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Building construction projects nowadays are very complex. There are many things to do and the contractors often need to hire many workers. If you want to reduce the cost of building your project, a clear plan about footing, foundation, and slab types is important. These will provide an excellent soundproof barrier, durable and strong material for the foundation and structure, which will be easy to install and repair. In this article.
Footing Vs. Foundation
When deciding between footing vs. foundation, it is also essential to consider the thickness of the soil where your home is located. If you live in an area where it snows, your foundation should be reinforced to withstand the force of snow. Otherwise, the snow could penetrate the base and eventually weaken the supporting structures. Grounding layers are used to reduce the amount of weight the foundation has to bear. The foundation also has to be correctly leveled so that water drainage will not become a problem.
Benefits Of Footing
There are many advantages to using footing instead of a foundation, particularly for flat sites. First of all, if a home has no footings, it will be more susceptible to settling since water cannot drain properly from a flat site. Secondly, footings can provide additional support for a home’s interior.
- Waterproofing
The reason for using footings in your basement waterproofing system is to position the foundation on the lowest part of the floor (or ground) to prevent leaks that occur when soil pressures are too significant to allow water to drain away. Conversely, when soil pressure is too great, water may leak from the structure, compromising the entire foundation and making repairs and replacements impossible in the near future.
- Stability
When it comes to soil pressure, footings provide a much more stable foundation. Landings also provide the foundation with a source of lateral support, especially in areas with slopes. This is because the water coming down from a higher floor will typically drop to a lower level on a footing vs. foundation wall, which is more stable than a flat slab floor. Landings also work to limit soil erosion and provide structural stability against both vertical (static weight) and horizontal (wind and dynamic weight shifts) forces.
Types Of Footings
Several different types of footings can be used in various types of building structures. The most common type of footing used in buildings is the concrete/mortar foundation, where the base or foundation of a structure is built up from soil on top of a concrete slab. Another common type of footing is the poured foundation, which uses poured concrete forms to create the outline of the building structure, which are embedded into the soil below. A hasty type of foundation installation, such as a wooden decking foundation, does not use poured concrete forms but uses different ground cover materials directly associated with the soil. Finally, a flexible ground system, such as a ground tie system, is another type of foundation used to form different types of footings.
Types Of Foundations
If you’re planning to build your own house on foundations, there are several types of houses on foundations that you might want to consider. Some are small enough to fit in a backyard. Others are large enough to fit on a concrete slab outside the home, and some still are in between – designed to sit on a foundation at the desired location and then be subdivided into rooms or even multiple levels.
Small House On Foundation
If you’re considering a small house on foundations, you’re likely looking for something that can easily be moved from one location to another. Most tiny houses on foundations are made with wheels. These wheels are usually made of metal. Although, some come in plastic and wood as well. There are backyard “rooms” made of tiny houses on foundations. These are perfect if you need an extra room but don’t want to pay for it. Since there are many different types of these houses on foundations, no one set of regulations applies to all of them. Some communities have very specific and stringent rules regarding the house on foundations. You’ll find that most of them adhere very strictly to local building codes. These can include codes regarding the maximum weight that a foundation wall may support. The local building codes also require that foundations must be “level.” They don’t want to soil or surface-level areas throughout a tiny house community.
Know Your House Slab Types
There are many things you need to know about house slab types but first let’s look at what this means. Slabs used for construction are generally reinforced with rebar, steel bars, and metal mesh and are supported on the ground, beams, walls, or other supports. Most of the houses constructed today are built on concrete foundations, but many houses are still being built on slabs. House slabs are mostly used in tropical and other developing countries. A house slab is not a very big structure as it is only found on the ground’s surface. Two basic types of house slab types need to be identified.
- Precast Or Reinforced Concrete Slab
One of them is the precast or reinforced concrete slab manufactured onsite and carried to the site for installation. Once installed, it is left to settle on the earth and get consolidated in the soil. This house slab type is the one that is usually built on the site by the engineers and constructors. First, it is reinforced by steel beams placed on the floor and on the walls to keep it in place. The concrete is then poured into the hollow space created by the beams. Finally, it will be covered with an additional layer of soil to prevent the moisture from getting inside when this is done.
- Infill Slab
Another type of house slab type is the infill slab. This is very similar to the pre-cast or reinforced concrete, but it does not have a metal backing like the former one. Instead, it is made using polystyrene and is then inserted into the hole drilled on the site. Once this is done, the infill slab is covered with sheetrock and epoxy to protect it from the weather. For the contractor to make sure that the concrete stays firm on the site, the floor bond formwork will be fitted over the infill slab after it is drilled. One house slab type that is being used more often is the suspension type. These are infill slabs that are connected either through steel pipes or suspended steel sheets. Once the concrete has been set, the suspended slabs will be pulled off and replaced. The soil underneath the suspended slabs must be leveled before construction begins. Once the site is leveled, the suspended slabs will be installed and secured with steel ties.
Factors You Should Consider Before Starting Your Construction
There are few essential factors you should consider before starting the construction. So let’s discuss those facts below.
1. Calculate The Right Amount Of Concrete
There are many reasons why you need to learn how to calculate the right amount of concrete. If you want to calculate the amount of cement to use, you must know the basic cement to use in building construction. The cement that is used is very important because it determines how the building looks. If you do not know the cement type you should use, you should ask the building contractor or any team member building your house. This way, he can calculate properly for you.
2. Requirements For The Floor Slab
In learning how to calculate the amount of concrete for floors, it is also essential to know the other things that make the floor slab. One of those things is the amount of gravel that you need to put in the ground. There should be enough gravel so that the drainage will work properly. This is very important for any flooring. You can learn more about the other materials that go into the building by reading construction articles.
3. Thickness Of The Concrete Slab
You should also understand that the thickness of the concrete slab you use will depend on the type of timber. Most timber buildings are built using concrete. The reason why this is so important is because timber is flexible. Concrete is not flexible, and it cannot be shaped as much as timber. In addition to that, it cannot be molded into the perfect angle, so it is only appropriate to use concrete if it is thick enough. The thickness of concrete that you can use will also depend on the setting time for it. Different types of slabs for a house have different settings for their setting time. For example, a natural concrete floor needs to have a setting time of one day while factory manufactured timber floors have two days. To find out which slabs for the house would give you the best results, you should contact the slabs manufacturer and they will provide you with the information you need.
Bottom Line
A person who is considering a new construction project should contact an engineer or architect. They will be able to determine the type of footing to use and the location of the footing, whether on a flat, steep hillside or in a shallow, swampy area. It is essential to take a moment to look over the property that one wants to build on so that the engineer can determine the best type of footing to install. The engineer will also help determine if the building will be successful, and if so, whether or not the foundation on which the building rests is sufficient.
