.
Once The Foundation Design Is Finalized, The Next Step Is Construction
Proper foundation design and construction ensure the building is safe and stable in the long term. An accredited engineer can devise a foundation type and size that results in acceptable values of deformation (i.e., settlement) and an adequate margin of safety to excessive deformation. Foundations can be costly, so overly-designed ones are wasteful and inefficient. It’s now possible to build reliable, cost-effective, and high-capacity foundations, even on very difficult sites. Bear in mind that all errors that can be committed are destructive, as they cause the ruin of the building and can’t be rectified without the utmost difficulty.
Dig a trench for the footings – it typically extends below the frost line to prevent shifting. The minimum of depth is given by Rankine’s formula. The base area of the footing should be proportional to the applied load, which acts concentrically. Reinforcing the footing trenches enhances the load-bearing capacity. When waiting for the concrete to dry, remember these timeframes: 24 to 48 hours. The foundation must be allowed to cure, which involves maintaining appropriate moisture levels and safeguarding the foundation from extreme weather conditions. Seven days are enough. Finally, yet importantly, regular inspections should be conducted to identify potential issues before they become big problems.
