Pouring the foundation is a very important process, the quality of which directly determines the service life of the entire house. There are several technologies and schemes for pouring the foundation, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. We’ll talk further about how to pour the foundation under a house with your own hands.

Pouring the foundation in the summer: features and advantages

The foundation is the support of the building and its production should be approached with special responsibility. When building a house yourself, we recommend choosing the right time of year to pour the foundation. Since weather conditions play an important role in the quality of the resulting structure.

The foundation can be poured at any time of the year. However, each of these fills has its own characteristics:

1. Pouring the foundation in the autumn season.

In autumn, the foundation is protected from excessive moisture. To do this, the already dried coating is covered with a polyethylene film. In addition, the inside of the formwork is covered with cellophane, which improves the evenness of the surface and the waterproofing properties of the foundation.

Working in the cool season has its advantages and disadvantages. During this period, the solution hardens and dries poorly, but at the same time there is time for its installation. In addition, there is no need to install additional waterproofing.

2. Features of summer foundation pouring - at this time of year, the main enemy of concrete is direct solar radiation. Under its influence, water quickly evaporates from the foundation; to prevent this process, the concrete is constantly moistened for two weeks.

Summer foundation pouring is the most ideal option. It is quite easy to build a trench this year; the concrete does not freeze as it does in winter. However, we recommend choosing cloudy weather to carry out work.

In high temperatures and low humidity, work quickly. In addition, when performing summer filling, follow the recommendations below:

• use a waterproofing membrane that prevents excess moisture from escaping into the ground;
• attract as many workers as possible in order to complete the work as quickly as possible;
• make the solution more humid, thus extending its service life.

Features of pouring the foundation in winter

Pouring a foundation at this time of year is quite difficult. First of all, difficulties arise with digging a trench. If there is snow on the site, remove it. Next, cover the foundation location with black waterproofing film. Thus, under the influence of sunlight the soil will warm up.

For the manufacture of winter formwork, polystyrene foam is most often used. This material is elastic, is not afraid of frost and additionally insulates the foundation.

Particular difficulties in the winter season arise with the production of concrete mortar. If the temperature is too low, the water freezes; to prevent this, the composition is constantly heated. Please note that at temperatures of -15 and below, work on pouring the foundation is not carried out. There are several ways to prevent water from freezing in the foundation. We invite you to familiarize yourself with them:

• performing heating of the site and foundation - the concrete composition and foundation are heated by air guns for several days from the moment of pouring;
• using improvised means for heating - after pouring the foundation, it is covered with burlap, then manure or turf is poured;
• the third method is based on the use of special additives, such as table salt, it is added directly to the water for the solution in a ratio of seven to one, such concrete is called cold, it is not prone to freezing, but also takes longer to dry than usual.

To improve the quality of the solution, plasticizers are added to it to prevent water from freezing. Pouring a foundation in winter is a very real process, however, if it is possible to do this work at another time of the year, we recommend taking advantage of it.

To obtain a high-quality mortar for pouring a foundation, you first need to select the right components. The most important components for a concrete mixture are sand and water. In addition, sand and coarse material in the form of crushed stone, gravel, and pebbles are used as fillers. Also, special substances are added to the concrete solution to improve its strength characteristics.

Cement is the main component, the main function of which is to combine all components into a single composition. We recommend purchasing cement immediately before pouring, since this material is highly hygroscopic, easily absorbs moisture and hardens.

To obtain high-quality concrete, we recommend using cement grade 400 or 500. In this case, it is possible to obtain a high-strength composition. Water - dilutes the concrete solution to the desired consistency. Use only clean water, without additional inclusions or salts.

Pay attention to the proportions of water; if there is not enough concrete, it is very difficult to lay the concrete on the surface, and if there is too much, the mass does not have the required strength and will crack over time.

If you combine water directly with cement and apply such a composition to the surface, then due to excessive stress, it will begin to crack. To prevent this process, increase the strength and reduce the cost of concrete, fillers in the form of sand and crushed stone are used.

Use only clean sand without clay inclusions. The ideal option is river sand, pre-washed and dried.

