What are the foundations. Types of foundations and their description
The construction of any building, whether privateCottage, sauna or garage, begins with the laying of the foundation. About what the foundations are, let's talk in this article. And also consider what type is more suitable for this or that design and without which you can not do without laying the foundation.
What types of foundations are there and how to make the right choice?
The foundation is an underground partconstructions. Although it is not visible, but this part is the main load in operation. The foundation has to withstand the weight of load-bearing walls, floors, equipment inside. It is not surprising that the life of the house depends directly on its strength and durability.
Choosing the right foundation is not an easy task. A variety of factors should be taken into account. Among them, the relief and type of soil, the level of occurrence 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 to be used in the building. Types of foundations and their description - all this is presented below in the review.
Pile foundations
This option, perhaps, is one of the simplest and mostbudget for the price. Piles will be suitable even for weak soils, as the load will be produced on denser and deeper layers. The bearing capacity of this type of foundation is quite high, and it is not difficult to carry out excavation work. They are used mainly in private low-rise and high-rise buildings.
Piled foundations are different. The piles themselves can be located either vertically to the surface or under an inclination. A different degree of immersion in the ground. What are piles for the foundation? They can be wooden, metal or reinforced concrete. And according to the degree of location - single, ribbon or in the form of entire pile fields. Everything depends on the number of storeys, weight and dimensions of the future construction.
Belt foundations
Such a foundation is the most universal ofall. Tape foundations are used on all types of soil and for any type of construction. Moreover, if in the future building is provided for the construction of a basement or a garage, experts recommend that this type of foundation be laid.
Belt foundations are equipped with differentdepth, depending on the weight of the bearing walls and the very design of the house. At the same time, various materials are used: brick, reinforced concrete blocks or popular butane concrete today. Of course, when choosing it is necessary to take into account the type of soil, the level of occurrence of groundwater and the potential hazard of destruction of the ground.
Columnal foundations
As the name suggests, this is the basis ofpillars, which with a certain frequency are located in the corners and around the perimeter of the house. It is these pillars that subsequently account for the main burden. Speaking about what are the foundations for construction in a cold climate, most often the choice is in favor of columnar - because they are not afraid of even deep freezing. Harsh soils are another reason for the application of this base.
The pillars for the foundation are made of differentmaterials, including concrete and reinforced concrete, brick, natural stone, wood, butobeton and others. The disadvantages are the risk of overturning on weak soils.
Monolithic (slab) foundations
For territories with a high level of groundwater, andalso weak soils, a solid slab is an optimal 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. This unification with the basic design provides a minimum probability of further subsidence and destruction of the building.
Plate foundation will be the best solution forconstruction in seismically active zones. Although this type is the most expensive and laborious in implementation, but the costs are worth it. In addition, no matter what the foundations of a monolithic type are, it is quite easy to calculate and design them.
Foundations of small deposits
If the main task in the construction of a house -save time and money, then this foundation will do the best. After all, their arrangement will be cheap and carried out quite quickly. Of course, for multi-storey and heavy structures they are unacceptable, but for light structures will be ideal. An additional advantage of the foundations of shallow laying is the possibility to use them in cold climatic zones, as well as areas where there is a great danger of swelling of the soil.
Every home has its own foundation!
When with soil type and terrainhave decided, it's time to decide which building is supposed to be built. Because the storeys, dimensions, design characteristics also directly affect the type of foundation.
Wooden housing construction, widespreadin our country from time immemorial, today again it is gaining its former popularity. Of course, for buildings made of wood, a qualitative foundation is also needed. What the foundations for a wooden house can be depends, first of all, on weight. After all, wooden buildings can be erected from a beam or a solid log, be single or multi-storey, be faced with heavy materials, etc. Still, the main types of foundations of a private house made of wood are pile, columnar and ribbon with a shallow depth. They are inexpensive, easy to implement and are suitable for light buildings, which are wooden houses.
For small dachas of seasonal residence, baths andFarm buildings from wood the best choice becomes the columnar foundation. Be careful: his choice does not allow the arrangement of the basement in the house, so keep this in mind when designing.
