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It is better to make a foundation for the house. Which foundation for a house to choose? Determining the foundation depth

It is better to make a foundation for the house. Which foundation for a house to choose? Determining the foundation depth

Which foundation is best for a house built with your own hands on a suburban plot depends on the features of the building, the quality of the soil and climatic conditions.

The choice of foundation depends on the level of groundwater and the depth of soil freezing, whether there is a soil slope on the site or nearby ponds and ravines.

When thinking about how to choose a foundation for a future building, land owners turn to specialists for advice and often make a decision depending on their financial situation, upcoming costs and the ability to do most of the work with their own hands.

When deciding which foundation to choose for building a house on a suburban site, it is necessary to determine exactly what material the building will be constructed from.

All existing types of home foundations have their advantages and disadvantages. The selection criterion can be not only the cost of work and materials, but also the time that will have to be spent on preparing and performing all manipulations, the need to attract construction equipment, and much more.

A reliable foundation is the key to the longevity of a home

Most land owners base their choice of foundation type on the ability to do all the work themselves, but everyone is interested in:

which foundation is cheaper;
the most reliable foundation;
simple foundation.

The construction of which foundation is best to begin, without fear of significant material costs and being completely confident in its reliability and durability, is decided depending on what material the building will be constructed from and on what soil it will be located.

Heaving soils require the use of a pile foundation

When thinking about how to make a cheap frame for construction, you should pay attention to the cost of the materials used, their quantity, and the method of delivery to the site.

According to many builders, the answer to the question of which foundation is the cheapest can be the estimate drawn up for the construction of various foundations.

You can choose the type of foundation based on soil quality data:

heaving;
flowability;
freezing depth;
groundwater level.

Tape frame is one of the most popular

All foundations have characteristic differences, positive and negative sides, but the most common ones in the construction of private houses remain:

What kind of foundation is needed for a house depends on the level of load that the foundation will have to withstand.

This, in turn, is determined by the quality of the building materials used to construct the walls:

wood (logs, beams, boards, panels);
stone;
brick;
adobe;
foam or gas block.

It is important to take into account the height of the base and other details, and therefore the choice of one of the various foundation options is most often entrusted to a professional.

A budget option

In an effort to build a cheap foundation with your own hands, you need to make an estimate and find out all the upcoming expenses. A special calculator will help you find out, which you can use by contacting the office of a construction company or obtaining the necessary information on the Internet.

A strip foundation for a house is recognized as economical, reliable and durable, the construction of which can be carried out from a variety of materials, even if it is necessary to use concrete blocks, brick or stone.

Builders are well aware of the types of strip foundations, the creation of which does not require the involvement of special equipment or specialists:

This is an excellent foundation for a block house. To create it, you will need to clear the site for the house, make markings, dig trenches for the tape, build a cushion of sand and gravel at the bottom, assemble and install the formwork structure.

Screw piles are among the cheapest

The strength of such a foundation is ensured by a frame connected from reinforcing bars. This structure must be assembled separately, installed at the bottom of the trench and filled with concrete. Such foundations require time to settle. We will have to wait at least six months for construction to begin.

When considering different types of foundations, advice from experienced craftsmen will help determine which foundations are of the highest quality and most affordable in terms of price. In their opinion, the simplest and most inexpensive, one might say budget option for a frame house is a frame built on stilts. This is not only the best and cheapest foundation compared to other types of foundations, but it also:

quite easy to manufacture;
durable;
durable;
used on the weakest soils, loams. For more information about the most economical type of base, watch this video:

This rather cheap type of foundation for suburban buildings is chosen as one of the most durable and reliable.

To create it, you will need to prepare pits, install formwork in them, reinforce them with reinforcement and fill them with concrete.

Another type of piles is metal screw piles. Such a foundation can be easily built independently without the use of construction equipment.

It is more difficult to cope with driven piles, but even this work can be completed in a short period of time by constructing a high-quality support structure for a country house located on any soil.

Expensive and durable

If the low price of materials is not the most important selection criterion, then the choice will fall on a slab base.

It will cost more, but its strength and other technical characteristics ensure that the homeowner will be absolutely satisfied with all the qualities of the foundation.

The main advantage is the uniform distribution of the load over the entire surface of the monolithic concrete slab.

Before pouring concrete, a cushion of crushed stone is poured into the pit.

To create it you will need:

prepare the site and pit of the required depth (it is 50 cm greater than the thickness of the slab itself);
backfill with sand, tamping well and checking the horizontality using a level;
the next layer is fine crushed stone, covering the entire surface to be poured;
a layer of waterproofing, which will require the use of rolled materials; roofing felt is laid overlapping and secured with bitumen brought to working condition;
Before we fill the pit with concrete, we will need to carry out high-quality reinforcement using reinforcing rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm.

