The construction of any building, whether it be a private cottage, a bathhouse or a garage, begins with laying the foundation. We will talk about what the foundations are in this article. And also consider which type is more suitable for a particular design and without which you still can’t do without laying the foundation.
What types of foundations are there and how to make the right choice?
The foundation is the underground part of the structure. Although it is not visible, it is precisely this part that accounts for the main load during operation. The foundation has to withstand the weight of the bearing walls, floors, equipment inside. It is not surprising that the “life” of a house directly depends on its strength and durability.
Choosing the right foundation is not an easy task. Many different factors should be taken into account. Among them, the relief and type of soil, the level of groundwater, the depth of freezing and others. Also, when designing, it is important to take into account the weight of all elements, from building materials to furniture and equipment that will be used in the building. Types of foundations and their description - all this is presented below in the review.
Pile foundations
This option is perhaps one of the easiest and most affordable. Piles are suitable even for soft soils, since the load will be produced on denser and deeper layers. The bearing capacity of this type of foundation is quite large, and excavation is not difficult. They are mainly used in private low-rise and high-rise construction.
Pile foundations are different. Piles themselves can be located both vertically to the surface, and at an angle. The degree of immersion in the soil is also different. What are the piles for the foundation? They can be wooden, metal or reinforced concrete. And according to the degree of location - single, tape or in the form of whole pile fields. It all depends on the number of storeys, weight and dimensions of the future design.
Strip foundations
Such a foundation is the most universal of all. Strip foundations are used on all types of soil and for any types of buildings. Moreover, if the construction of a basement or garage is provided for in a future building, experts recommend laying this type of foundation.
Strip foundations are arranged at different depths, depending on the severity of the bearing walls and the structure of the house itself. In this case, various materials are used: brick, reinforced concrete blocks or butobeton, which is popular today. Of course, when choosing, you need to consider the type of soil, the level of groundwater and the potential danger of destruction of the base.
Column foundations
As the name implies, this is the base of the pillars, which with a certain frequency are located in the corners and around the perimeter of the house. It is on these pillars that the main load subsequently falls. Speaking about what are the foundations for building in a cold climate, most often the choice is in favor of columnar ones - since they are not afraid of even deep freezing. Downy soils are another reason for using this base.
The pillars for the foundation are made of different materials, including concrete and reinforced concrete, brick, natural stone, wood, but concrete and others. Their disadvantages include the risk of tipping over on soft soils.
Monolithic (slab) foundations
For areas with a high level of groundwater, as well as weak soils, a monolithic slab is the best choice. The laying of such a foundation is carried out over the entire area of the building, and for added reliability it is strengthened by a reinforced concrete frame. That is, the base is located under the area of the entire structure. Such a unity with the main structure provides a minimum probability of further subsidence and destruction of the building.
The slab foundation will be the best solution for construction in seismically active zones. Although this type is the most expensive and time-consuming to implement, but the costs are worth it. In addition, no matter what the foundations are of a monolithic type, it is quite easy to calculate and design them.
Shallow foundations
If the main task in building a house is to save time and money, then this foundation will suit perfectly. After all, their arrangement will be cheap and carried out quite quickly. Of course, for multi-story and heavy structures, they are unacceptable, but for light structures will be ideal. An additional advantage of shallow foundations is the ability to apply them in cold climatic zones, as well as areas where there is a high risk of soil swelling.
Each house has its own foundation!
When the type of soil and the terrain have been decided, it's time to decide what kind of building is supposed to be erected. After all, the number of storeys, dimensions, design characteristics also directly affect the type of foundation.
Wooden housing construction, widespread in our country from time immemorial, today is again gaining its former popularity. Of course, high-quality foundation is also needed for wooden buildings. What are the foundations for a wooden house depends, first of all, on the weight. After all, wooden buildings can be built from timber or solid logs, be single- or multi-story, faced with heavy materials, etc. Nevertheless, the main types of foundations of a private house made of wood are pile, columnar and tape with shallow depth. They are inexpensive, easy to implement and are suitable specifically for light buildings, which are wooden houses.
For small seasonal summer cottages, bathhouses and wooden outbuildings, the columnar foundation will be the best choice. Be careful: his choice will not allow the arrangement of the basement in the house, so consider this when designing.
