Choose
Your Lot Wisely The money and time spent on site investigation is an excellent investment, and good insurance against trouble later on, when the foundation really counts. |
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In
your mind you've got a dream house, but in reality you have a building
lot. Before you get locked into a building plan, research your site, because
site conditions affect your design and the cost to build it. No designer
should draw house plans for you without a detailed site plan, and no builder
should estimate the construction costs without knowing
what's under foot.
Gathering Information |
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Slab
foundation Slab-on-grade foundations are simple to build are simple to build because the floor and footing can be poured as a single unit. |
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Start With Soil Foundation codes are written for sand or gravel soils, which are the best natural soils for construction. Heavier silts and softer clays are not ideal and may require more than the minimum code requirements. Most building departments will want information on soils before they sign off on a permit; they may even require an engineer's site report or stamp on your foundation design. An engineering report is based on a site survey
and test pit samples. If real problem soils are suspected, the engineer
may do "soil borings," but they are usually reserved for commercial
projects. rs do, however, need to identify the water table (depth where water sits year-round) and its high point. They do this by analyzing the color or "mottling" of the soil in the pit. Foundation footings and basement slabs should sit above the water table so that groundwater will not put pressure on the foundation or cause a dampness problem. On a site with a high water table, you may prefer to build a shallow foundation, or bring in fill to raise the grade. Drainage
Is Essential Septic
Planning Your septic permit will also depend on a "perc test," which is done by filling a test pit with water and measuring the time it takes to drain. For a septic field to work, the wastewater has to seep through the "treatment zone" fast enough to dissipate easily, but slowly enough to give soil bacteria time to break down the wastes. Make sure your site will pass a perc test; otherwise, you can't build there.
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Copyright Sudprasert Engineering (C)2002
10 February, 2003