Filling is completed in one day with careful compaction. After completing the work, it is necessary to protect the surface of the slab from drying out or excess moisture. To do this you will need plastic film or a thick layer of sawdust. Concrete gains strength within a few days, but it is finally ready for use no earlier than a month later. For detailed arguments for choosing a foundation for a country house, watch this video:

The peculiarities of selecting the required foundation are that before starting work it is necessary to conduct geological surveys, determine the quality of the soil, establish the magnitude of the future load and decide whether the owners of the site are able to carry out all the work without the participation of specialists.

Which foundation for a house is better?

During the process of building a house, the question always arises - which foundation is best suited for this building. To answer this question, it is necessary to consider all design options and become familiar with their features and areas of use and structural features.

What properties should a foundation have?

A good and reliable foundation must meet the following requirements:

Have high strength to be able to constantly withstand the supporting structure;
Have high heat resistance and moisture resistance to retain heat in the house and prevent moisture from entering the premises and basement;
Have a long service life, longer than the building itself;
Special spaciousness should provide the possibility of comfortable placement of a basement, ground floor or cellar;
Have an aesthetic and attractive exterior in the basement part;
Don't be too expensive in cost.

In addition, before pouring the foundation for a house, it is necessary to determine the type of soil, the characteristics of which determine the performance characteristics of the future foundation of the house. Soils are divided into the following types:

Types of foundations and their features

There are three types of foundations:

Each type of structure has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages and can be used for various types of buildings. You can additionally familiarize yourself with the features of the presented types by watching the video:

Tape

The main feature of this design is its shallowness and continuity. The supporting structures of the building are installed on the base of the strip (wall). This type of foundation requires the presence of a basement or cellar, or a ground floor.

The strip type can be used for the construction of buildings with light walls, based on panel-frame technologies. With the low cost of materials, such a foundation has sufficient strength.

It is possible to build a house with a strip foundation on almost any type of soil, but taking into account the shear force of the soil, which for this type of structure should be minimal.

The main advantages of this type of foundation include:

Versatility. This basis is applicable both for private houses and small cottages, and for multi-apartment buildings and office buildings;
Ease of construction. The laying is carried out below the freezing level of the soil, and above the ground the height of the structure should exceed the height of 50 cm. In addition, it is important to compact the bottom of the pit with a sand layer of about 20 cm before laying, which will ensure high reliability of the structure;
Low cost.

In addition to the advantages, this type of base also has a disadvantage in the form of insufficient waterproofing and thermal insulation, but this can be eliminated by laying a double sealing layer.

Slab

The slab type of foundation is a structure located under the entire area of the building. It can be either buried in the ground or located at the same level with the surface of the earth. And its use is possible for any type of building, both from light building materials and from heavy ones.

The main advantages of the slab type include:

Versatility of use for any type of soil;
High strength and reliability;
Effectively distributes the building load;
No deformation of the building during ground shifts;
Optimal parameters of thermal insulation and moisture resistance;

With all the advantages available, slab foundations have one significant drawback - the high cost of materials due to their large volume. In addition, it does not require a basement or basement.

Columnar

A distinctive feature of this type of foundation is the installation of pillars along the perimeter of the building, in corners, where walls intersect and other areas of high load. To ensure the coherence of the structure and increase the stability properties of this type of foundation, as well as to prevent overturning and the possibility of displacement, a grillage (reinforced lintel) is installed between the pillars of such a foundation. Extensions such as a veranda, porch or terrace are not attached to it, for which a separate foundation must be built in order to avoid increasing the load and settlement of the main foundation.

The optimal distance between the pillars of the structure is 150 - 250 cm, but in some cases it can be greater. And the building and attached premises are optimally separated by an expansion joint.

Such structures are used for houses made of light building materials, wooden and stone buildings.

The main advantages of such foundations include:

Economical option;
High reliability and durability of the design;
Suitable for installation in frozen soils;
Does not require additional preparatory work;
Speed of construction work.

The disadvantages inherent in columnar structures include the inability to equip a cellar or basement and their use for lightweight buildings.

One of the varieties of columnar foundation is columnar-tape, or pile-columnar. It is even applicable for the construction of heavy stone houses in regions with harsh climates, where the soil freezes to a sufficient depth. It is used when the tape construction turns out to be an expensive pleasure. Its peculiarity is that the pillars for the structure are installed lower than the freezing level of the soil, and a grillage is made on top, similar to a strip foundation.

Rules for pouring the foundation

High-quality and correct pouring of the foundation is the key to its durability and strength. It must be carried out in a certain sequence and in compliance with technological processes.

One of the most important is the first stage of pouring the foundation - marking. For this, pegs made of reinforcement or other material are used, which are installed in the corners and partitions of the proposed structure.

Next, the required construction concrete mixture is calculated, depending on the thickness and area of the foundation. Depending on the type of mixture, it is prepared either immediately before pouring, or in advance. If the prepared material is too thick, then it is diluted to the required consistency. During the pouring process, it is necessary to perform compaction, which removes air bubbles present in the concrete mixture. Their presence reduces the service life of the foundation, making it fragile and unstable to temperature changes. Most often, a deep vibrator or a construction hoe is used for this.