An advantageous solution of the foundation under the woodenThe construction will be the use of bored piles. They are asbestos-cement pipes, the construction of which is reinforced with the help of reinforcing cage and concrete pouring. In this case, the pipes are the main load 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 and reinforcement cage, and then combine all this with concrete.
The foundation of the bored type is economical andeasy to implement, it can be used without any problems on weak soil types. At the same time it is permissible to build on its basis both one- and two-storey cottages made of wood.
As for heavy multi-storey buildings fromconcrete, brick and reinforced concrete, then the ribbon foundation has proved to be the best. When it is erected, strong and reliable materials are used, mostly concrete and reinforced concrete, with reinforcing cage. If a multistoried building is built on abrasive soil, it is better to use not a prefabricated slab, but a monolithic base that will protect the house from soil movements and freezing.
Armature - an integral part of the foundation
Reinforcement is necessary for almost any foundation. In its types, classes and varieties, too, it is better to understand better. After all, having thoroughly studied what the foundations are, it is possible to identify the factors that influence the choice of reinforcement for a particular type.
In a professional environment, the reinforcement can be foundalso under the names of reinforcing bar or rod, rod or reinforcing steel. Its purpose is to give greater rigidity and strength to the foundation. The armature can be smooth or ribbed, hot or cold rolled, non-tensioned and prestressed. Everything depends on the technology of its production, the type of profile and the quality of the materials, as well as the conditions of use in concrete.
Speaking of what kind of reinforcement for a foundation is, one can not help but dwell on its mechanical properties, in other words, classes.
Classes of reinforcement used to lay foundations
- A1 - armature with a smooth (not ribbed)surface and high plasticity. Indispensable in conditions of stretching. Its adhesion to concrete is small, therefore, as a basic in the arrangement of the foundation, such reinforcement is not used. But it is well suited for fastening the main frame.
- A2 and A3 are the most common types forbookmark the tape base. This is a corrugated reinforcement, which can be found both in bays and in rods. Provides good coupling of the concrete base after pouring, has good resistance, high compression and stretching characteristics.
- A4, A5, A6, similar in their technicalcharacteristics and diameter of the profile of the variety, but different in the grade of steel from which they are produced. Also very popular in laying the foundation of different types.
Metal or fiberglass: what to choose?
Depending on the raw materials used inproduction, reinforcement can be steel or polymer. If you have not decided what to choose for your construction, carefully weigh the pros and cons of both types.
Steel reinforcement is strong and reliable, stableto external influences and durable. It withstands large loads on the deflection, is represented in a wide range of diametrical values and any length of the rod. The disadvantages of this type include a large weight and susceptibility to corrosion over time.
Fiberglass reinforcement of such drawbacksis deprived. With a similar diameter, it is four times lighter than metal, convenient to transport and safely tolerates the effects of moisture. Unlike steel, fiberglass does not conduct heat, so such an armature will eliminate the appearance of the notorious "cold bridges" and increase the thermal insulation characteristics of the entire structure. But it is not devoid of shortcomings in the form of impossibility to conduct welding operations and perform bending during the installation process.
Summing up
So, what is the foundation under the house and what is itrepresents the armature for him, you know. Now it remains only to make the right choice based on specific conditions. It is necessary to rely on the available information on the soil and its features, the depth of the location of groundwater, the climatic conditions of the region and so on.
Do not forget to take into account the material fromwhich is built itself construction. For example, stone and concrete buildings require greater depth and width, as well as greater strength of the foundation. While in the construction of a wooden house, you can do less and reduce the laboriousness of the work. Consider the number of storeys: even if the walls are as light and thin as possible, a two- or more-storey house requires a more thorough calculation of the foundation.
Regardless of what are the foundations andwhat choice do 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. Practically, this figure is from 0.5 to 1 meter - depending on the above criteria. It is also recommended to increase the level of burial when the load on the foundation is increased.
We told you about the foundations. Comparison of species, advantages and disadvantages of each of them, the scope of application - all this should serve as the basis for the right choice.