Crushed stone is most often used as a coarse aggregate. This material must also be clean, and all stones must be different in size. Thus, the number of voids in the solution is reduced and the strength of the coating increases.

Next comes an equally important process - selecting the proportions of the concrete composition. The standard ratio of cement, crushed stone, sand and water is 1 to 2 to 4 to 0.5. In private construction, these proportions are determined by the type of concrete and the characteristics of the sand; when using wet material, the amount of water decreases.

If there is an excessive amount of cement in the composition, it turns out to be too hard, a large amount of sand - the solution does not set well, the presence of an excessive amount of water - leads to poor adhesion of the coating and high porosity. Therefore, strictly follow the proportions when preparing the solution.

How to improve the quality of the solution

Even with ideal proportions, some concrete mortar options need improvement. In order to make the composition more plastic, while reducing the amount of water, various plasticizers are used.

With the help of water repellents, the solution acquires bubbly properties and its setting time is reduced. In the winter season, various salts are added to the solution, changing the properties of concrete.

In addition, the quality of the resulting coating is also determined by the method of its installation. The most durable composition is obtained by exposing the solution to vibration mechanisms. With its help, installation is done as quickly as possible.

Equipment for pouring the foundation under the house

The number and type of devices for pouring the foundation are determined individually and depend on many factors, such as:

• time of year for work;
• foundation type;
• trench dimensions;
• individual structural features.

Most often, in the process of pouring the foundation, reinforcement mesh, gutters, and beacons are used.

In addition, when making the solution yourself, a concrete mixer is used to mix it. You should also take care of the containers through which the solution is supplied directly to the trench.

Using a concrete mixer significantly improves the quality of the solution, making it as uniform in consistency as possible. The best option for pouring a foundation is a concrete mixer with a capacity of more than 50 liters. To ensure continuity of the process, we recommend that at least three people work together.

The mixer is an automatic concrete mixer that delivers ready-mix concrete to the site. It will take no more than a few hours to fill such a foundation. A special chute is connected to the machine, with the help of which the solution falls directly into the trench.

If it is not possible to access the site, a device in the form of a concrete pump is used. This unit supplies the solution over a distance of about 50 meters. A special sleeve with a hose distributes the solution as accurately as possible.

Preparing to pour the foundation yourself

There are several stages of foundation construction:

1. Study of the geological characteristics of the site. The strip foundation under the house is poured only when the soil is dry. If there is heaving, we recommend choosing another option.

2. Applying markings. The area is pre-leveled and cleared of debris and vegetation. Using pegs and string, mark the internal and external location of the foundation. To construct partitions, also make markings. Pay attention to the corners of the foundation; the evenness of the future structure depends on the correctness of their location. Check the markings with a level.

3. Digging a pit or trench. The depth of the foundation is determined in advance, which depends on the type of soil, the characteristics of its freezing, the load on the foundation and the weight of the building. Most often, the foundation for a one-story house is built with a depth of 50 to 100 cm. The bottom of the trench is checked with a water level. Differences in height are not allowed. An excavator or shovels are used to perform the work. When performing work in the winter season, only specialized equipment is used.

4. At the next stage, the foundation cushion is formed. This element is mandatory and serves the function of reducing the load on the foundation when the soil moves. Sand, at least 15 cm thick, is laid at the bottom of the trench. At the same time, every 3 cm of sand is carefully compacted with a special tool and leveled to the water level. Next comes a layer of crushed stone, which performs the function of removing moisture. Waterproofing in the form of roofing material or polyethylene film is laid on the crushed stone.

5. Construction of formwork is the next process. Metal, wood or plastic are used to make it. In winter, formwork is made only from plastic. The formwork protrudes above the surface by at least thirty centimeters. A rope is installed inside the formwork, indicating the level of pouring the foundation. At this stage, water and sewer pipes are installed.

6. Performing reinforcement. The strength of the foundation and the service life of the entire building directly depend on the quality of this process. Metal rods connected with special wire are laid inside the trench. The type of rods and their number are determined individually for each building.