After finishing the pouring work, the mixture must be leveled using a trowel or other tool. As a rule, the mixture hardens within three to four weeks.

To answer the question - when is it better to pour a foundation, you should pay attention to such nuances as the dependence of concrete drying on weather conditions:

In spring and autumn, when there is a possibility of frost and temperatures often drop below 0°, there is a possibility of irreparable damage to concrete. This can be avoided if you add antifreeze substances to the mixture or plan to fill the foundation for a period of stable above-zero temperatures;
Too hot summer weather also threatens to cause damage to the concrete pouring - by drying out the top layer, when deep layers of concrete remain undried under the hard crust. As an option, provide constant moderate moisture to the top layer;
When it rains, it is necessary to protect the concrete mixture from moisture using a sealed covering of polyethylene film.

Conclusion

When starting construction, you should always first decide on the type of foundation, which is the basis of the entire building, ensuring its safety, reliability and stability. Having become familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each type of foundation, it is necessary to select the most optimal option that is suitable for the type of construction and application features. The quality basis of the building is the strength of the structure and the peace of mind of the owners.

Which foundation to choose for a house made of timber

Every house must have a reliable foundation that transfers the load from its weight to the ground. Houses made of timber are resistant to deformation and have a relatively low weight. This feature somewhat reduces the requirements for supporting structures for them. In ancient times, log huts were placed on large stones or even on larch logs. Today we have the opportunity to choose from several types of structures.

Factors for choosing the type of foundation

The stronger and more reliable the support, the better, but excessive massiveness means extra costs that are not always justified.

Which foundation is best to choose for a house made of timber depends on many factors:

Weights and building designs.

The type of soil, its hardness, heaving, stability of behavior when moistened.

Groundwater level, precipitation, seasonal humidity fluctuations, topography.

Availability of a basement, availability of materials, economic calculations.

How does the base influence the choice of foundation?

Before deciding which foundation to choose for a house made of timber, you should study the properties of the soil at the construction site. Load-bearing capacity, mobility, and heaving are important here. Based on their structure, foundations are divided into several types.

Rocky and clastic soils

Foundations in the form of rock or a dense embankment of solid debris have the highest bearing capacity, and their behavior is practically independent of moisture and groundwater levels. Strip and columnar shallow and non-buried foundations work well on them. In these soils it is very difficult, and often impossible, to build a basement under the house.

Sandy soils

Soils with a high sand content are stable and reliable foundations for a home. The good drainage qualities of sand practically eliminate frost heaving, except in cases of flooding above the freezing level. If the groundwater level is consistently low, any type of foundation can be used. In case of seasonal flooding, the best choice would be a pile or columnar one, with the base buried below the freezing depth.

Clay soils

Clay soil in a dry state has a load-bearing capacity comparable to stone. But its properties change dramatically when moistened. In addition, it has the property of heaving when frozen. If groundwater does not come close to the base of the foundation, and the surface layers are protected from precipitation and flood water, then any foundation on clay is equally effective, provided that measures are taken against frost heaving.

If rising groundwater or floods are possible, it is better to place the house on a monolithic reinforced concrete slab. If at the same time there is dense rock at an accessible depth that can serve as a support, then it is possible to make a pile foundation with a rigid frame that turns the pile field into a single structure.

In what case should one or another type of foundation be used?

There are different types of foundations. Each of them has its own area of greatest effectiveness.

Strip foundation

Structurally, this is the simplest foundation. It is located under all load-bearing walls and looks like a continuous strip. Thanks to its large support area, it has a high load-bearing capacity and can be used under heavy walls and structures.

Based on the depth of the base, strip foundations are divided into non-recessed, recessed and shallow-recessed. Recessed foundations are used under heavy structures and are laid below the soil freezing level to eliminate the effect of frost heaving on the base. A deep strip foundation forms the walls for basements and semi-basements.

For light structures, such as one- or two-story wooden houses, such a design is justified only in the case of a basement or ground floor under the building. A light structure resting on deep layers of soil places too little load on the foundation, which in some cases can cause a loss of stability. The influence of lateral and tangential forces of frost heaving on heaving soils is especially strong.

Shallow foundations are often used in rural housing construction. Under them, trenches up to 0.5 m deep are dug, a cushion of drainage materials is laid in them - coarse and gravelly sand, crushed stone, gravel, it is thoroughly compacted and a stone or concrete support “belt” is placed on top of it. This design is much cheaper both in terms of materials and labor costs. The drainage cushion compensates for vertical frost heaving, and lateral and tangential loads are insignificant due to the small contact area of the side surface with the ground.

Strip foundations are used on any sufficiently stable foundation. They should not be used on weak, heavily watered or flooded soils.

Columnar foundation

A columnar foundation is a series of supporting pillars made of stone, brick or concrete, connected by grillages.

