The strip foundation has a lot of advantages, its technology has long been worked out, it is not a difficult task to arrange a strip foundation with your own hands, the main thing is to follow all the stages of technology. This is the only option that allows you to lay in the project a full-fledged underground / basement floor.

According to the SNiP standards of 1987, strip foundations are classified according to the following criteria:

• construction - prefabricated from factory reinforced concrete blocks FBS on FL slabs; monolithic (filling in place into the formwork), laying the tape with bricks or rubble;
• laying depth - shallow strip foundation (MZLF - 0.4 - 0.7 m), deep occurrence (below the freezing mark in the region).

In the individual construction of low-rise buildings, a monolithic type of this foundation is usually used.

Step-by-step instructions for arranging a strip foundation

To ensure the maximum resource of the structure, it is not enough to pour the strip foundation into the formwork. It is necessary to lean it on non-porous soil, remove moisture, and compensate for the forces of frost heaving. For this, a pillow, drainage, hydro and thermal insulation are made, respectively. To do all the operations correctly, you must follow the technology below:

Preparation

Soil samples before construction

In order for the strip foundation to serve for a long time, it is necessary to order surveys from a specialized company. This will make it possible to identify the possibility of seam movement, the composition of the soil and the depth of groundwater. Only in this case, the foundation of the house can be done correctly. Survey data are necessary to calculate the cross section of the reinforcement, the number of belts and the cross section of the tape.

markup

At this stage, it is necessary to remove the fertile layer from the entire development area (usually 0.4 - 0.6 m), mark up:

• cords on pegs along each wall;
• lime mortar scheme on the ground.

Marking trenches for strip foundations.

The stakes are mounted a little further than the axes of the walls so that the cords do not sag when the soil is sampled with a shovel. In the projects of rectangular and square cottages, the diagonals must match, with an accuracy of 2 cm. If there are pilasters, porches or verandas, the geometry of each architectural element is controlled additionally.

For heavy equipment (pumps, emergency generators), heating appliances (boilers, furnaces weighing more than 0.4 tons), independent foundations not connected with the tape are marked. The distance between reinforced concrete structures should be more than 10 cm, after pouring concrete, it is covered with non-combustible material (crushed stone or sand).

Excavation

Depending on the depth of the tape, different heaving forces act on it:

• tangents - they try to move the structure to the side or squeeze it tangentially up;
• push-out - only for MZLF, not reaching layers that do not swell in winter.

Therefore, in addition to the sand cushion under the sole of the tape, it is necessary to provide lateral backfilling of the foundation with non-metallic material (sand, crushed stone, ASG mixture).

Digging a trench for a strip foundation. In the future, the fertile layer of soil inside the foundation must be removed.

To compensate for heaving forces and create normal operating conditions for the underground floor, the walls of which in 60% of cases are strip foundations, the outer surface of the concrete structure is insulated with XPS expanded polystyrene sheets along the waterproofing layer. The heat insulator layer is continued in a horizontal plane along the bottom of the trench by 0.6 - 0.8 m, spreading sheets of the same material.

To do hydro-thermal insulation properly, builders need access to these surfaces below ground level. This requires an increase in the width of each trench along the perimeter of the house by 0.8 - 1 m. Doing a strip foundation with your own hands will take four times as long as using special equipment. For a shallow MZLF tape, work can be done manually; for depths below the freezing mark, it is better to use an excavator.

At the last stage, it is necessary to level the bottom of all trenches at a single level. However, earthworks do not end there, since the tape must be protected from moisture in another way.

Drainage

Most manufacturers of expanded polystyrene have flow charts for insulated MZLF and deep tapes. They provide step-by-step instructions for arranging drainage:

• along the outer perimeter of the trench expanded at the previous stage, a recess is created 30 cm below the sole of the tape;
• a general slope of the system is created in one direction (3 - 4 degrees for gravity movement of drains);
• at the collection point, a sealed container is buried in the ground with a neck that goes to the surface;
• the bottom of the recess is covered with crushed stone, if the soil is muddy, it is necessary to lay geotextiles (a margin of 30 cm on each side for subsequent wrapping of the pipe), compacting the pillow with a vibrator or rammer is mandatory;
• drainage pipes (smooth or corrugated, with slotted or round perforation) are laid on the pillow, they are launched into the wells, leaving free space into which, in case of blockages, it will be possible to lower the hose to purge the system with high pressure;
• manholes made of corrugated or smooth pipes with plugs on top are mounted in the corners;
• the mini-trench is covered with rubble to the level of the bottom of the trench.

To make drains correctly, all of the above conditions must be met. This will keep the reinforced concrete structures of the house buried in the ground dry. The drains should be under the planned blind area so that the runoff from it does not fall into the drainage, but into the surface storm drain, which will relieve the tank from overflow.

It is worth noting that drainage is not always provided for, if you are in doubt about whether or not to do underground drainage, then only the geology of the soil, which is worth ordering, can say for sure.

Sand substrate

To make the foundation cushion correctly, it is necessary to compact 15–20 cm of sand and the same amount of rubble in layers. Only in combination with drainage and insulation of the tape, the construction will provide a century-old resource of the house without destruction. At the time of compaction, non-metallic material must be wetted for better shrinkage.

• crushed stone and sand have drainage properties, that is, water can only seep through them down;
• there is no capillary rise from lower levels in these materials.

