Secrets of Mother Earth

Stanislav Fried Every house on something worthwhile. Namely - in particular the soil, which is the basis and support for the foundation. On what exactly this ground, a lot depends, in some cases at issue is the very possibility of the erection of a building at a particular location. That is, like it or not, and examine the site from a geological point of view - is essential. To conduct surveying and geological surveys in the area better before the project is commissioned by the house, otherwise all this can be a monkey work. Suppose you have provided a complete package of design documents for major brick house in three floors. The project is completely professional, more than that - brilliantly executed, but you, alas, is not appropriate, because the steep hillside, where you bought the land, such a massive structure just will not hold. You can certainly score a huge pile in the ground to securely consolidate the house, but the best (and most importantly - much cheaper!) To conduct a preliminary investigation of soil and that on this issue for your technical specification for design. However, for a start is not a sin to perform certain complex geodesic works - it helps to correctly position with respect to the future home of the plot and on the sides of the world. In addition, you may need to clarify the boundaries themselves, particularly if the site was not put on the cadastre in recent years. And if the survey works were carried out ten years ago, then it is possible that your site is defined in the conventional coordinate system, which means you are risking to join in the future landmark dispute with its nearest neighbors. Also required to conduct topographic survey, which will allow the vertical layout of the site. Done this shooting pretty quickly, within two or three days, and great damage to your budget, it would cause. If the plot difficult terrain, with significant drops in altitude, it is primarily measured slope of the surface. Such information will help design a house or prepare a spot for building. As already mentioned, aesthetically attractive option location of the house on a steep slope entails additional expenses. That is, the customer is forced to decide in this case: move to build a more equal place, choose the design easier (for example, frame-and-shield house instead of brick), or all of the save, but the increase in one and a half times the budget for construction. Geological studies are sometimes delayed for several weeks, but they clearly show how soils predominate in the area and what is their power, will establish the level of groundwater. Home geology of the Earth, with a mind so soft and pliable, can, as experience shows, simply push a fairly massive structure. This occurs usually in case of heaving soils, of which our native Leningrad region abound. Most often, this clay soils, which in the winter freeze to a depth of about five feet, and then thawed, which leads to mechanical shear in them. This phenomenon is called frost heave, which is often a consequence of displacement of the basement, and behind him, and other support structures. Ultimately, we see cracks in the facade, skewed doors and windows - and it must be said, is not the most terrible consequences. Here is one of many examples: put a house on the pier foundation with a deep little more than a meter, and in the spring cracked beams and trim pretty twisted doors and windows. Why? Because they do not take into account the nature of the soils in this place, he would save on the geological survey (how much the owner has managed to "sekonomiti" not even worth talking). However, heaving soils - not a hindrance to the quality of construction of individual cottages. Usually trouble happens when the sole foundation is located above the depth of soil freezing, and when construction is carried out in winter or off in the middle of winter without taking the necessary measures for preservation. In this first step is to determine what the soil at the site, and if it is fraught with frost heaving, be sure to bury the sole foundation below freezing. According to experts, on heaving soils (sandy loam, clay loam, clay), it is desirable to put the hard house - with walls made of brick or timber since light design for frost heave just starts to bulge. In turn, heavy walls require a more powerful foundation. Hazards are heterogeneous and foundation soil under the foundation base. Now houses are built rather large, so often parts of tape or pier foundation enter into plots of soil that differ in density and, therefore, go into the soil at different depths. And then - again, wait for the strain, which is sure to arise, followed by the crack, the threat of collapse of the designs for this need to clarify the structure of an array of soil underlying the foundation base, namely: to make a few pits or drill several shallow wells by hand. This recommendation is particularly relevant, if at a given location are peat bogs - the weak soils, which are easily deformed to subside, promising considerable trouble buildings. Groundwater is water contained in soil and deep soil layers represents a danger for future construction. Groundwater can be, firstly, the soil - they are formed from precipitation, melting snow, irrigation water (this is a temporary water, which quickly appears and disappears quickly) or are a component of the marsh and muddy soil (a constant soil water). Secondly, what is called a "perched" which may form after heavy rainfall, the flood and are usually found in sandy-loam soils. Usually perched has limited distribution area and in the dry season sometimes completely disappear. Finally, there is ground water, which constantly occur in the soil. They exist almost everywhere, only in different places at different depths. Depth, temperature and other parameters of ground water may vary depending on many factors, but usually no pressure in these waters there (ie they do not hit out of the ground fountain). If they are very deep and during the snow melt does not reach the surface, then the house can be equipped with a basement without worrying that one fine spring day, it will flood. But if the water table is close to the surface of the earth, the construction of the basement can become problematic. To avoid flooding of the building prior to construction should find out features of the site, including soil saturation by groundwater. And only after that decide whether a house with a cellar and how it will be - deep or shallow - and what tools are best applied waterproofing. Practice shows that in some cases out of the situation can be reached by using very high quality and expensive waterproofing. However, it happens that even the waterproofing does not save. Also, do not forget about the filtering ability of a soil. Most of the modern town houses (with multiple bathrooms, shower, washing machine and others) need to be autonomous sewer system. But such a drain, as is known, requires a filtration field - that is pre-treated waste water goes into the ground. And if the soil at the site has poor filtering capacity, it is probably worth considering whether to equip your house with three bathrooms and two bathrooms with Jacuzzi. Indeed, it may be that the soil will simply not enough time to pass waste water, and then inevitably begin swamping the site. Finally, take a look deep into the earth - the place where lie artesian aquifers. Sometimes they pass relatively close to the surface of the earth, and sometimes - well, very deep! A drilling long hundred meters will cost you a tidy sum. So, before you start building, it makes sense to set the depth of those same aquifers. So that the house stood on the implications of saving geological survey, we seen in the familiar brick mansion built in the past decade. While the large majority of potential homeowners never heard of studying the geology of the site: the main thing - that the money was, and to build a house - it's a snap. Therefore, in the original construction budget, few included the costs of geological engineering. Preliminary study of soils in the field of construction is most often not performed, and two-, three-storey house where a huge weight erected at-exists and anyhow. Results were sad: a celebration of amateurism ended in some cases the collapse of supporting structures (the mother of damp earth, not every building will stand!), In others - the appearance of cracks in buildings already under construction, because the foundation simply sank into the ground. Often weak leak sealing, and long before the completion of the basement flooded with water. Thought again, the owner of folded construction, rushed to sell the "box", but who needs a home that could at any time sag or even collapse? The result - no money, no home, a headache. One of the most serious dangers - is finding a place under the planned construction of the house of quicksand, which very likely may cause cracking of the foundation, and then the walls. In this case, experts recommend unequivocally renounce the construction at this location. But, to bring the construction site and avoid trouble, you need to know how to wait for trouble! Therefore, we repeat once again: before you begin building your country home, order a set of engineering-geological surveys on the site. Such works are performed by specialized companies, who find no difficulty.