This design allows you to significantly save materials and reduce the amount of excavation work. But due to the technical complexity of the installation of grillages, significant savings are obtained only with a sufficient vertical size of the foundation, at which a large difference in the volume of materials is achieved compared to the strip type. The lower frame of a timber house takes on the function of distributing the load on the pillars. This partially eliminates the problem of grillages and expands the range of economic benefits of columnar supports.

You can build a columnar foundation on clay soils, to the depth of freezing, if you plan to build a house without a foundation. If, due to the properties of the soil, climatic and hydrogeological conditions, the foundation is laid to a greater depth - 1.5 m or more, then the complexity of constructing pillars increases sharply. Here we enter the area of efficiency of pile foundations.

Pile-screw foundation

A screw pile is one of the types of piles used in construction. For private construction, screw piles are best suited because their installation does not require heavy special equipment. Depending on the diameter and depth of immersion, each pile can be installed by 2-3 people or using a compact power unit that can be easily transported to the construction site.

Screw piles hold up well on weak and swampy soils. They are insensitive to frost heaving, and the ease of their immersion allows the structure to be supported on deep, dense layers.

The foundation on screw piles can be used on clay and sandy foundations, in the vicinity of groundwater, in flooded areas, on the shore of a reservoir, on a coastal shallow. The only limitation for them is rocky and coarse soils.

Slab foundation

A slab foundation is a rigid monolithic slab made of reinforced concrete. Such a slab has a very large support area, thanks to which it is able to maintain stability even on the weakest soils.

With correctly calculated depth, such a foundation is called floating due to the fact that its bearing capacity does not depend on the hardness of the base. The load created by the weight of the structure is balanced by soil pressure, even in a plastic state.

It is advisable to use such a foundation for a timber house on loam with a high level of groundwater, as well as on unstable sandy loam soils.

To choose the best foundation for a house made of timber, you need to take into account all factors, including the difference in height in the house plan, the possibility of shifts and landslides in the surrounding area. Based on the above descriptions of foundations and foundations, general recommendations can be given.

On clastic and rocky soil, a timber house should be placed on a strip or columnar, shallow or shallow foundation.
On a sandy base - on a shallow columnar base, and if you need a basement, then on a strip one.
On clay soil, you need to use a columnar one with a depth below the freezing level or a pile one. Tape - for building a basement.
On a weak foundation, dusty or waterlogged, it is better to use a slab foundation.

When building on a steep slope, the lateral pressure of the soil on the pillars and walls must be taken into account. Any soil, except rocky soil, behaves like a liquid over long periods of time. It tends to push out buried structures and overturn those standing on a slope. On a steep slope, screw piles demonstrate the greatest stability, since they have a developed anchor part, rigid piping and a relatively thin trunk.

Choosing a foundation for a house is a task for professionals. And yet, it is possible and necessary to navigate this issue. I hope this article will help you avoid serious mistakes.

What is the best foundation to choose for a house?

What type of foundation to choose

Construction is a complex and expensive business that requires a scientific, rational approach. Therefore, before choosing the type of foundation, you will have to answer several important questions:

what will the house be like? (material, number of floors, will there be a basement)
What are the geological conditions at the construction site?
To what depth does the soil freeze in winter?
At what depth is groundwater?
how much do you expect to pay?

Reliability and quality cannot be achieved quickly, especially in construction, where each stage depends on the previous one, and a lot of calculations are needed to complete at least one of them in a short time.

The foundation performs a buffer function - it minimizes the possibility of soil subsidence, displacement of the walls of the house and protects the basement from moisture. The future house depends entirely on the type of foundation, since it is its foundation and support.

How deep to lay the foundation is calculated taking into account the climate of the area. Our country is characterized by cold winters, so waterproofing and thermal insulation are mandatory. Therefore, it is better to build with high quality, thoroughly, and in one season.

The wrong choice of foundation type and subsequent settlement of the building are the causes of skewed porches, verandas, terraces, problems with opening doors, and sometimes more large-scale disasters: ruptures in communications (water supply, gas pipes, sewerage), cracks in the facade.

You should not save on the basics, even if the cost of them is 20% of the entire cost of the house, because subsequent repairs will cost an order of magnitude more. The loss of finances is not the worst thing; sometimes it is impossible to restore or repair a building.

The foundations can be strip, slab, columnar and pile.

Slab (monolithic) type of foundation

Monolithic, also called floating, are one of the most reliable foundations for various types of buildings located on an area with poor geological conditions:

high groundwater level
heaving/subsiding soil
swampiness

Slab foundations consist of monolithic reinforced concrete slabs located on bulk soils. Reinforcement is carried out not only around the perimeter, but also over the entire area of the structure. This ensures rigidity and strength of the foundation, which in turn helps in the fight against deformation. These qualities are especially important in autumn or spring, when the soil is unstable due to temperature changes.

Slab foundations are also used in the construction of basements or basements: they protect well from moisture. Thanks to Swedish technologies and modern hydro- and thermal insulation materials, insulated slabs are becoming very popular.