With a sudden increase in GWL, the roofing material will not protect the concrete, since it is not associated with the lateral waterproofing of the structure. Moisture from concrete does not go down when vibrotampering, cement milk rises up, large fractions go down. Therefore, it is better to make normal hydro- and thermal insulation of the base of the house after stripping the structure.

formwork

The formwork must be securely fastened with braces and wired through the holes drilled in the shields.

Step-by-step installation instructions for classic removable formwork are as follows:

• manufacturing - shields are knocked together from plywood, edged boards, chipboard or OSB (height from the bottom of the trench to ground level + 40 - 50 cm of the base);
• installation - the shields are fastened with jumpers for stable geometry when bursting from the inside with concrete, from the outside they are fixed with inclined bars resting on pegs;
• holes - in the basement, pipes of suitable diameter are passed through the shields for ventilation ducts, similar sleeves are mounted underground for the input of engineering systems (if floors are planned on the ground, ventilation ducts are not needed);
• processing - to facilitate stripping and improve the quality of the side surfaces of the concrete tape from the inside, the shields are sheathed with roofing felt or PVC film.

It is not recommended to pour concrete along the upper edge of the formwork, it is better that the level is 2–5 cm below it. This will prevent splashing during the vibration compaction of the mixture, and will allow to better level the surface. Marking the horizon with a marker or cord on the inner surface of the shields will allow you to control the filling of the form with concrete.

Do not forget to lay plastic mortgages for products and communications in the formwork.

The technology of fixed formwork is somewhat different from the previous version:

• instead of lumber, polystyrene blocks are used (the assembly is similar to the designer);
• there are no external supports, plastic ties are mounted from the inside;
• thanks to the corrugated surface of polystyrene, internal screeds, the insulation reliably adheres to concrete.

The fixed formwork is always narrower than the classic formwork, which makes it difficult to place the internal vibrator. When pouring MZLF, the formwork is filled with concrete at a time. If the depth of the foundation is below the freezing mark, 40 - 60 cm of formwork is assembled in height, the concrete is poured, compacted. Then the formwork is built up to the same height, the operations are repeated.

Reinforcement

To make the armo-belt of the base of the house without errors, it is necessary to make a calculation (section, number of longitudinal bars, jumper pitch), take into account the nuances:

• it is forbidden to join the bars in the corners, T-junctions, one whip is bent at a right angle (50 reinforcement diameters minimum), the second is attached to it on a straight section of the adjacent wall;
• it is not recommended to have a diameter of longitudinal bars of a periodic section (corrugation) less than 12 mm, distribution clamps or jumpers less than 6 mm (smooth reinforcement);
• longitudinal rods are usually laid 4 - 6 pcs. in each frame (2-3 from below, 2-3 from above);
• in junctions and corners, the spacing of the jumpers is reduced by a factor of three (20 cm instead of 60 cm);
• overlap recommended 40 - 60 cm with double wire tying.

The scheme of reinforcing the corners of the strip foundation with U-shaped clamps.

Knowing the volume of formwork for ordering concrete, you can roughly estimate the consumption of reinforcement - 80 kg per cubic meter of mortar. It is forbidden to touch the armored belt to the formwork panels, from metal elements to them there should be at least 2 cm, preferably 5 cm.

When using clamps (a closed element bent from a bar, repeating the shape of the formwork), the performance of the installation of the armored belt increases.

fill

The basic rules for professional do-it-yourself pouring of a tape base are:

• filling the formwork in one day with breaks within 1 - 2 hours (the beginning of setting, depending on the weather);
• moving the mixer along the perimeter, and not dispersing liquid concrete from one place along all walls (the mixture loses its properties);
• the horizontal of the upper plane of the tape is below the sides of the formwork panels, and do not look with them;
• it is forbidden to drop the solution from a height (maximum 2 m from the bottom of the trench);
• it is necessary to compact the concrete mixture with a vibrator.

Pouring concrete into formwork.

For high-quality filling of the formwork, it is necessary to rearrange the mixer several times around the building spot in order to fill the height of 60 cm. Then go through all the sections with a deep vibrator, repeat the operations until the design mark is reached. The norm for a vibratory tool is a compaction depth equal to 1.25 of the length of the tip.

Curing

To avoid wasting the construction budget at the excavation stage, the developer must know how much the concrete in the formwork settles and how to care for it. The main troubles that can happen with a reinforced concrete structure are:

• damage - chemical or mechanical;
• drying to complete hydration - fragile structure, broken internal bonds, possibly in the heat;
• cracking from temperature changes - relevant in late summer, autumn;
• shells on the surface - shrinkage due to the lack of plasticizers.

After pouring, the foundation is poured with water for a week and covered with a film on top to prevent moisture from evaporating.

Until the concrete has gained 2/3 of the design strength (you can recognize it by the brand), it cannot be stripped and must be protected from the indicated influences. To do this, the building spot or the perimeter of the base is covered with PVC film, burlap or tarpaulin, after 8 hours watering begins. The tape covered with loose materials retains moisture longer, it is recommended to sprinkle it with sand, sawdust, cover with burlap and moisten these materials.

Stripping

When using fixed formwork technology, this structural element remains on the belt. In other cases, shields are removed at 70% of the design strength of concrete, which is a week in summer. It is better to work together, holding the formwork elements to be removed from the canopy.

A home master, when building a strip foundation with his own hands, will avoid serious mistakes when following these recommendations and save money. The foundation is too important element of the building to risk its integrity and resource.