Upon completion of the reinforcement, the process of pouring the foundation with concrete mortar follows directly.

Recommendations and instructions for pouring a foundation yourself

There are two options for pouring the foundation:

• partial;
• complete.

Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages. There are three types of partial filling:

• horizontal;
• vertical;
• diagonal.

This method is used less often in private housing construction than full filling. This is explained by the complexity of its implementation and the need for individual calculations of time intervals.

For strip foundations, horizontal or vertical filling is used. The strength of the foundation after pouring is influenced primarily by proper reinforcement. And calculation of the number of layers and their setting time.

Before starting partial pouring, determine how to perform the work, make a drawing that clearly defines each of the layers and their setting time. Divide the area into several parts, in relation to the filling method.

Full foundation pouring is used more often. The result is a complete monolithic coating that has excellent performance characteristics. The concrete solution is prepared immediately before pouring. Distribute the composition evenly over the trench, remove voids with a special device or a concrete vibrator.

The solidity of the foundation made by full pouring has the following advantages:

• no need for complex and lengthy work;
• resistance to seasonal soil changes;
• high level of strength - resistance to deformation.

When choosing between partial and complete pouring of the foundation for a house, we recommend choosing the first option.

Pouring the foundation video:

09:19

The construction of a private house always begins with preparing and pouring the foundation. Arranging the foundation of a house is one of the most important and critical stages of construction; it requires maximum attention and care when carrying out work.

When constructing a residential building, the following types of foundation can be used:

• pile,
• tape,
• monolithic.

For a certain type of building, one or another type of foundation is suitable. For example, a pile foundation is necessary when the soil on the site is weak enough to organize other types of house foundations in it.

The good thing about a strip foundation is that it can be installed in most types of soil without unnecessary preparatory work.

If there is “floating” soil - sand or so-called quicksand, it is recommended to use a monolithic or slab foundation.

For most country houses being built, a strip foundation is chosen.

Preparatory stage

Preparation before pouring the foundation for a house is of great importance. At this stage, it is necessary to mark the area for the foundation of the house according to the previously drawn up drawing. The depth and thickness of the foundation, its location on the site depends not only on the terrain, but also on the composition of the soil. For example, swampy or clayey soil requires a pile foundation, unstable soil requires a monolithic foundation, and a strip foundation is suitable when there is mixed soil.

Foundation marking scheme

Marking is carried out using rope and pegs. Having selected the desired type of foundation and made the markings according to the drawings, you can begin to organize the holes for the foundation. For a pile foundation with round piles, you must use a manual or electric drill; for a strip foundation, you must use a shovel and a drill if it is not possible to use special equipment. To obtain a monolithic foundation you will need powerful construction equipment.

Pile foundation

After marking the site, you can begin to organize holes for the foundation. For greater strength, their depth should be below the freezing level of the soil. After pouring, the foundation usually settles, and cracking or any other deformation of the foundation of the house can be prevented by building a sand cushion in each hole. To do this, the soil at the bottom of the hole needs to be compacted, about 15–20 cm of sand should be poured on top, spilled with water and compacted also well.

Fill the solution

The amount of concrete mortar for a pile foundation can be calculated as follows: the area of ​​support (the bottom of one hole) is multiplied by the height of the pile. The support area of ​​one pillar is understood as a quarter of the diameter of the hole made in the ground in a square, multiplied by 3.14 (1/4πD 2). The height of one pile is the sum of the depth of the hole and the length of the pile that will be above the ground.

Pile - device diagram

Note! Concrete mortar must be prepared from cement grade not lower than M200. However, a truly solid foundation for a house can only be achieved by using M400 grade cement. Attention should also be paid to the quality of the sand - it should be fine-grained, without large pebbles. For a high-quality concrete solution, it is necessary to mix cement, sand, crushed stone and water in a proportion determined by the brand of cement used.

Concrete solution must be prepared in such quantity that it does not remain after completion of construction work. First, the hole is filled to 10-15 cm. Reinforcement is placed in it - a metal pipe or several metal rods at least 1 cm thick. The reinforcement will give the foundation additional strength. After placing the reinforcement in the prepared holes, concrete is gradually poured to the very top.