If, for example, a garage is planned under the house, then it is better to use a slab foundation for this.

The construction of a monolithic foundation begins with digging a pit using special equipment (or manually, if the volume is small). The pit should be slightly larger around the perimeter than the foundation itself. The bottom is carefully compacted and layers of sand and gravel are poured to create a “pillow”. Each layer is separated with geotextiles. Then the slab is poured into the formwork: first, a thin layer is poured, then it is reinforced and the remaining concrete is added. After this, a monolithic strip is placed under the walls on such a slab, and the slab itself can serve as a floor for the basement. The thickness of such a structure rarely exceeds 0.2 m.

Advantages of a monolithic foundation:

the reinforced slab does not deform and moves with the ground, thereby ensuring the stability of the entire building
the slab is reinforced not only outside, but also inside, which is the reason for the strength, stability and durability of the foundation
resistance to temperature changes, thawing and freezing, as well as high humidity
moving soils are not scary
can be used in places where groundwater erosion is high. Provides water resistance

Advantages of a slab foundation

the cost of floating foundations is high due to the large amount of excavation work and mandatory reinforcement.

Shallow strip foundation

This type of foundation is located around the perimeter of the building. It has the same width throughout its entire length, and is most often used for stone, wood and concrete walls. If the future house is large, it is advisable to use a strip foundation.

Lightweight one-story stone, log or frame buildings are best installed on shallow foundations (less than the freezing depth). This type is used on stable geological foundations (slightly heaving), but if reinforcement is made and a “cushion” of sand is prepared, then it can be installed on any soil.

The material for a strip foundation with a shallow depth is not only concrete (monolithic or prefabricated), but even stone or brick. But it is undesirable to use brick, since it is short-lived and absorbs water.

Strip foundations can be monolithic or prefabricated.

Under monolithic strip foundations (in a trench), formwork is first installed, in which the reinforcement piping is filled with concrete mixture. This foundation is strong and can withstand quite high loads of complex-shaped buildings.

Interesting fact!
Modern trends in construction are gradually leading to the idea of stopping the use of wooden formwork. All construction companies are trying to achieve greater smoothness of the ends of concrete foundations for greater frost resistance, but wood does not solve this problem. And wooden formworks have to be built in new ways all the time. Instead, they now use reusable metal formwork, which allows for neat foundations.

The popularity of prefabricated strip foundations, consisting of individual blocks, has subsided somewhat, and in European countries they have not been used for a long time. Such blocks are produced in specialized factories. They are placed in the pit using cranes, and there they are fastened together with a cement mortar. Perhaps this technology is simpler than pouring concrete into formwork, but practice confirms that the quality of such foundations is worse. Monolithic structures are much stronger than prefabricated ones.

Shallow strip foundation

Advantages of strip foundation:

uniform distribution of the acting load. Durability and reliability
saving money and materials
ease of reconstruction

the need for a simple architectural layout

Screw pile foundation

Pile foundations are effective for construction on marshy soils and problematic soils (for example, the city of St. Petersburg).

The design of screw piles consists of pipes with pointed tips. Such piles are screwed into the soil layer. They will serve as a support for the reinforced concrete slab covering them on top.

Piles are screwed in to different depths, depending on the mobility of the soil, this is what distinguishes a pile foundation from a columnar type.

The material of the piles can be different:

Reinforced concrete pile structures are still more durable, the possibility of their operation reaches more than 100 years.

To summarize, it turned out that this type of foundation is low in materials consumption, effective on difficult soils, but requires special small-sized equipment and complex engineering calculations.

Columnar foundation

It is a set of pillars installed at the main nodal points of the building with a distance of no more than 3 meters from each other. The materials for columnar foundations are concrete, stone (natural), brick. The pillars are covered with strapping beams (made of metal or wood), which makes the base more rigid.

Also, the distances between the pillars must be covered with connecting walls - fences (it has its own design with ventilation holes and a base). It can be made from brick, rubble masonry or concrete with a thickness of at least 0.1 - 0.2 meters.

The columnar foundation can also be monolithic or prefabricated.

A monolithic structure is used if groundwater is deeper than 1 meter. When installing it, holes for the pillars are dug (drilled). Concrete is poured into previously prepared formwork, and the distance from the wall of the formwork to the wall of the pit should be more than 0.1 meters. Reinforcement must also be provided, otherwise the foundation will not have the required strength.

Reinforced concrete prefabricated foundations are erected on damp soils. Such pillars are attached to a base plate. This type of building is not intended for moving layers, otherwise the entire building may be destroyed.

Advantages of the columnar type:

material consumption and labor costs are 2 times, and in some cases 5 times cheaper, even (the most inexpensive of the above) strip foundations

The disadvantages of a columnar foundation are:

mandatory arrangement of the basement floor
impossibility of use in areas with height differences - this is dangerous, as tipping may occur
not used for heavy buildings on sandy (sandy-clayey) rocks

Which foundation is better on clay soil?