A house starts with a foundation. The stability and durability of the structure itself will depend on its correct choice and competent construction. Therefore, knowledge of how to properly make a foundation for a house will be useful to a novice builder in the first place.

Allocate how many options for the foundation that you can do with your own hands.

• Tape (slab).
• Columnar (pile).

Most often, a strip monolithic foundation is built under the house with their own hands. The method is labor-intensive, but the foundation is strong and durable. There is a shallow (slab) and recessed type of tape base.

• In the first case, a large pit is not required (about 0.5 m). The slab foundation differs from others by the presence of rigid reinforcement located along the entire plane of the base. The bottom of the pit is leveled and rammed, covered with sand or gravel. Align. Install removable reinforced formwork. Then reinforcement is produced. The resulting frame is poured with concrete.

You can get by with ready-made concrete products - slabs. Then a protective screed is made on top, it will also act as a subfloor. It is important that the reinforcing rods are at least 12 mm in diameter, and that the concrete is only from high-strength cement grades.

• Do-it-yourself in-depth tape monolithic foundation will be correctly built for massive houses with concrete floors, a basement and walls made of heavy materials. You need to know the level of soil freezing and lay the foundation below it by 30 cm.

Determining the place of action

At the beginning of work, it is necessary to make the markup correctly, on which both the external and internal boundaries of the future strip base will be marked. Use any improvised materials: wooden stakes or pieces of reinforcement and a rope. It is best to make markings by checking with a laser level.

To properly dig a trench, the reference point for its depth is marked at the lowest point on the site. When the markup is completed and the foundation pit is dug, you can proceed to the next stage of foundation construction.

We level the base, protect it from moisture

A sand cushion with an admixture of gravel plays not only a leveling role. It replaces problematic soil and reduces building settlement. The pillow is made in layers of 10-15 cm. Each of them is shed with water and rammed as it is poured.

How to properly waterproof a foundation? This question is often asked by beginner builders. For these purposes, a durable film or specialized geotextiles are suitable. The latter option is also distinguished by its own reinforcing property, adding a plus to the “piggy bank” of the strength of the tape base.

Bituminous mastic or liquid rubber is used to protect the base from FBS blocks. They will provide reliable waterproofing.

The waterproofing of the slab foundation is laid over the rough fill of the bearing part.

We build a form for filling

The formwork is built from planed boards 4-5 cm thick. As an alternative, moisture-resistant plywood is used. According to the recommendations, the formwork should rise 30 cm above the ground. Thus, a small base is obtained. Pipes (asbestos-concrete) are laid inside the formwork for the possibility of bringing various communications into the house.

To protect the formwork from contact with the solution, it is covered with polyethylene. This will allow the material to be reused or used for other purposes. Formwork should stand for about a week after pouring. It hasn't been removed before.

Creation of the "skeleton" of the foundation

Reinforcement is carried out with bars with a diameter of 10-12 mm. They are connected to each other with knitting wire. You should get a frame of square cells with sides of 30 or 40 cm. Reinforcement can also be done using composite (fiberglass) reinforcement. In any case, in order to properly make the frame, you should not use the welded method of connecting the bars.

fill

The formwork is filled with mortar, which is fed in portions. It is correct to fill it in layers from 15 to 20 cm, using a deep vibrator for tamping. If it is not there, a wooden seal is taken, which is easy to do with your own hands. This is required so that the solution is distributed evenly, without voids. The compositions of all layers must be identical. The solution with which the formwork is filled in the cold season will be properly heated. At the same time, frost-resistant additives are included in its composition.

After the pouring of concrete is completed, the formwork is covered with a film to avoid cracking when it dries. Strengthening occurs in 28 days. A tape monolithic foundation for a house built by oneself is ready.

Foundation on pillars

A correctly executed columnar foundation for a house was created according to the following principle: in each corner of the building, at all points where the walls intersect or there is reason to assume that an increased load will be created there, pillars are erected. Such a pile foundation is not expensive and reliable enough for light houses.

How to make a columnar foundation? The base pillars should be located at a distance of no more than one and a half - two meters from each other. They are installed without fail on a sand cushion. If the supports are erected from blocks of 200 × 200 × 400 mm, then the first elements are dug into the ground, and the following are laid out on them until the required height is reached.

Brick houses will be correctly done on a columnar foundation with a grillage. Beams or slabs are used as it. Alternatively, you can make a pile foundation. Correctly it is done like this:

1. Along the perimeter of the site, the places of future piles are marked (in increments of 1.2 m).
2. Soil is being sampled.
3. Either sheets of roofing material, rolled into a cylinder, or asbestos-cement pipes are laid in the holes.
4. The pile frame is made of reinforcement.
5. Filling in progress. Part of the pile foundation is done.

For a monolithic grillage, formwork is mounted. Its frame is assembled from reinforcement. It consists of two "layers". First, for the frame, the first tab of the bars is placed on the cakes from the solution. They are filled with cement. A second "layer" is laid out on it. The frame is poured further to the top of the grillage. He is allowed to harden and gain strength. Now the pile foundation for the house is done correctly.

Reinforced concrete base

Concrete blocks (FBS) are often used to create a foundation. They are strong and reliable. It will not be possible to create a strip foundation from FBS blocks with your own hands. The material weighs a lot, and only a team of qualified builders, together with equipment, can handle it. On your own, you can only dig a pit (if a basement is supposed), pour a monolithic floor or lay slabs. If there is no basement, a trench will suffice. It is also needed as a path along which workers will move at the time of adjusting the installation of FBS blocks.