Strip foundation

When installing a strip foundation, trenches are installed in a pre-marked area with a depth below the freezing level. Their width should be no more than 50-60 cm.

Tape

Before pouring the foundation for the house, a sand cushion is installed - at least 15-20 cm thick; it should be spilled with water and compacted well. The first portion of concrete mortar is poured onto the bottom of the foundation - no more than 10-20 cm thick. A reinforced mesh is laid on the primary mortar, and concrete mortar is poured from above to the ground surface.

If the strip foundation must protrude above the ground, it is necessary to construct formwork from wooden boards in advance. The concrete solution must be poured into the formwork. Wooden formwork boards can be removed only after the concrete solution has dried.

Waterproof film

Note! When pouring concrete into the formwork, it is necessary to attach a waterproof film to the inside of the wooden boards - it will prevent the wooden boards from absorbing water from the solution.

Scheme

Installation options for screw piles

Sectional view of pile foundation

Monolithic foundation diagram

Shallow foundation diagram

Pouring a strip foundation for a house requires the most serious attention. The foundation is the main structural element of the house. How to pour a foundation for a house? This issue needs to be resolved efficiently. If you make a mistake while performing it, the consequences and financial costs will be unpredictable. You need to start by assessing the condition of the soil at the construction site. You need to know the thickness of the layers and their characteristics, the location of groundwater with changes according to the seasons. The heaving of the soil and the seismicity of the area are determined. They do not skimp on the quality of collecting such information. A good option is when the soil assessment is done before purchasing the site. It can influence the main decision - to buy or not.

Foundation design diagram.

Information about the soil and nearby buildings

If the soil is heaving, then the depth of the foundation should be below the freezing depth of the soil. When collecting information about the soil, the possibility of accidents in nearby water pipelines should be taken into account. Water leaks can be an additional cause of foundation settlement. Strip foundations are not used on silty and heaving soils. But if the soil is dry with a high design resistance, then a strip foundation is the best option.

Scheme of foundation deformation on heaving soils.

Before designing, you should inspect neighboring buildings, fences and the position of the pillars. If the basements are dry, there are no cracks in the foundations, and there are no rickety fences or pillars, then there is no reason to refuse a strip foundation. The protection of the area from moisture can be increased by installing drainage along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The drainage system is a trench with a depth slightly greater than the depth of the foundation, and filled in the lower part with crushed stone wrapped in geotextiles. The trench is inclined towards a common well, from which water is periodically removed.

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Preparatory work

First, the area is prepared. All foreign objects, remnants of plant roots are removed, and stumps are uprooted. Trees are completely removed. The cleared area must exceed the dimensions of the foundation by at least 1 m from the outer edge. The location of the strip foundation for the house is marked with pegs. It is better to take measurements several times. It is imperative to check the perpendicularity of the corners by measuring the diagonals. The fertile layer of soil is removed. A site diagram is drawn up. The location of the change house, the materials used, and the storage of removed soil are outlined. In this case, it is necessary to provide access for transport and, especially, a car for delivering the solution.

For large volumes of soil being removed, it is better to rent an excavator. It should be taken into account that the excavator performs an approximate excavation.

Bringing the strip foundation ditch to the required dimensions will have to be done manually.

Types of strip foundations on different soils.

You will also have to use a shovel to excavate in places that are difficult for an excavator to reach. The bottom of the trenches is compacted tightly. A layer of sand is placed in a trench under the foundation. It is laid in small layers 10 cm thick. In this case, the sand is poured with water and compacted. It is better to use a tamping machine, but you can get by with a piece of log with a board nailed underneath. The total layer of the sand cushion can be increased to 60 cm. The upper surface of the sand cushion should be checked for level.