The use of bored piles will be a profitable solution to the foundation for a wooden building. They are asbestos-cement pipes, the design of which is strengthened with the help of a reinforcing cage and concrete pouring. In this case, the pipes bear the main burden from the operation of the house. When laying such a foundation, it is necessary to drill wells deeper than the freezing level of the soil, mount the pipes themselves and the reinforcing cage, and then connect it all with concrete.
The foundation of the bored type is economical and easy to implement, it can be used without problems on weak types of soils. At the same time, it is permissible to build on its basis both single- and two-story wooden cottages.
As for the heavy multi-storey buildings made of concrete, brick and reinforced concrete, the strip foundation has proven itself in the best way here. During its construction, durable and reliable materials are used, mainly concrete and reinforced concrete, with a reinforcing cage. If a multi-storey building is being built on heaving soil, it is better to use not prefabricated slabs, but a monolithic base, which will protect the house from soil movements and freezing.
Armature is an integral part of the foundation
Reinforcement is necessary for almost any foundation. Its types, classes and varieties should also be better understood. After all, having carefully studied what the foundations are, you can identify factors that affect the choice of reinforcement for a particular type.
In a professional environment, reinforcement can also be found under the names of reinforcing bars or bars, rods or reinforcing steel. Its purpose is to give greater rigidity and strength to the foundation. The fittings are smooth or ribbed, hot or cold rolled, unstressed and prestressed. It all depends on the technology of its production, type of profile and quality of materials, as well as conditions of use in concrete.
Speaking about what kind of reinforcement is for a foundation, one cannot help but dwell on its mechanical properties, in other words, classes.
Classes of reinforcement used for laying foundations
- A1 - reinforcement with a smooth (not ribbed) surface and high ductility. Indispensable in stretching conditions. Its adhesion to concrete is small, therefore, such reinforcement is not used as the main one when arranging the foundation. But it is well suited for fastening the main frame.
- A2 and A3 are the most common types for laying a tape base. This is corrugated reinforcement, which can be found both in bays and in rods. It provides good adhesion of the concrete base after pouring, has good resistance, high compression and tensile characteristics.
- A4, A5, A6, similar in their technical characteristics and diameter of the profile of the variety, but different in the grade of steel from which they are made. Also very popular in laying the foundation of different types.
Metal or fiberglass: what to choose?
Depending on the raw materials used in the production, the reinforcement may be steel or polymer. If you have not yet decided which one to choose for your construction, carefully weigh the pros and cons of both types.
Steel reinforcement is strong and reliable, resistant to external influences and durable. It can withstand heavy loads on the deflection, it is presented in a wide range of diametrical values and any length of the rod. The disadvantages of this type include the large weight and susceptibility to corrosion over time.
Fiberglass reinforcement does not have such drawbacks. With a similar diameter, it is four times lighter than metal, easy to transport and quietly tolerates moisture. Unlike steel, fiberglass does not conduct heat, therefore such fittings will eliminate the appearance of the notorious “cold bridges” and increase the thermal insulation characteristics of the entire structure. But she is not without drawbacks in the form of the inability to carry out welding work and bend during installation.
To summarize
So, what is the foundation for the house and what is the fittings for it, you know. Now it remains only to make the right choice based on specific conditions. You need to rely on the available information about the soil and its features, the depth of groundwater, the climatic conditions of the region and so on.
Do not forget to take into account the material from which the building itself is being built. For example, stone and concrete buildings require greater depth and width, as well as greater foundation strength. Whereas when building a wooden house you can do less and reduce the complexity of the work. Take into account the number of storeys: even if the walls are as light and thin as possible, a two- or more-story house requires a more thorough calculation of the foundation.
No matter what the foundations are and what choices you make, the foundation is still the strongest and most stable part of the building. Therefore, the minimum height of the foundation should be 20 cm. In practice, this figure is from 0.5 to 1 meter - depending on the above criteria. It is also recommended to increase the level of penetration, while increasing the load on the foundation.
We told you about the foundations. Comparison of the types, advantages and disadvantages of each of them, the scope of application - all this should serve as the basis for the right choice.