Lighthouse elements are installed first. That is, FBS blocks are placed in the corners of the building and where load-bearing walls and partitions intersect. Between them, the first row is laid, where the vertical seams are filled with mortar. If the whole FBS block cannot completely cover any area, then there are additional elements for this case.

The principle of laying the second row is the same as that of brickwork. The indentation of the FBS element can be different (half the block, a quarter of the height of the concrete product) and depends on the type of soil.

During laying, gaps are left for summing up communications. Pipes will be placed in them, and free gaps will be filled with mortar.

When all the FBS elements have formed the foundation of the desired height, reinforcement is performed on top of them. The frame looks like three rows of bars, but a mesh can also be used. All butt joints must be tightly filled with mortar.

How to properly drain water

Among other things, you should know how to properly drain the foundation if the characteristics of the soil on the site require such actions. It is best to do this at the stage of foundation construction in order to avoid labor costs in the future.

The procedure looks like this:

1. Use any available type of seamless waterproofing of the foundation.
2. Create a protective winding for pipes.
3. Install drainage.
4. Create an insulated blind area.

What else stands guard over the foundation?

The blind area is not only a decorative element that logically completes the main construction work. She also plays other important roles.

• The blind area protects the base from melt water.
• It reduces the freezing of the soil, preventing its heaving.
• Thanks to the blind area, weeds and grasses cannot gain a foothold in the ground near the foundation, and they will not destroy it with their root system.

Usually, a standard concrete blind area 0.6 m wide is sufficient. It encircles the foundation around the perimeter and successfully copes with all functions.

The blind area can be done at any time after the walls are erected, but it is better not to postpone this activity. The ideal option is to be in time before the cold weather. The blind area should have a slope from the foundation towards the ground; the wider it is, the better; the minimum width is plus 20 cm to the size of the cornice.

Now that the question of how to properly mark out and make a foundation for a house, drainage and other necessary elements with your own hands is closed, we can assume that another step towards the dream has been taken in the right direction.

Pouring the foundation is one of the first steps in building a house. Theoretically, there is nothing difficult in this - I dug a hole, covered the bottom with sand, poured concrete on top, and it remains to wait until the cement hardens. But in fact, only professional builders know how to properly fill the foundation for a house; There are a lot of nuances here - from the installation of formwork to the correct vibration of already poured concrete, not to mention the fact that this work is hard and dirty.

Pouring a strip foundation - you definitely can’t call this work clean Source beton-rbu.by

Information about the ground and nearby buildings

Starting something without prior preparation is simply unwise. The beginning of all beginnings in construction is the preparation of project documentation; and to make a project of a house and a foundation, in turn, can only be based on the results of a geological examination of the site, which will reveal the individual features of the soil and will take into account the relief.

The lower freezing point of the soil in winter will allow you to determine the type of foundation and the depth of its laying. It is better to entrust a detailed analysis of the soil and the choice of the type of foundation to qualified specialists.

Landscape design will help you choose the most convenient location for the house, auxiliary buildings, paths and gazebos. Modern technologies allow you to see the future house from all angles.

The linear dimensions of the base are only part of the foundation design Source moifundament.ru

Preparatory work

The stage of preparatory work occupies an important place in the process of building a house. First of all, it is necessary to clear the site of construction debris, cut down excess trees and uproot stumps, remove dry grass.

Preliminary zoning of the site will allow efficient use of every corner during operation. The leveling of the surrounding area is best done before the start of construction work and laying the foundation. This will not only give the site an attractive appearance, but will greatly facilitate the implementation of construction work at all stages. The terrain with large differences requires stepwise leveling of the territory.

Next, determine the exact location of the house and mark the foundation. To do this, pegs are installed in all corners of the future structure. If the house is a standard rectangular shape, the result should be a figure with perfectly equal angles of 90 °. If the angle is not maintained, it is necessary to achieve this result by moving the restrictive cord in one direction or another.

Along the future walls, at the same distance from each other, pegs are also installed and a rope or cord is pulled between them. The diagonals drawn between the corners of the building must exactly equal each other.

An example of checking angles in markup - if the diagonals are equal, then all angles are 90 ° Source homeframe.ru

When marking for a strip foundation, it is necessary to step back from the walls of the house at a distance equal to the width of the foundation. Most often, this figure is not more than 20 cm.

You can dig a trench either by hand or using specialized equipment. It is formed at least 20 cm below the freezing point of the earth, characteristic of the area in winter. It is necessary to dig a trench clearly adhering to the markings and forming a flat bottom.

House Foundation Saving Methods

One of the exciting questions when building a house is how to fill the foundation for a house cheaply and with high quality. There are several ways to save some money:

Digging the soil and pouring the foundation under the house with a concrete mixture is the most expensive stage in the construction of a country house. Do all the work yourself or entrust it to professionals - everyone decides for himself.

The formation of a shallow foundation will save a significant amount of money. However, it is only suitable for the construction of low-rise buildings from lightweight materials. In all other cases, a deep foundation is used, erected below the freezing point of the earth.

The formwork is assembled from boards, which can later be used as a subfloor or for other work in which the appearance of the material will be of secondary importance.

After the concrete has hardened, the formwork boards are removed and can be reused. Source sovet-nso.ru

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer foundation construction and repair services. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

When pouring a slab foundation, you can save money by using a thinner base with the formation of stiffeners.

