Tips for Making Strong Building Foundations

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This is an article about how to build a solid house foundation. When building a house, for example, the foundation has a very vital role as a support for the load of the building on it and supports the main structure of the building. Without a strong foundation the building will not be strong and sturdy and less feasible and safe to use.

But unfortunately today we often get residential buildings made with foundations that are only perfunctory and not in accordance with the correct standards. 

Many people think that as long as they have used the services of a construction worker, they can start building a house without consulting a civil or architect. In fact, building a house requires sufficient knowledge so that the building of the house can be strong and safe.

KINDS OF FOUNDATION FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSE

Actually, what kind of house foundation model is sturdy and strong enough to be used as a residence? In building or civil science, we will recognize two types of foundations that are common or most widely used for 2-story residential buildings, namely river stone foundations and foot plate foundations or chicken claw foundations.

River stone foundations are usually used for one-story buildings only. In general, the depth of the foundation only ranges from 60 to 80 cm. The function of this foundation is only to support the installation of bricks and the load on the structure of the building above which is not too heavy in the form of a one-story building.

Chicken claw foundations are more often used for two-story house buildings. Unlike the river stone foundation, this foundation is made of reinforced concrete construction with a depth of about 120 cm to 2 meters. 

But we will more often apply this foundation with a depth of 100 cm which usually has reached the hard layer. This foundation is able to support the heavy load of the building on the top which is a two-story building.

HOW TO MAKE A STRONG HOUSE FOUNDATION

To build a solid and strong house foundation, we must make the right plan. Just imagine if without an adequate foundation, the foundation will not be able to withstand the load of the building on it and can make the building collapse. 

In addition, the building will also be at high risk of experiencing structural cracks which of course will be very dangerous for the occupants. To avoid this problem we must pay attention to how to make a solid and strong house foundation as follows.

Pay attention to the depth of the foundation excavation because without sufficient foundation depth, the strength of the foundation will also be less good at holding the load of the building on it.

If we choose a river stone foundation then we can use a mixture of 1: 5 for the ratio of cement to sand to ensure the strength of the foundation.

We also have to provide iron cuttings on the river stone foundation to be linked to the iron sloof.

If we choose a foot plat foundation, we should use reinforcement with a minimum size of 12 mm.

In addition, also pay attention to the quality of concrete where it is better for us to use the quality of the K225 range.

Meanwhile, where the cement, sand and gravel ratio is in the 1:2:3 range, make sure that the foundation reinforcement is completely integrated with the structural column reinforcement to the top of the building so that the foundation strength can be guaranteed.

FOUNDATION AND SOIL CONDITIONS

Apart from doing the things mentioned above, we must also pay attention to several other things, namely the condition of the soil that we will use to construct buildings. By checking the bearing capacity of the soil, we can determine what type of foundation is suitable for the house we are going to build.

If the soil conditions on which the building will be erected are hard enough and we only want to build a one-story house, then a continuous river stone foundation is sufficient to be applied in the building.

If the soil conditions are strong enough and the bearing capacity is hard and we want to build a two-story building, then we can use a combination of river stone foundations and additional footplates in each of the main structures.

If the soil turns out to be in a soft and unstable condition, is a former fill or is in a slope position, inevitably we must consult with a structural expert or architect to ensure choosing a foundation system that can be used considering this condition is quite risky if only relying on the knowledge of the builder. Especially if we want to build a residential building with two or three floors.

By making a strong and sturdy foundation, we can ensure that the house building will be strong and sturdy and of course it can be used for a long time. In addition, the factor of safety issues must also be considered because if we build the foundation of the building at random, it can make the building quickly damaged and dangerous for the occupants.

Thus the article on tips for making a strong building foundation, may be useful.