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 building, the foundation can be made using different technologies. The quality of the foundation depends on the settlement of the future house, the possibility of flooding in the spring and the service life of the walls without cracks.
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 ones. Such a base can be a prefabricated or monolithic structure. The latter is created using formwork into which concrete is poured. The prefabricated foundation consists of blocks.
2. Monolithic. It is more durable than tape. It is a reinforced concrete slab located under the entire house. A monolithic foundation is chosen 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 act as point supports. From above, all parts of the foundation are connected by a strapping beam. Free-standing pillars cannot provide sufficient stability to the building, so only one-story wooden houses can be built on such a foundation.
4. Pile. It is used for the construction of multi-storey buildings. The pile foundation under the house is suitable for all types of soils. It needs to be told in more detail. It differs from other types of foundations in the absence of preparatory earthworks, that is, for its construction it is not necessary to dig a foundation pit. Depending on the type of soil, piles 4-6 meters long are selected. 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. Drop-in. With their help, the foundation is provided with the greatest stability. During the design of a 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 deepening of the pile 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 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 your 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 steel pipes, at the ends of which threaded elements are welded on 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 area of \u200b\u200bsupport for the pipes is increased, which helps to hold them even more securely in the ground. If the soil has a low bearing capacity, then pipes with threads 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 into the ground of screw piles can be carried out with special equipment or manually. The latter method requires two or more strong people. There are two holes on the head of the pile for connection with the twisting technique. During 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 to accurately calculate the depth of the building support. Here, the type of soil, the mass of snow and the depth of its freezing in winter should be taken into account.
Reliable screw piles must have a quality weld. Otherwise threadmay come off or be damaged during deepening. The result of this will be the loss of bearing capacity by the foundation element. Screw steel piles are protected from corrosion by a layer of factory paint.
3. Bored. To install this type of piles, a preliminary creation of a well is required. When it is developed in dense soil that does not crumble, the formwork can not be mounted. In this case, you only need to set a limit for the cap. Concrete is poured directly into the well. Working with loose soils requires casing a well from pipes.
Piles are installed at 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. The well can be created with special manual mechanisms. The disadvantage of bored piles is the impossibility of determining the moment when a solid layer of soil is reached.
The best option in terms of speed and price is a screw pile foundation. The pros and cons of its design require detailed analysis.
Pros of pile-screw foundation
- fast mounting speed;
- ease of installation;
- ventilated plinth prevents floor rotting;
- building a foundation is possible even in the cold season;
- reasonable 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 ground with large stones;
- installation difficultyfoundation close to other buildings;
- the cost of building a warm basement is comparable in cost to the foundation itself.
Combining piles with a grillage
It is desirable to combine separately standing piles with a grillage into a single structure. This will help her resist the forces of frost heaving.
A pile foundation, reviews of each type of which can be read on specialized forums, can be left without a grillage. In this case, you need to be completely sure that the piles are deep enough and will not sag over time.
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 decide on their number and diameter. Each pile can withstand loads 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, they will need to be deepened at a distance of 1.5-2.0 m.
The length of piles for low-rise construction usually does not exceed 3.5 m. In some regions, this figure may be larger. The diameter of products is usually 57-133 mm. After calculating the required number of piles and their length, you can purchase all materials.
Preparatory work before installation of pile-screw foundation
Difficult 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 laying the foundation. But without studying the soil, 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
A pile foundation, the pros and cons of which are already known, is not difficult to install on your own. For this you need:
- calculate the amount of materials needed;
- mark up the site;
- screw piles manually or using machinery;
- cut or tighten the supports to the desired level;
- fill the pipe cavity with concrete;
- mount the grillage from the required 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 for ready-made buildings with this type of foundation.
Pile foundation, reviews of which are mostly positive, is not common in Russia. Today the situation is gradually changing, and more and more owners choose it for their country houses.