The possibility of using fiberglass reinforcement instead of steel materials will also save some money.

Features of pouring a slab foundation

The slab foundation is most often used in the construction of brick, frame and stone country houses. At the same time, the slab is located not only under the load-bearing walls of the house, but also under the entire structure and requires the formation of a perfectly flat surface.

To fill the slab foundation, a sand cushion up to 30 cm high is poured, reinforced concrete slabs are laid, a reinforcing frame is formed and a concrete screed is made.

It is the most expensive, but it fully ensures the strength and reliability of the foundation during the operation of the facility.

The slab foundation has a rather complex structure. Source profundamenti.ru

Online foundation calculator

To find out the approximate cost of a slab foundation, use the following calculator:

Features of pouring a columnar foundation

The columnar foundation is often confused with the pile foundation, but in fact they are two completely different technologies. If the piles are necessarily screwed below the freezing depth of the soil, then the columnar one is a pit, about 50-70 cm deep, the bottom of which is covered with sand, and concrete is poured on top, mixed with some stones.

On a note! For a residential building, a columnar foundation is not suitable, since it is designed for ultra-light buildings - small baths without a stone stove, gazebos, sheds and similar outbuildings.

The columnar foundation does not require additional waterproofing work, but, like the pile foundation, it excludes the possibility of arranging a cellar or basement. Since it is laid at a shallow depth, it is mainly used on sandy soils and sandy loams, indifferent to heaving and natural movement of the soil.

For pouring a columnar foundation, concrete blocks are used, fastened together with reinforcement and filled with ready-mixed concrete. For the formation of concrete blocks, any material is suitable:

• cobblestones;

  precast concrete blocks.

Pillar foundation - a shallow budgetary foundation for outbuildings Source stopdacha.ru

Poles are installed in all corners, as well as at the intersections of walls and points with increased load at a distance of no more than 2 meters from each other. At the same time, formwork is formed, pillars are installed and pulled together with reinforcing material. The entire structure is filled with a mixture of concrete.

Online foundation calculator

To find out the approximate cost of a strip foundation, use the following calculator:

Technology for arranging a strip foundation for a house

The strip foundation is laid to a depth below the freezing point of the soil. The pouring of the strip foundation includes the following steps:

preparatory work;

trench formation;

arrangement of a sand cushion;

the formation of a reinforcing frame;

formwork installation;

mixing the concrete mix and pouring the frame.

Video description

Visually, all the work on preparing the site and pouring the foundation, see the video:

formwork

Before pouring the foundation under the house, it is necessary to form a strong, reliable formwork. To form a removable formwork, you can use:

wood;

Fixed formwork becomes part of the structure and avoids the dismantling phase. For its formation use:

expanded polystyrene;

wood boards;

fibrolite.

Fixed formwork block for strip foundation Source ofacade.ru

Reinforcement

To form a reinforcing frame, reinforcing rods are installed in the corners. Longitudinal reinforcement is laid at the bottom of the trench and vertical rods are installed every 30 cm, the height of which exceeds the depth of the trench by the height of the foundation above ground level. This distance must be at least 25 cm.

Horizontal reinforcing bars are fixed at the same distance from each other in several levels to the very top of the formwork. Fragments of the frame can be connected to each other with a soft wire.

Drainage

A necessary stage of work in the construction of a house is drainage. It allows you to remove excess moisture from the building during the rainy season or spring snowmelt.

Corrugated pipes are used to form a drainage system. They are laid to a depth of 50 cm in pre-arranged trenches around the entire perimeter of the house at a distance of no more than one meter from its walls.

So that water and moisture can move by gravity through the pipes, they are laid with a slight slope and geotextile winding is performed.

Video description

Clearly about the drainage of the foundation in the video:

Ballast

To form the foundation, concrete grade M200 - M400 is usually used. When mixing a concrete mixture, a mixture of river sand and gravel is often used as a filler. For the construction of a country house, the ratio of these materials, taken in proportions of 3: 1, will be sufficient to knead the general mixture.

Foundation pouring

Preparation of a high-quality concrete mixture and pouring the foundation is an important stage in the construction of a country house.

sand cushion

Sand cushion is a necessary element in the construction of any structure. To form it, the bottom of the trench is covered with river sand to a height of at least 20 cm. Each layer of sand is carefully shed with water and compacted.

formwork

For reinforcing the foundation, reinforcement and reinforcing rods of various diameters are used. It is better to use thicker reinforcement along the trench. You can connect the reinforcing elements using soft wire.

Work progress

If you buy concrete at the factory, you won't have to think about how to pour the foundation for a country house. The automixer will evenly mix the concrete mixture to a uniform, plastic consistency and unload the finished concrete immediately onto the site prepared for the foundation.

The automixer will not only bring concrete to the construction site, but also merge it directly into the foundation formwork Source beton-house.com

Work begins from the corners of the foundation, trying to tightly fill all the voids. The concrete is evenly distributed around the entire perimeter with a shovel, excess air and bubbles are removed.

The finished foundation is wrapped with a film and periodically moisten the surface. This will help prevent the formation of numerous cracks during shrinkage.

Conclusion

We considered all the nuances of how to properly fill the foundation under the house. From which it follows that the exact observance of all technological stages of work and their high-quality performance will fully ensure the strength and reliability of the house during operation and will avoid fatal errors, therefore it is strongly recommended to entrust this work to professionals.

