The foundation of any home is the foundation. Depending on the type of soil, the wishes of the customer and the size of the future construction, the foundation can be made using different technologies. The draft of the future home, the possibility of flooding in the spring and the life of the walls without cracks depend on the quality of the foundation.
Types of foundations
1. Tape. Most often used in low-rise construction. It is used for houses with a relatively large mass, for example, stone. Such a base may be a prefabricated or monolithic structure. The latter is created using formwork, into which concrete is poured. Precast foundation consists of blocks.
2. Monolithic. It is more durable than tape. It is a reinforced concrete slab located under the whole house. A monolithic foundation is selected for buildings located on soil prone to subsidence. Such a foundation will protect the house from cracks and ensure the reliability of the structure under any conditions.
3. Columnar. It consists of reinforced concrete pillars that serve as point supports. From above, all parts of the foundation are connected by a strapping beam. Separate pillars cannot provide sufficient stability to the building, therefore, on this foundation, you can only build one-story wooden houses.
4. Piling. It is used for the construction of multi-story buildings. The pile foundation under the house is suitable for all types of soils. You need to talk about it in more detail. It differs from other types of foundations by the lack of preparatory excavation, that is, for its construction it is not necessary to dig a pit. Piles 4-6 meters long are selected depending on the type of soil. Before you make a pile foundation for your home, you need to decide on the type of supports used.
Types of piles used for foundations
1. Slaughtered. With their help, the foundation provides the greatest stability. During the design of the building, architects calculate the total weight of the building and divide it between each pile. During its driving into the ground, it is affected by such a load that it has to withstand. The end of the pile deepening means that it has reached the soil layer on which the future building can stand.
Additional stability of the structure is given by the fact that the earth around the clogged reinforced concrete tubular or square element in the cross section is compacted. The gradual immersion of the pile into the ground is carried out with a special pneumatic hammer. It is impossible to do this on our own. Therefore, the construction of a pile foundation of this type cannot be recommended for self-construction, for example, in a summer cottage.
2. Screw. Such piles are pipes made of steel, at the ends of which elements in the form of a thread are welded from the outside. In appearance and principle of operation, such piles can be compared with huge self-tapping screws that are screwed into the ground. Thanks to the screw thread, the pipe support area is increased, which helps to keep them in the ground even more reliably. If the soil has a low bearing capacity, then pipes with cutting along the entire length are used.
Such a pile foundation, the pros and cons of which will be discussed below, is suitable for self-construction. Deepening in the soil of screw piles can be carried out by special equipment or manually. The latter method requires two or more strong people. To connect with the tightening technique, two holes are located on the pile head. When deepening into the ground, it is important to control the vertical position of the pipe. After reaching the required level, concrete is poured into the pipe cavity.
The disadvantages of the pile-screw foundation are the need for an accurate calculation of the depth of the building support. Here, the type of soil, the mass of snow and the depth of freezing in winter should be taken into account.
Reliable screw piles must have a high-quality weld. Otherwise, the thread may come off or become damaged during the recess. The result of this will be the loss of the bearing capacity by the foundation element. Screw steel piles protect against corrosion by a layer of factory paint.
3. Bored. To install this type of piles, a preliminary well creation is required. When it is developed in dense soil that does not crumble, the formwork can not be mounted. In this case, only the restriction for the head is required. Concrete is poured directly into the well. Working with loose soils requires casing of the well from pipes.
Piles are installed in the corners of the future home, along the outer and inner walls. The number of supports and the distance between them depends on the weight of the building. A well can be created with special manual mechanisms. The disadvantage of bored piles is the impossibility of determining the moment of reaching a solid soil layer.
The best option for the speed of creation and price is considered a screw pile foundation. The pros and cons of its design require detailed analysis.
Pros of pile-screw foundation
- high speed of installation;
- ease of installation;
- ventilated base prevents rotting of the floor;
- The construction of the foundation is possible even in the cold season;
- affordable price.
Cons of pile-screw foundation
- insufficient coating with a protective layer of paint provokes the formation of corrosion;
- the impossibility of deepening piles into the soil, which has large stones;
- the difficulty of installing the foundation close to other buildings;
- the cost of building a warm basement is comparable in value to the foundation itself.
Pile grillage
Separate piles, it is desirable to combine the grillage in a single design. This will help her resist the forces of frost heaving.
A pile foundation, reviews of each form of which can be read on specialized forums, can be left without grillage. In this case, you need to have full confidence that the piles are deep enough and will not sink over time.
The pile foundation, the disadvantages of which can be considered insignificant, requires preliminary calculations and preparatory work.
Preliminary calculations for the construction of a pile-screw foundation
Before buying all-metal hollow pipes, you need to determine their quantity and diameter. Each pile can withstand loads of up to 6 tons. Their number is determined based on the material of the future building. For a wooden house, it is enough to install piles every 2.0-2.5 m. When using heavier materials, you will need to deepen them at a distance of 1.5-2.0 m.
Piles for low-rise construction usually do not exceed 3.5 m. In some regions, this figure may be longer. The diameter of the products is usually 57-133 mm. After calculating the required number of piles and their length, you can purchase all the materials.
Preparatory work before installation of the pile-screw foundation
Complex terrain, swampy or peaty soil will not require a large amount of excavation in order to build a pile foundation. The pros and cons of this are obvious. The absence of the need to dig a pit significantly reduces the time for the construction of the foundation. But without soil research, it is difficult to determine the depth of freezing and the type of soil. When contacting special companies, all these indicators can be found for a specific area.
Construction sequence
The pile foundation, the pros and cons of which are already known, is not difficult to install independently. To do this, you need:
- calculate the amount of required materials;
- mark the site;
- screw the piles manually or using equipment;
- cut or tighten the supports to the desired level;
- fill the pipe cavity with concrete;
- mount the grillage from the necessary material.
Thus, a brief description of the sequence gives an understanding of how to make a pile foundation yourself. In construction companies, you can get calculations of finished buildings with this type of foundation.
The pile foundation, reviews of which are mostly positive, is not common in Russia. Today the situation is gradually changing, and more and more owners are choosing it for their country houses.