The clay type of soil is characterized by the presence of a large amount of water in its composition (due to the fineness of the particles); when it freezes, it expands and, as a result, swells and becomes deformed. The foundation breaks under the influence of forces, and the building itself suffers.

There are several varieties of clay soils, but in all of them the choice of foundation should be in favor of:

tape recessed
slab
pile

When constructing any of these foundations on clay rocks, it is necessary to use special technologies and rules.

For example, a strip base on such soils should be laid on a thick sandy base, and the formwork itself is often made of permanent insulation (penoplex). Often the cross-section of such structures has a trapezoidal shape (the base is one third wider than the top). To remove excess water from the foundation on clay, a drainage system is used.

Which foundation is the most reliable?

Its adhesion to hard ground ensures maximum stability and strength of any structure. Sometimes you have to drill quite deep.

Properties of pile foundations:

simple installation - despite the need for special small-sized equipment, it is built several times faster than other types of foundations. Unlike other varieties, the pile base does not require heavy construction machines and a large number of workers
the work is carried out by 2-3 specialists
the piles are durable, not afraid of corrosive destruction and water
universal, as they can be used in absolutely any area, especially with problematic soils

In second place in terms of reliability is the floating type.

This type, despite its high cost, can withstand the effects of poor geological conditions of the site: it retains high strength qualities. When building on clay rocks, it requires a sand “substrate” and high-quality reinforcement.

Is it necessary to choose a pile or slab type of foundation for the construction of private residential buildings? Of course not. Specialists will always find the best option from a financial and security point of view.

Choosing a foundation for a house

If “the theater begins with a hanger,” then building a house begins with the construction of a foundation. If you want to build a house that will last forever, choose the right foundation!

The strength and durability of the future home depends on the reliability of the foundation for the house. Any mistake made at this stage can lead to costly repairs and reduced service life of the entire house. Long before the start of construction work, you should find out:

Where to start choosing a foundation, and how its type depends on the material of the walls of the house;
How to choose a house foundation design depending on the type of soil on the site;
What types of foundations are there for a private house and what is the force of frost heaving?
What to do if the site has so-called difficult soil and a high groundwater level.

Choice of foundation. Where to begin

Before you start choosing a foundation, you need to understand why it is needed and what function it performs.

The foundation is the laying between the building and the ground. It distributes the weight of the building onto the ground. It is not a static structure - it can shrink, bend, and sometimes stretch. To prevent the house from deforming on it, two conditions must be met:

The ground precipitation under the house should not exceed certain values. They are calculated using special formulas depending on the weight and design of the building, the type of soil, its humidity and porosity. These values are determined from samples obtained during engineering geological surveys;
The soil should not change its structure. For every soil that is under ever-increasing load, there comes a time when its particles begin to break or shift relative to each other and it sags. This means that there should be no pressure under the base of the foundation that would cause the foundation soil to “break.”

Site layout

When choosing a site for their future home from several options, many developers are guided only by price, area and the presence of utilities. But, as practice shows, one of the decisive factors when choosing a site for future development, and therefore foundation work, should be the possibility of competent planning of the territory.

It is advisable to choose a site for a house in accordance with your understanding of how you plan to use it subsequently, namely, what kind of house and outbuildings will be built on it.

Already at the initial stage, you need to look at whether the site is suitable for your needs, and not try to build a house on a completely unsuitable territory.

You need to clearly understand that the more complex the geology and soils on the site, the more expensive it will cost to build the foundation of the house. The design should be based on a feasibility study of the house design and geological surveys to determine the type of soil.

The main factors that determine what the design will be are as follows:

Characteristics of the future house and its design features;
The material from which the house will be built;
Type of soil and slope of the site;
Groundwater level and soil freezing depth in winter.

Soil as the foundation of a house

Having a house project in hand, you need to understand as soon as possible what kind of soil is on your site and, accordingly, what its load-bearing capacity is.

Typically, there are several types of soil at the base of a building . For the outskirts of Moscow, the depth of a fully buried foundation is 1.5 meters. The zone of influence of the foundation, that is, the depth at which additional pressure from the building will be noticeable, is another 2 to 4.5 meters. This means that when calculating the foundation for heavy houses, it is necessary to take into account the properties of soils to a depth of 6 meters. Now imagine that at a depth of 3 meters there is a layer of weak soil. It may not be able to withstand the additional load from the building.

The strength of soils is affected by groundwater level : Wet soils are less durable than dry soils. And dusty sand saturated with water can generally turn into “quicksand.”

The type, properties and characteristics of the soil are of paramount importance when building the foundation for a house.

And the choice of foundation design, its dimensions, depth and construction technology is based on data from geological studies of the area.

If the groundwater level is high, it is advisable to drain the area and drain around the house.

Due to this, their level decreases and, accordingly, the saturation of the soil with water decreases, which reduces the strength of frost heaving.