The strip foundation can be called the most popular in the construction of private houses, as it has fully justified itself over many decades of operation. It is quite simple in arrangement, does not require particularly complex devices or special equipment.

Of course, in order for the structure to be reliable and durable, you can only partially make a strip foundation with your own hands, that is, perform the basic work of digging a trench, installing formwork, installing and tying a reinforcing mesh, waterproofing and insulation. But manufacturing and pouring can be easier and more reliable to order from companies that are specialized in this work.

To find out why the strip foundation is so popular in construction, you need to consider all its positive and, of course, the existing negative qualities.

Advantages and disadvantages of strip foundation

A strip foundation is a monolithic strip of concrete mortar on which all the load-bearing walls of a building are erected.

Strip foundation - a reliable basis for the construction of the walls of the building

This type of base is used in the following cases:

• For the construction of private houses and outbuildings from materials with a significant mass, such as stone, concrete, brick, cinder blocks and other materials.
• In cases where the general plan of construction assumes an underground garage, basement or basement.
• For the construction of houses with a heavy ceiling or attic.
• In regions where predominantly heterogeneous soil prevails.

It should be noted that the installation of a strip foundation is suitable for almost all types of soils, with the possible exception of subsidence and peat bogs - this must be taken into account when choosing the type of foundation for building your own house.

To know what can be expected from a strip foundation during operation, it is necessary to have information about the advantages and disadvantages of this design.

Advantages:

• The strip foundation is especially capable of withstanding heavy loads, no less than a monolithic foundation.
• It is distinguished by the comparative simplicity of preparatory measures, which can be completely carried out independently.
• A strip foundation always has a long operational period, of course, with its proper construction and provision of the necessary degrees of structural protection (waterproofing and insulation).
• The advantage can be considered the variety of specific types of strip foundation, from which you can choose the one that is most suitable for technological and financial capabilities.
• The tape base will cost much less than a monolithic one, although it is practically not inferior to it in strength.
• This design allows you to better insulate the floors in the house, creating a multi-layer insulation.

Flaws:

• The strip foundation is not suitable for the device in some soils.
• According to construction technology, the entire thickness of the foundation must be poured in one go, and it is very difficult to prepare such an amount of concrete on your own. In this regard, there is a need to turn to construction manufacturing companies that have special equipment and machinery.
• Work, even in preparation for pouring concrete, is quite laborious and will take a lot of time. It will be difficult to manage without helpers.

As can be seen from the presented qualities of the strip foundation, the positive ones have a significant preponderance over the negative ones.

Types of strip foundations

There are several types of strip foundations, which differ in some criteria, and the first of them is the depth of its occurrence.

• For example, for massive houses built from heavy building materials, a deep foundation is required, which must be arranged to a depth of 250 ÷ 300 mm below the level of soil freezing in the region where the building was built.
• Another type of strip foundation is shallow. It is used for light frame buildings, and its total depth does not exceed 550 ÷ 600 mm.

The diagram shows several main types of tape-type foundations

Strip foundations are divided not only into two types, but also into several types:

• The monolithic type of foundation is the most used for various buildings. It is erected from a solution of concrete and with mandatory reinforcement. This foundation attracts with its simplicity of design and the availability of its construction, along with its inherent durability and strength.
• The prefabricated foundation for the construction of private houses is used less frequently. This type of base is assembled from ready-made concrete blocks, which are made in factories. They are delivered to the construction site and installed in the prepared trench with the help of heavy equipment.

The blocks are installed close to each other, and the gaps between them are filled with concrete mortar and sealed from the outside with waterproofing material.

This type of foundation is not suitable for unstable soils, since rupture and deformation of the entire foundation, and therefore the building standing on it, can occur at the joints.

In addition, for the delivery and installation of blocks in their permanent place (using loading and unloading and lifting equipment) you will have to pay a fairly round sum. However, in fairness I must say that the blocks themselves will cost less than the entire complex of necessary materials for pouring a monolithic foundation belt, and will also save builders from many heavy construction work. For example, you do not have to knock down and install the formwork, lay and tie the reinforcing mesh.

A prefabricated or block foundation is well suited for two- or three-story houses built from concrete slabs or bricks. If there is a financial opportunity and the type of soil is suitable for installing blocks, then this type of foundation will be a good choice for building a large cottage.

Materials for arranging a strip foundation

If, nevertheless, a decision is made to build a building on a monolithic strip foundation, you need to purchase all the necessary materials for its construction.

For this you will need:

• Roofing material or dense polyethylene film - for waterproofing the formwork.
• Board, 15 ÷ 20 mm thick and bar 20 × 30 mm - for the installation of formwork.
• Steel wire - for tying reinforcement and tightening, if necessary, formwork boards.
• Reinforcement with a diameter of 10 ÷ 15 mm - for installing a reinforcing belt.
• Nails or self-tapping screws - for mounting the formwork.
• Sand and gravel - for preliminary backfilling of "pillows".
• If the concrete is still mixed on its own, then it will need cement not lower than M400, sand and medium fraction rubble or gravel. The solution is made from these materials, taken in proportions of 1: 2: 4.

The sequence of work to create a strip foundation

To be sure of the choice of foundation, it is necessary to carry out some preparatory activities.

Foundation calculation

It is imperative to find out the type of soil on the site for building a house and the depth of its freezing in a particular region, as well as the depth of groundwater passage. To find out all these features, you need to contact the design and construction organization, which will conduct a geodetic study, make the necessary calculations and create an accurate foundation design, based on the analysis obtained as a result of the research.