The formwork for a strip foundation for a house is usually made from 50 mm boards. This thickness is guaranteed to prevent bulging of the side walls of the foundation when pouring concrete. The boards are planed on one side and assembled into panels. The formwork panel should touch the sand cushion with its lower end, and protrude above the zero ground level by the size of the base. This value is at least 300 mm. On the outside of the formwork, stakes are driven in at intervals of no more than 1 m. The panels are screwed to the stakes with self-tapping screws. The entire formwork is strengthened with inclined spacer wedges on the outside and jumpers on top. The upper lintels are installed after laying the reinforcement bars. When installing the formwork, the verticality of the walls and the distance between the formwork panels from the inside are constantly monitored. Before installing the reinforcement, waterproofing from roofing felt sheets should be laid on the sand cushion.

The sequence of construction of a strip foundation.

Metal reinforcement consists of rods laid on pebbles in such a way that the rods are separated from the formwork by at least 5 cm. The rods are assembled into a frame consisting of at least four longitudinal rods in one belt. Depending on the size of the cross-section of the foundation, the number of longitudinal rods in the upper and lower chords of the frame increases. Every half meter the rods rest on the frame. For the main longitudinal rods, reinforcement with a diameter of about 14 mm is selected. For frames, you can use reinforcement of a smaller diameter. The frame parts are fastened together with knitting wire.

The overlap of the longitudinal rods when connecting must be at least 250 mm. At the corners of the foundation, pieces of reinforcement bent at an angle of 90 degrees are used to tie the rods. The overlap when connecting these sections with the longitudinal rods of the frame must be at least 250 mm. Bandaging in the overlap of the longitudinal rods must be done in at least three places. This will ensure sufficient rigidity of the frame. It must be completely motionless when the foundation is poured.

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Instructions: how to pour a foundation for a house

The foundation pouring technology assumes that the work is done within one day. The technology involves pouring concrete in layers up to 20 cm in size. It is best to fill the foundation for a house with concrete prepared at the factory. This guarantees high quality through the correct ratio of the constituent components. Specialized vehicles deliver the concrete, and the mixture is transported along a three-meter tray into the prepared formwork.

Another way to pour the foundation is to prepare the solution directly at the workplace, in a concrete mixer. With a small amount of work it can be done. It should be remembered that concrete should not be thrown. This may lead to its delamination and a decrease in the strength of the strip foundation. The components for mixing must be free of impurities.

All options require a specific choice of concrete. Wherever concrete is purchased, it must have accompanying documents. They indicate the brand of concrete, frost resistance, water resistance and mobility. The grade of concrete confirms the load that the mortar can withstand in compression. Mobility is indicated by the index “P”. The value varies from 1 to 5. The higher the value, the more fluid the concrete will be. For laying the foundation, concrete with a fluidity of 3 is usually used. More fluid concrete is used when using pumps to pump it. Water resistance is indicated by numbers from 1 to 20. The higher the index, the lower the water throughput. Frost resistance has an index from 25 to 1000. The higher the index, the greater the number of freezing and thawing cycles.

When pouring, the solution is compacted with a vibrator, a tamper, piercing with a piece of reinforcement and lightly tapping the walls of the formwork. In this way, the solution is freed from air bubbles. If air remains in the concrete, it will weaken its strength. Hardening of concrete occurs within four weeks. In hot weather, the concrete surface must be watered to moisten it, and in rain it must be covered with film. A monolithic strip foundation is laid around the entire perimeter of the house and under internal partitions.

Pouring a foundation is a labor-intensive process. How to carry it out yourself, with your own hands, without losing quality? Stages of foundation construction, preparation of high-quality concrete. How to prepare a strip foundation for pouring

Pouring the foundation for a house with your own hands

What types of concrete foundations are cast during the construction of private houses?

When planning to build a house for himself, the developer must very clearly plan all stages of construction. The first thing on which reliability, durability, and quality of construction depend is, of course, the foundation.

Therefore, pouring the foundation for a house with your own hands requires careful preparation of this entire process.

For the construction of almost all types of foundations of private houses, concrete or reinforced concrete is used. Due to the increasing use of composite reinforcing materials, reinforced concrete will more correctly be called reinforced concrete.