Frost heaving occurs due to the fact that water in the ground increases in volume when it freezes. Under the influence of this pressure, the soil moves, which can lead to the foundation being pushed outwards, its rupture or the uneven rise of the house, and hence the deformation of the entire structure.

Classification of soils in construction

Choosing a foundation for a house begins with studying the soil on the site, understanding its load-bearing capabilities and features that affect the design of the house’s foundation and the material used to make the walls. Let's look at the main types of soil.

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Every private developer before starting construction is faced with the problem of choosing a foundation. So, which foundation is best for a house? So that it is good, of high quality, and fits into a reasonable budget.

Dozens of factors influence the choice of foundation:

it could be the material of the house,
type of roof, its slope and size
groundwater level,
soil composition,
construction budget
etc.

To choose the right foundation for your home, check out the main popular design proposals. To determine the best option for an individual foundation, a calculation must be made, which takes into account all architectural and design nuances.

Remember, the quality of the structure as a whole depends on the foundation. There are many things that can be corrected at a construction site, but the most difficult and expensive thing is correcting foundation errors. Sometimes the problem cannot be fixed.

Which foundation to choose for a house made of timber? One of the most popular types of foundation in regions with low surface water levels is pile foundation, also known as bored foundation. The second name comes from the installation method - first, holes of suitable height and width are drilled, and then concrete piles are driven into them. The popularity of this type of foundation is understandable - it is the cheapest to manufacture. In addition, its construction will take specialists no more than one day.

One pile can withstand a load of about 1.5 tons. This means that to build an ordinary house, assembled according to a standard project, you will need from thirty to fifty piles.

Once this foundation is installed, you won't have to wait several weeks for it to gain sufficient strength. Another plus is the ability to install this foundation at sub-zero temperatures - pouring other types is very difficult, you have to use expensive additives.

The piles are placed below the freezing level of the soil, which provides protection from fluctuations in ground height in areas with high groundwater. In some cases, piles are also protected with a special jacket made of roofing felt. This solves several serious problems at once:

First of all, roofing felt protects concrete products from moisture that can destroy them.
The jacket also eliminates the risk that the soil will squeeze out the pile when it freezes.

What kind of foundation is needed for a wooden or frame house? Piles remain the best, fastest option. And in terms of price-quality criteria, you can’t find a better one.

Strip foundation - cheap and safe

What is the best foundation for a house made of aerated concrete or other heavy material? A convenient solution for you will be a strip monolithic foundation. It allows you to get a basement without having to pay a lot of money for it.

Many experts have been arguing for years about how important it is to install formwork when pouring a strip foundation. As practice shows, its use is justified. The fact is that it makes it possible to significantly reduce the use of concrete. Of course, it will also allow you to calculate the future shape of the foundation as accurately as possible, which is necessary if you are planning to build a basement in your country house.

Formwork is made from boards. By the way, after the foundation has hardened, they can be used in other construction work - sheathing a roofing system or even laying subfloors.

The installed formwork is covered with polyethylene to cover all cracks and irregularities.

After this, metal rods - fittings - are laid on the bottom. Their use can significantly improve the characteristics of conventional concrete, raising it to the level of reinforced concrete. As any builder knows, concrete works well in compression, but poorly in bending and tension. And when the soil plays due to fluctuations in groundwater, this is quite possible. Therefore, the use of reinforcement ensures that nothing will happen to your cozy home even if the soil level changes significantly.

Of course, if the installation of the foundation is carried out in the warm season, after pouring the concrete, all that remains is to wait a few days - it needs to gain sufficient strength. Well, if construction is carried out in winter, then most likely you will have to use special additives. Yes, this will increase the cost of construction, but the concrete will be able to gain strength, even at very low air temperatures.

The disadvantage of a strip foundation is the relatively high cost, as well as the need to wait for the concrete to harden.

Which foundation is better for a house made of foam blocks? A strip monolithic foundation will be an excellent solution to all problems. It will transfer the load from the house to the ground, distributing it evenly along the entire perimeter, and changes in humidity and fluctuations in the groundwater level will not be able to cause the slightest harm to it. Such a foundation will easily serve you for many decades.

Monolithic foundation - not cheap, but durable and for centuries

But there are cases when it is not possible to use a strip or pile foundation during construction. For example, if you plan to build a brick house, the weight of which greatly exceeds the weight of a wooden or aerated concrete one. What if the house has several floors? What should be the foundation for a two-story house? The answer suggests itself. It must be as strong as possible, able to withstand enormous loads, and at the same time it is necessary that it distributes the weight of the house over the largest possible area.

In such a situation, a monolithic slab foundation is the best choice for any type of soil. When compared with the varieties listed above, this foundation has the largest support area. Therefore, when using it, you can build a massive house even on soft soil. The large area allows the soil to cope well with heaving. After all, when the soil plays, the entire base rises and falls, and not individual elements, which could cause irreparable damage to the house. It was this feature that gave the foundation the name “floating slab”. The house, which stands on a slab, moves completely, which eliminates the possibility of distortions.