If you take up the drafting of the project yourself, you can not take into account some of the nuances that will subsequently lead to the destruction of the walls of the house. This is especially true for buildings with several floors.

If you plan to build a small building, such as, for example, a country house, a garage, a barn, a chicken coop or a bathhouse, then you can try the foundation, taking into account the recommendations of SNiP II - B .1 - 62. And even easier - use a special table that allows you to special calculations exactly exactly determine the required depth of the strip foundation, depending on the type of house and soil characteristics:

Type of building	Depth of the strip foundation (mm) depending on the type of soil
		Rocky ground, flask	Dense clay, loam that molds in the hand	Packed dry sand, sandy loam	Soft sand, sandy loam, silt	Very soft sand, sandy loam, silt	peat bog
Barn, bathhouse, household the buildings	20	200	300	400	450	650
One-story country house with an attic	30	300	350	600	650	850	Requires a different type of foundation
Two-storey cottage	50	500	600		Requires calculation of specialists	Requires calculation of specialists	Requires a different type of foundation
Two or three story mansion	70	650	850	Requires calculation of specialists	Requires calculation of specialists	Requires calculation of specialists	Requires a different type of foundation
The table shows the average data of the load force on the ground of buildings of various types
In each case, an individual calculation is necessarily welcome.
For reference: 1 kg = 9.81 N; 1 kN = 101.9 kg; 10 kN = 1019 kg
The table is based on data from the British National Building Code 2010.

Plot marking

When the necessary calculations of the foundation have been made, the architectural plan of the building has been drawn up and, accordingly, the location of the load-bearing walls has been determined, marking is carried out at the site chosen for construction.

The most important issue is the correct marking of the foundation on the ground

• Before marking, the future site must be cleaned of foreign objects and debris, and the top fertile soil layer with a thickness of about 120 ÷ 150 mm should be removed. Organic residues can lead to biological decomposition processes, which is undesirable for basements.
• On the prepared site, a preliminary marking the corners of the future structure by driving in pegs.

Further, the evenness of the arrangement is carefully checked and the distance between them is specified. Pegs are rearranged as needed. A strong cord is pulled over them, with which it will be easier to control the straightness of the corners and determine the correct direction of the foundation strip.

• Sometimes pre-made wooden blocks are used to mark corners. details are rectangles. First, one rectangle is installed at the desired point and fixed.

Further, two cords are tied to it at a distance of the width of the trench under the foundation, they are pulled to the next place, where the second corner is set, and then the stretched cords are tied to it.

Thus, all four corners of the house are marked, and if load-bearing walls are also provided inside the building, then they are also marked.

• After all the corners are set, it is necessary to verify the length of the diagonals, the designated rectangle or square. If they are equal, then all corners are set correctly.
• Further, along the cord, you can sprinkle with dry lime powder - it will visually show the direction, and possibly reveal some errors.
• When the marking of the contour of the foundation and the internal walls of the house is completed, you need to mark the foundation for the porch or terrace in the same way.

If the house is supposed to install a brick stove or fireplace, then it makes sense to immediately take care of the foundation for this structure. However, the tape for the house and the stove under the stove should not be rigidly connected to each other.

After the markup, you can proceed to a fairly large-scale earthmoving work.

trench digging

• Trenches are dug along the marked lines with a depth indicated in the calculations of specialists, and which will depend on the type of building being erected on the foundation.

• Digging a pit should start from the bottom corner of the foundation - this will help keep the same depth of the trench throughout its entire length.
• When digging the soil, you should try to keep the walls of the trench even and vertical. If the soil suddenly begins to crumble, then temporary supports are installed in weak places.
• In the process of work, measurements of the depth and slope of the bottom of the trench being dug are periodically made. If the foundation is installed on a slope, then it is important that the trench has the same depth around the entire perimeter of its device.

Pit bottom preparation

• At the bottom of the finished trench, it is necessary to arrange a sand cushion, which should have a thickness of at least 150 ÷ ​​200 mm in a well-packed form. It will help the correct redistribution of the loads created by the mass of the structure on the finished foundation. This technique is especially important if construction is taking place on unstable heaving soils.

• Further, it is recommended to make a pillow of sand roofing felt flooring will protect the sand cushion from erosion and will not allow cement milk to be absorbed from concrete when pouring the mortar into the pit.

In addition, the roofing material will become a waterproofing of the underground part of the foundation. The material is not only covered to the bottom, but also wrapped on the walls of the trench by 150 ÷ ​​200 mm.

Formwork installation

It is installed in the prepared trench. It can be knocked down from the boards, which, after the mortar has hardened, will be dismantled, or made non-removable, at the same time insulating the foundation.

• If it is decided to mount the formwork from boards, then shields are knocked down from them and installed vertically on the bottom of the trench. The formwork should rise above the ground to the height to which it is planned to raise the basement of the house, but usually not less than 350 ÷ 400 mm.

- Between themselves, the shields are fastened with crossbars, and from the outside they are supported by trimming bars. Sometimes, so that the plank walls do not diverge when the concrete mortar is poured under pressure, it is necessary to additionally twist them with steel wire.

- If it is planned to make holes in the foundation for conducting communications, then the pipe section is installed as a spacer between the shields, inside the formwork.

- When installing a wooden structure, it is necessary to periodically check its evenness - this is done using the building level, otherwise the foundation may turn out to be crooked and will have to be leveled after it is ready.