Of the variety of varieties of reinforced or simply concrete foundations, the most often used options are:

• columnar - has the form of rubble concrete or reinforced concrete pillars poured into formwork mounted in dug pits;
• a monolithic slab whose length and width are slightly larger than the dimensions of the future building;
• strip version - under all load-bearing walls of the building;
• pile, built on bored piles for which wells are drilled, a pre-prepared reinforcement frame is lowered into them, centered and filled with concrete mortar.

The difference between a columnar and pile foundation is described.

Both the columnar and pile options at the heads of the supporting elements - piles or pillars - are combined into a single structure using a monolithic reinforced grillage. It is poured with concrete mortar at the construction site.

After pouring the foundation, a period of at least two to three weeks must be maintained before removing the formwork. In summer, exposed surfaces of fresh concrete should be covered with thick fabric, such as burlap, which should be regularly watered to maintain constant moisture on the concrete surface. After this time, the construction of the walls of the building can begin.

General stages of pouring any concrete foundation

The general stages of construction of the building’s foundation include:

1. Preparing the site for pouring the foundation for the house, making formwork with its correct installation.

   For a strip foundation poured into formwork, which is mounted in a trench dug in the ground, the special features will be spacers that rest against the walls of the trench. For the upper part of the base - the plinth, the spacers should rest against the ground and form triangles with the vertical posts of the formwork. To prevent the formwork panels from moving apart from the pressure of the concrete compacted by vibration, the outer and inner walls of the formwork can be tied together with binding wire. After removing the formwork, the wire is cut and its ends are covered with cement-sand mortar.

2. Preparation of concrete solution and its pouring. There are two options:

   A. Buy ready-made material at a concrete plant, which will ensure its delivery to the construction site by concrete mixer truck.
   In this case, preparatory work should be carried out:

   ensure access of a multi-ton vehicle as close as possible to the pouring site;

   check whether the means of supplying concrete mortar from this place reach the required areas of the formwork.

   B. Preparation of the solution directly on the construction site.

To do this, sand, preferably washed from river sand, crushed stone or gravel, and cement of the required grade are purchased and delivered to the site.

The easiest way to prepare the solution is in a concrete mixer. There you can prepare from 30 - 40 to 120 - 150 liters of solution in one cycle. The finished solution is unloaded into a mortar box or tub and the next portion of components is immediately poured into the concrete mixer. While the solution is being mixed, your task is to pour the finished concrete into the formwork and compact it thoroughly.

The cycle takes 5 - 8 minutes. After several loadings/unloads, you can do up to 5 - 7 batches per hour.

It takes several people to work at this pace.

Preparing concrete for pouring

Concrete for pouring the foundation is prepared in the following proportions:

Three parts of dry sand are poured into a concrete mixer, one part of cement and three parts of crushed stone or gravel are added. The dry mixture is mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained, after which the exact amount of water specified by the brand of concrete is added. In this case, it may seem that the resulting concrete will be “dry”, that is, not plastic, and it will not be poured into the formwork well. Some experts believe that in this case it is necessary to add enough water so that the solution can be smoothed, for example, with a shovel or trowel. But this means that the mass of the solution will contain an excess amount of water, which will not be consumed in the reaction of formation of artificial stone.

Professional builders strongly advise against violating the water-cement ratio in concrete. They recommend using concrete plasticizers in this case.

What plasticizer can be used when pouring the foundation?

The answer to the question of what plasticizer can be used when pouring the foundation is very simple. Now there are a lot of such substances. For example, the Russian material “Polyplast”. Dry and liquid form of packaging. Add from 0.4 to 0.8% by weight of cement in the batch. Plasticity increases from P1 to P4 or even P5.

An easier way is to add liquid glass, liquid soap or the most inexpensive washing powder. The dosage of these plasticizers is 1 - 2 tablespoons per bucket of cement when placing the components into a concrete mixer.

The use of plasticizers helps:

• increase strength and corrosion resistance;
• depending on the composition, accelerate or slow down the rate of setting of the solution;
• increase the frost resistance of concrete;
• reduce cement consumption;
• extend the service life of a concrete structure;
• reduce waterproofing requirements.

All these positive qualities are achieved only through denser concrete placement.

