The most common type of foundation is a slab structure. Before building a slab foundation, the pros and cons of the structure must be considered. You can build this type of foundation on any soil, whether they are peat or sand.
Positive features of the slab foundation
The slab foundation, the pros and cons of which are considered in the article, can undergo horizontal and vertical displacement of the soil, this is due to the rigidity and integrity of the structure, so the monolithic foundation moves with the soil, which is especially valuable in private housing construction.
Features of the slab foundation
The slab foundation, the pros and cons of which is definitely worth considering before construction, can be undecked or shallow. If we are talking about an unfinished version, then it should be placed at a depth of 50 cm. The slab foundation is strengthened with the help of a reinforcing cage over the entire area of the house, this feature ensures the absence of deformation processes. He has excellent ability to endure loads, this is due to the fact that the monolithic plate is floating. If you highlight the positive features of this design, you can note the simplicity of construction, reliability and safety of its operation. She can serve more than a hundred years. If you use a slab foundation during construction, you will have the opportunity to plan the basement. You can use the stove as the base of the first floor.
Negative features of the slab foundation
The slab foundation, the construction technology of which is described in the article, also has a minus, which is expressed in significant financial costs, which will pay off with a guarantee of safety and reliability. It must be remembered that such a plate will gain its strength during operation.
Features of the construction of the slab foundation
Before you begin construction, you need to evaluate what constitutes a slab foundation, the pros and cons of the material. In addition, it will be necessary to investigate the soil on the territory of the work. These manipulations must be carried out in order to determine the thickness of the sand cushion, only then you can proceed to the creation of the project.
Preparatory work
The process should begin with digging a pit, its depth should be greater than the depth of freezing of the soil. This line will be determined at the stage of geological work, which is preferable to entrust to professionals. After the sand flooring is formed, you need to go to the backfill of the drainage pillow, which will consist of gravel. At the next stage, formwork is prepared. It should be remembered that the installation of formwork is carried out around the perimeter of the structure. Among other things, it is necessary to lay the reinforcement, in the process of carrying out these works, a kind of skeleton must be formed.
Foundation pouring
Sometimes a pile-slab foundation is also used in construction, but if you decide to build a monolithic base, then as soon as the reinforcing cage and formwork are formed, you can proceed to the preparation of the solution. Pouring concrete formwork mixture should be done in layers, the thickness of each layer should be equal to 15 cm. This is necessary in order to be able to compact concrete using special equipment. Instead, you can use reinforcement, which is placed in the solution over the entire area.
Varieties of slab base
There are several types of slab foundations that differ in installation technology. Thus, the monolithic foundation can be traditional, combined or with a ribbed base. The most difficult to implement is a foundation with ribs, but it provides excellent resistance to loads and forces of soil heaving. Most often in private construction, a combined stove is used, its construction involves the use of special jumpers. The step between the ribs of a similar base should be filled with a solution prepared on the basis of sand and gravel.
Plate base structure
The reinforcement for the slab foundation must be prepared in accordance with all the rules. Such a device allows you to distribute the load from the house most evenly, thereby reducing the load on the soil. Equipping a monolithic foundation, you can make it of different thicknesses. This parameter depends on the characteristics of the soil in the development area, however, some other features, such as climate, must be taken into account. As practice shows, during the construction of light commercial buildings, a foundation slab is built, the thickness of which is 10 cm. As for residential buildings, this parameter should be increased to 25 centimeters, while it is necessary to carry out multi-layer reinforcement of the foundation.
Recommendations for preparatory work
The construction of the slab foundation requires the need for marking before starting construction. It is necessary to select the territory, and then dig a pit, the depth of which is at least 35 cm. In order to make it easier to ram the preparation, you need to spill it with water, compaction can be done in several ways, for example, manual. On top of the pillow, you can lay a plastic film, which will provide waterproofing. Among other things, polyethylene will exclude the penetration of concrete milk through the formwork.
Knitting reinforcement for slab base
A slab foundation, the technology of which requires the need for reinforcement, must have a properly connected frame. Knitting reinforcement should only begin after the formwork has been mounted. You can make a frame using a steel mesh, the cells of which are 200 x 200 millimeters. Between the layers, it is necessary to ensure a distance of 10 cm. Between the bottom and the reinforcing cage, it is necessary to install fasteners, which are vertically located supports. In the process of knitting the bottom layer of reinforcement, fixing elements must be used, their size is 3.5 cm. They must be brought under the lower layer and mounted between the reinforcing cage. Creating a reinforcing cage is considered a difficult task, for carrying out these works you need to use a special tool in the form of a jack and scrap. Assembly will be faster if the fittings are installed during the knitting process. The strength of this system will depend on how correctly the frame elements were connected. Do not use a large number of connections, the fewer they are - the stronger the design will be. Reinforcement should be performed in the end zones. For this, it is worth using steel elements that have a U-shaped shape, with their help you can bind the upper and lower layers of the reinforcement. A monolithic slab foundation only when following the recommendations will turn out to be strong and durable.