Concrete has a fairly high compressive strength, but the base is not able to withstand tensile and bending loads. If you equip the foundation, which is made in the form of a monolithic structure, with a reinforcing cage, then this drawback will be completely eliminated. DIY reinforcement of the foundation can be done quite simply. To begin with, you should decide what design features the base will have, and also correctly form the frame system.
Reinforcement Rules
The components of the reinforcing cage must have a clean surface, which will ensure good adhesion to concrete. In order to choose what type of reinforcement knitting will be carried out, it is necessary to calculate the load exerted on the foundation. If the effect on the base is negligible, then you can use a wire type of knitting. Whereas if the building has sufficiently heavy walls, it is recommended to use welding.
Do-it-yourself reinforcement of the foundation should be done using rods that have a transverse variable section, that is, have ribs. This applies to fittings, which will take on the main load. Such a framework will be characterized by the highest levels of adhesion to concrete. Smooth reinforcement should be used as auxiliary elements, the task of which will be the distribution of loads on the base of the house.
Tool selection
DIY reinforcement of the foundation should be carried out using a special tool. It should be selected based on the amount of work that is supposed to be done. Knitting of the reinforcing cage for the foundation of a small size should be carried out using a traditional manual or automatic hook, whereas if the work will be more voluminous, it is recommended to use a specialized tool like a gun designed for knitting.
Technology of work
For manipulations, a piece of wire should be used, the length of which is 30 cm. The workpiece should be folded in half. The loop of the wire should be entered diagonally on the spider of the reinforcement, and after it is brought to the ends. The resulting loop is threaded into the hook, it is necessary to follow the method of scrolling. The master must interlock the ends of the wire, thus creating the desired connection. Before starting work, it should be remembered that the strip monolithic foundation during operation will be subjected to bending stress, especially in the longitudinal direction. Its reinforcement should be made by laying the wire mesh in two or more layers. All this will depend on the size of the tape itself.
Reinforcement for strip foundations
If the foundation will be reinforced with your own hands, then some points should be taken into account. Among them, one can single out the fact that in the strip structure the longitudinal elements of the frame system will take on the greatest load. In this regard, in their place should be located ribbed rods, the diameter of which is equal to a parameter of 10 to 14 millimeters.
As for the vertical and transverse elements of the frame, they will perform a distribution, that is, an auxiliary function. That is why in this case, you can use smooth reinforcement with a diameter of 6 to 8 millimeters. The step of their installation will vary from 100 to 300 millimeters. The quantity of rods used depends on this indicator. At minimum loads, this figure can be equal to 500 millimeters. The finished frame should be mounted in the formwork, observing a gap of up to 50 millimeters. Retreat must be secured from the bottom of the trench and formwork panels. This will allow metal rods to be drowned in concrete, eliminating the risk of corrosion. It should be remembered that the highest level of stretching is in the upper areas of the base.
Strip foundation reinforcement recommendations
If you will be reinforcing the strip foundation with your own hands, it is recommended to pay attention to the knitting technology for connecting the reinforcement. Class B1 wire should be prepared. When working with corners, the reinforcement can be laid at a right angle or using bent elements.
What you need to learn before starting work
If you will be reinforcing the strip foundation under the bath with your own hands, then special attention should be paid to strengthening the corners. This is due to the fact that quite often the deformation falls not on the central part, but on the corner zones. Work on these areas should be such that one end of the bent frame element goes to one side, while the other to the opposite.
Experts advise to use precisely the technology of knitting, abandoning the welding machine, for the reason that not every grade of reinforcement is suitable for such work. Among other things, welding often leads to problems that are expressed in overheating of steel, which causes a change in the quality characteristics of materials, and a thinning of the rod in the welding area can also occur. That is why you risk getting a seam that is not strong enough.
Methodology
The proper reinforcement of the strip foundation begins with the installation of the formwork. The inner surface should be covered with parchment, which simplifies the removal of the structure. Reinforcing rods should be driven into the soil, the length of which should be equivalent to the depth of the base. At the bottom you need to install supports with a height of 80 to 100 millimeters. About two or three threads of the lower row of the frame system are laid on them. In the role of supports, bricks are often used that are installed on the edge.
If you will be reinforcing the strip foundation, schemes, tips for conducting these manipulations, presented in the article, will help to carry out the work. The lower and upper rows should be attached together with the transverse elements to vertically oriented pins. In those places where the elements intersect, you should make a bunch or use the welding method. The rods should be raised at least 8 cm above the ground. After the fittings are installed, ventilation holes should be formed, and then the concrete mortar should be poured. Ventilation will help increase the cushioning qualities of the foundation, as well as prevent the occurrence of putrefactive processes.
Strengthening the slab foundation
Requirements for work on a monolithic slab are higher compared to those presented to a tape base. In the latter case, the width is less than the height, which is why the structure experiences a bending load exclusively in the longitudinal direction. As for a monolithic slab, it has opposite structural features, due to this the surface experiences bending loads not only across but also along.
If you are thinking about how to make the reinforcement of the foundation with your own hands, then for this you should use reinforcement with a diameter of 12 to 16 millimeters. All elements are made exclusively of ribbed rods. The average cell size on top and bottom of the grid should be 200 x 200 millimeters. The step between the belts is equivalent to 100 millimeters. If there is an insulating layer, then the assembly of the frame to strengthen the stiffeners should be carried out outside the base. This will eliminate the damage to the insulation material.
Pile foundation reinforcement
If you are interested in how to do the proper reinforcement of the strip foundation with your own hands, then you might want to learn about strengthening the pile foundation. After all, it is this type of structure that can form the basis of the building that is supposed to be built. The technology in this case will be almost no different from the work recommended when forming the columnar foundation. In this case, one nuance should be observed. It consists in the fact that the vertical reinforcement is laid in a circle so that the system does not have corners and sharp sections. For one pile, it will be necessary to prepare rods, the number of which varies from 3 to 5.
Methodology
After the do-it-yourself scheme of reinforcing the strip foundation with your own hands became known, you can also get acquainted with the technology of strengthening the columnar base. The reinforcing cage should be assembled from several vertically oriented rods, the diameters of which vary from 10 to 12 cm. Ribbed reinforcement, which belongs to class AIII, should be used. To form horizontal elements, a smooth, thin 6 mm mounting fixture should be used.