In addition, concrete with plasticizing additives does not form lumps, is easier to lay and sticks less to the walls of the concrete mixer.

How are strip foundations poured?

Strip foundations are the foundations of buildings or structures that look like a continuous strip along the perimeter of the building and inside this perimeter. The external and internal load-bearing walls of the building are erected on this tape.

To obtain a high-quality foundation structure, you need to prepare the foundation for the house.

A sand and gravel cushion is placed at the bottom of the trench under the tape.

Some builders first line the installed formwork with sheets of polyethylene, lifting it onto the walls above the level of the top cut. This way you can reduce the seepage of the cement part of the concrete mortar into the sand cushion and protect the formwork boards from the mortar, so that they can later be used for other purposes.

Using a water level, also known as a flexible level - a soft tube 15 - 25 m long with two transparent sighting tubes at the ends and with water poured inside, or a laser level, you need to mark the design level of the future upper section of the foundation with a marker on the walls of the formwork.

You can read how to work with a hydraulic level or laser level on our website.

Before pouring a strip foundation, you should check the distance between the steel reinforcement pins and the panels or formwork boards. It must be at least 30, or even 50 mm, in order to form a layer of concrete that will protect the reinforcement from the effects of the soil, and above all from brackish water or with aggressive properties.

The presence of installed passage pipes for the holes or formwork for them is checked. They provide communications passages to the basement or subfloor of the building.

The processes and rules for reinforcing pillars and grillages are described on our website.

If the foundation is poured manually, then the process must be carried out in such a way as to avoid long interruptions in laying new portions of concrete, only in this case, after hardening, you will get a single monolithic structure, and not separate fragments.

To do this, all preparatory work at the concrete mixing sites must be carried out in advance: water supply or at least a hose with the ability to shut off the water, sand and crushed stone in separate piles, cement in bags and measuring containers, usually buckets. If the perimeter of the building is large, then in order not to carry buckets of concrete far, you can prepare two or three places for installing a concrete mixer.

And during the process of laying concrete, it is imperative to use a construction vibrator, thanks to which the concrete will be laid most optimally, without cavities inside. If there is no vibrator, then you can use a piece of thick reinforcement, with the help of which an up and down movement achieves the desired fluidity and workability of the concrete.

To pour a strip foundation with a concrete mixer with your own hands, you need to either buy or rent a concrete mixer. If you do a lot of work when building a house with your own hands, then which concrete mixer is better to buy for pouring the foundation?

The cheapest concrete mixer is in the form of an inclined barrel that is rotated by hand. The most effective one is with an electric drive and a rotary wheel for unloading the finished solution, preferably a large volume.

According to all construction rules, the foundation must be poured all at once, i.e. in one go. This can only be done using ready-made concrete from a concrete plant, delivered by concrete truck.

If you pour the strip foundation yourself, you can save a lot on the purchase of ready-made concrete, its delivery, and installation (pouring).

Questions and answers on the topic

No questions have been asked about the material yet, you have the opportunity to be the first to do so

The most common support for a private house is strip structures made of reinforced concrete on a sand and gravel bed. Unlike pile-driven structures, their construction does not require specialized equipment, and their installation is relatively inexpensive. In addition, in buildings with this type of support, it is possible to equip a basement.

Foundation depth

The foundation in the form of a monolithic strip is erected only on dense soils that can support the weight of the building. Its depth can vary from 1.2 to 2.5 meters.

The laying depth should be not less than the freezing depth land in the area where construction is taking place. When constructing heavy multi-storey buildings, it is better to order calculations from specialists, since a mistake can be too expensive.

When calculating the depth of the foundation, many factors are taken into account:
1. Type of soil.
2. The depth of its freezing.

Soil freezing depth in different regions of the Russian Federation

3. Proximity of groundwater.
4. Terrain relief.
5. Design features of the house, planning of basements.
6. Maximum weight of the structure.
7. Presence of nearby buildings.

When determining the maximum weight of a building, the weight of all structures is taken into account: not only walls, ceilings, rafters, roofing, but also windows, doors, and finishing materials. The weight of furniture and electrical appliances and the average weight of people who will constantly be in the building are also taken into account. To this amount is added the snow load, which is determined according to standards depending on the type of roof and the climatic conditions of the area.