Technology for bonding a monolithic slab:

A slab foundation can have a thickness of 10 centimeters or more, depending on the weight of your house. To calculate the exact thickness, it is better to contact specialists.
A pit is being dug; there can be two options - a deep pit or located at a shallow depth. The first is suitable for the construction of multi-story buildings, the foundation of which must withstand enormous loads. The second is for private construction, it is enough to use a shallow slab.
Before installing the slabs, a gravel bed is placed at the house construction site. A waterproofing layer is also installed here.
A reinforcement frame is installed on top. It consists of a pair of meshes, upper and lower, respectively. The elements of these meshes are fastened together as rigidly as possible. For reinforcement, thick rods with a thickness of 1 to 1.6 centimeters are selected. It is better to choose special reinforcement with ribbed edges, as they provide good adhesion to concrete.
The slab is reinforced more carefully than a strip foundation - this is a solid, monolithic product that will be subject to changes in ground height and must withstand serious loads without harm to itself.
After this, concrete is poured, compacted using a vibrating device, and after gaining sufficient strength, construction can continue.

The main disadvantage of a monolithic foundation is its high cost. You will have to spend a lot of time waiting for it to harden. But this particular foundation can easily withstand enormous loads. The monolith is ideal for laying the foundation of a brick house.

Pillar foundation - we don’t spend extra money

For most people who decide to acquire their own country house, the financial issue is very, very acute. Construction itself requires huge costs. Therefore, many people try to cut costs. In some cases, a post foundation may be the best way to save money. Yes, this is an excellent foundation for a house that is light in weight, especially if construction is carried out on heaving soil with a large freezing depth.

Alas, the low cost of the advantages of this foundation is limited. For example, if you need to build a brick or aerated concrete house, then the pillar foundation simply will not be able to withstand all the loads that it should. Also, it will not be able to effectively distribute the entire weight of the house over a sufficiently large area - most likely the pillars will slowly but constantly sink into the ground, gradually depriving the house of support.

Due to the play of the soil, the angle of the pillars may change. And this already jeopardizes the preservation of the integrity of the structure of your home. Therefore, when installing a pillar foundation, it is important to install reinforced concrete grillages. The combined design will completely eliminate lateral shifts.

So, the main advantages of a pillar foundation are low cost, minimal construction time and the needlessness of carrying out serious excavation work. Disadvantages - unsuitability for building a heavy, brick or two-story house. Therefore, it is simply stupid to abandon this type of foundation prematurely. Just think about what material you will use to build your house and perhaps a post foundation will help you save a lot of money.

What can be concluded?

That's all. Now you know exactly about the main pros and cons of the most common foundations in our country. Thanks to this, you can easily choose exactly the foundation that will be the best foundation for your country house. Of course, during construction it is also worth getting advice from professional builders, but if necessary, you will be able to argue your point of view. This will allow you to choose the best foundation for your dream home. At the same time, you will be able not to spend extra money, not waste your precious time and, of course, your home will meet all safety requirements.

So, we can say with confidence that you are one step closer to realizing your deepest dream!

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Contents:

The construction of any house necessarily begins with the creation of a foundation. The strength and reliability of the foundation guarantees a long service life of the structure.

Modern construction technologies allow the use of different types of foundations. Pile, tiled, columnar or strip foundations - each of them has its pros and cons.

Which foundation is better to choose? What does the choice depend on? What factors should be considered?

Before choosing one type of foundation or another, you need to weigh a variety of factors. Sometimes you have to do real research. The main factors that will influence the choice of foundation type, experts include the following:

First of all, you need to determine the type of prevailing soil on your site.

This is what largely determines which foundation is best for a house. For example, if the soil is saturated with water, then it is better to go with the pile option;

The next important parameter is the depth of soil freezing. As a rule, the lower level of the foundation should be located 20-30 centimeters below this indicator. But modern technologies make it possible to make a shallow foundation. In this case, it is not necessary to go below the freezing level.

For example, it is possible to pour a strip foundation with a cone-shaped profile, the upper part will be narrower than the lower;

Another important factor is the depth of groundwater. The closer they are to the surface, the more resistant to soil movements the foundation should be. In addition, it is necessary to use more moisture-resistant materials during construction.
And of course, we must not forget about the structure itself. Depending on the number of floors and area of the house, the load that the foundation must withstand will also change. You should also take into account the materials from which construction is carried out. In this regard, frame houses look very advantageous. Such structures weigh little, so the foundation required is not so powerful.
Another factor is the desire to have a basement. Such additional space is not always possible. Much will depend on the proximity of groundwater and the characteristics of the soil on the site. But if these parameters allow, then you should choose the appropriate type of foundation. For example, the pile or columnar option is absolutely not suitable.

The most common types of foundations

Now it’s worth talking about the types of foundations for the house themselves. Over many centuries, people have invented a wide variety of types of foundations. Each of them can be ideally suited to certain conditions. Let's start the story with the most popular - strip foundation.