• The fixed foundation is a block of, which are installed on top of each other and are held by jagged cutouts present at the edges of the blocks, and their corresponding grooves. Expanded polystyrene in such formwork can have different thicknesses and serves as a good insulation for the structure. Such blocks are produced in different widths, so they can be selected for any foundation.

The blocks do not require spacers or additional fastenings - they themselves are fully designed to securely hold the concrete poured into them.

• Another formwork option that can be called combined. It consists of installed plank panels, and inside the formwork, a heater is pressed against them, about 30 mm thick - it can be polystyrene foam or penoizol.

The material will not only insulate the foundation, but also prevent the cement milk from flowing out through the gaps between the boards, prematurely evaporating moisture from the poured concrete, which means that the process of ripening and curing will take place in the optimal mode.

Reinforcing grid installation

The next step in the formwork is installed. It is made from a metal rod having a diameter of 8 ÷ 15 mm. The rods are cut into segments equal to the length of the walls, and they intersect at their corners. It is not recommended to fasten the rods by welding, since they will lose their mutual mobility from this and, when the structure shrinks, they can destroy the foundation because of this. Therefore, they are twisted with steel wire.

If an insulating material is installed inside the formwork, then it is desirable that the perpendicular sections of the reinforcement enter the insulation - so it will be securely fixed to the edges of the formwork.

An accurate calculation of the reinforcing belt is carried out by foundation designers, taking into account m numerous criteria - the type and total mass of the building, soil stability, seismic features of the region, and other quantities.

Foundation pouring

If this option is not possible for one reason or another (for example, the absence of an appropriate company or completely unacceptable prices), then the concrete is poured in layers. But in this case, you can not do without the mechanization of the process, which means that you will definitely need a concrete mixer.

• When ordering a ready-made material, the concrete solution is kneaded at stationary production units in the required proportion, and delivered in special vehicles equipped with a concrete mixer and feed mechanisms.

- Next, a special chute is installed, through which the solution flows into the prepared formwork. It must be distributed with a shovel along the entire length of the structure until it is filled to the intended top.

- The surface of the concrete is leveled and left to set, mature and gain strength.

- The hardening time of such a structure is about four weeks in the warm season. Some work, such as demoulding and preparation for further operations, but without a significant load on the tape, can be started after 16 ÷ 20 days.

It is not recommended to fill the foundation in winter, but if it is — necessary measure, then both the composition of the concrete solution and the timing of the completion of the poured structure will be completely different. More about this is described in the corresponding article of our portal -.

• In that case, the work will be carried out independently, they are carried out in the following sequence:

- First of all, a solution for pouring is prepared. As mentioned above, it will need cement and sand in proportions of 1: 2 or 1: 2.5, as well as 4 parts of crushed stone. The mixture is poured with water and kneaded.

- If all materials are mixed in, then they are put into it in the same proportions and a solution is prepared, which is then immediately poured into the formwork. Using such a setup, the work will certainly go much faster, and with the support of good helpers, the work can often be done in one day.

- If the solution is to be kneaded manually, then it will be necessary to act in stages. So, the first layer of concrete mortar is poured into the formwork with a thickness of 150 ÷ ​​200 mm and well compacted with a wooden bar. The entire formwork along the entire length along the perimeter must be filled with a completely even layer of the same thickness.

The next day, the same procedure is carried out, and so on until the formwork is filled to the top.

- It is recommended to cover the flooded foundation with burlap, and if concrete work is carried out in the summer heat, then it is covered with plastic wrapso that moisture does not evaporate quickly, and the concrete hardens evenly.

The foundation, made in layers, matures faster than the one poured at a time. However, its strength is much lower, and there is a possibility of damage to the structure in winter during severe frosts, if moisture suddenly appears between the layers. Therefore, it is imperative to apply a waterproofing coating to the foundation, filled in this way, and it is also desirable to insulate.

Prices for popular models of concrete mixers

• To mix the solution, you need to use materials clean from earth and clay - gravel, sand and water.
• The proportions of the solution may vary, but gravel or gravel should always be taken 1.5 ÷ 2 times more than sand.
• The water in the solution should be approximately 50% by weight of the cement (not to be confused with the volume! )
• If you have to use wet sand to prepare concrete, this must be taken into account when adding water to the concrete mixer so as not to make the solution too liquid.
• When mixing and pouring the foundation in cold weather, it is recommended to knead the solution with heated water - this will speed up the setting and hardening of the concrete.
• If the solution is too thick, then after pouring the solution into the foundation, tamping or frequent piercing with a metal rod is necessary. This process is carried out to remove the air remaining in the solution, otherwise so-called shells may form inside the foundation.
• In addition, the formwork with the freshly poured mortar is tapped with a wooden mallet - this process also helps air to escape to the surface of the mortar.
• Formwork removal is carried out no earlier than 5 ÷ 7 days after pouring the mortar, and further large-scale actions can be carried out only after a month.
• Insulation and waterproofing of the foundation will be mandatory, as already mentioned, when it is poured in layers. However, it is better to make it a rule that these technological operations must be carried out in any case. This will dramatically increase the strength and durability of the foundation and, of course, the entire structure. How to conduct and foundation - read the publications of our portal.

It should be noted that the strip foundation is the optimal basis for so many buildings, and it is much easier to carry it out than a monolithic slab. And in conclusion of the article - a video example of the correct arrangement of the strip foundation:

Video: how to fill the strip foundation