Important! If there is a pond near the house or close groundwater, in order to avoid flooding, it is better to build a pile foundation or choose another place for construction. However, in this case, the construction of basements will have to be abandoned.

Building base width

The starting value for determining the width of a strip foundation is the total area of ​​the building. The calculation is carried out according to the formula:

where S is the minimum base area;
H – building width;
L – length of the building;
X is the width of the tape that we need to find out.

Let's say the minimum width we calculated is 170 mm.

Important! Any foundation must be 100 mm wider than the walls of the building.

For example, if the thickness of the walls is 300 mm, that is, greater than our calculated value, the width of our foundation should be 300 + 100 = 400 mm. When arranging a basement, the width of the foundation strip can be determined using the following table.

Important! If you plan to build basements, then the lower part of the sole is deepened below the floor level by 40 cm.

Number of fittings

Based on practice and the requirements of SNiP, for this type of foundation, reinforcement of 12-16 mm is taken. The longitudinal bars on which the main load will act must have a maximum thickness. For transverse ones, you can take 12 mm rods.

The rods running lengthwise must be laid at a distance 5 cm from the top and bottom of the foundation. Since they bear the main load, they must be made of ribbed reinforcement. Vertical and transverse reinforcement does not bear such a load, so in this case smooth reinforcement can be used.

All rods are installed in 0.5 m increments. With a given width of 400 mm, 4 longitudinal rods (two on top and two on bottom) will be sufficient. With a larger width of the foundation strip or moving soil, these numbers increase.

Number of longitudinal reinforcement determined by dividing the length of the larger side of the foundation by the lattice pitch. For cross-links, the calculation is carried out in a similar way. The number of vertical rods depends on the height of the foundation, which is multiplied by the number of intersections of the transverse and longitudinal rods.

Stages of foundation construction

1. Site preparation and marking. The area at the selected location is thoroughly cleaned of debris and large roots and leveled. Then a layer of vegetation is removed from it to a depth of 15-10 cm.

If there are significant differences in height, it is more advisable to divide the foundation into sectors of different heights.

Initially, external and then internal walls are marked in the corners using pegs (beacons), then diagonals (equal) are drawn from corner to corner. If the sides of such a rectangle are not equal, it is better to draw a sketch of the building on paper and find out which of the beacons is installed incorrectly.

2. Construction of a trench. Using an excavator, it is not difficult to obtain a trench of the required size, but in this case it will not be possible to obtain perfectly smooth walls. In addition, the collapse of dense layers of the earth is possible, which can affect the stability of the foundation.

3. Sand and gravel cushion. Unlike soil, sand and gravel are less susceptible to heaving because they do not retain water. Using a pillow eliminates uneven shrinkage of the base. Its layer should be at least 20 cm. Before pouring, it is spilled with water and thoroughly compacted.

4. Formwork mounted from boards 10-20 cm. Their thickness should be 2.5-4 cm. Opposite panels are connected with pins, and the corners are rigidly fixed.

5. Installation of fittings. It is better not to weld the reinforcement, but to tie it with wire, because Weak spots will appear in the weld areas. It can be knitted by hand or using a special gun, which is filled with a coil of wire. It is more convenient to use a special hook for twisting.

Crochet pattern

Reinforcement methods

6. Pouring concrete. Alignment. To achieve a monolithic concrete strip, the solution must be mixed as thoroughly as possible. For large volumes, you can use a ready-made solution.

Concrete M200-M400 is used for work. When using the M200 grade, the quality of sand (its class) should be higher. The proportions of the solution can be calculated using the table below.

Filling is carried out in layers of no more than 20 cm. After the trench is filled with concrete, it is trimmed with a bayonet shovel or by tapping on the reinforcement frame or formwork. However, after setting, it is not advisable to touch it.

To prevent cracks from appearing on the foundation during the drying process, it is covered with film. The formwork is removed 8-10 days after laying the last layer.

Deep foundation