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We make the foundation for a frame house

Frame house by yourself, foundation.

The article describes how we built the foundation for a frame project of the house Pasha in 2006

According to the results of geological surveys, it became known to us that on our site the clay soils do not subsidence and with a carrying capacity of about 2.2 kg / cm2.

Clay soils - bulky, soaking and freezing, they are expanding. Therefore, the foundations must be laid below the depth of freezing. The depth of freezing in the Kiev region is 1 - 1.1 m.
The total weight of our house is about 60 tons. Therefore, under normal soils, the foundation can be relaxed.

We decided to put the house on a column foundation.

The foundation of our building consists of 19 concrete columns 500x500 mm deep, 1.1 m from the surface of the soil. Due to the fact that we removed about 40 cm of the fertile layer, and to raise the surface of the site decided for 20 cm, then it was necessary to go deeper only 50 cm.

construction of a country house. The platform with pits under the pillars 

Fig.1 This is what looks like a platform with "pits" under the columns of the foundation.

After preparing the foundation, they took up the formwork of the pillars. Our formwork was a wooden box without the inside of the bottom wrapped with the cheapest (thin packaging) polyethylene film. The film does not allow water to evaporate from the concrete. This increases its strength and frost resistance.

The decking for the pillars must be made durable and securely fastened to the ground. As experience has shown, monolithic lithium concrete easily squeezes not firmly assembled formwork and leads to the ground.

building of a wooden house. manufacture of formwork 

Fig.2 Production of formwork.

I want to build a house. assembly formwork

Fig. 3 Production of formwork

After the assembly and installation of the formwork, the laying and fastening of the film from the inside of the "drawers" is not convenient. It was easier to wrap individual elements of formwork, and then assemble them together

We made the formwork at once to all the columns. Although, in order to save the boards, it was possible to prepare a formwork for half of the columns, concrete them, and then dismantle the formwork and reuse them.

construction of panel houses. Formwork ready 

Fig. 4 The formwork is ready. Tomorrow you can pour concrete.

We prepared the concrete for ourselves. It turned out to be cheaper than ordering a mixer. On the columns went 5.2 m3 of concrete of the mark of 100. To prepare it it is necessary:

  • C4 M400 - 867 kg,
  • River sand - 1,734 m3,
  • Rubble (fractions 5 - 20 mm) - 2.8 m3.
  • Concrete was prepared in the following ratio: 1 bucket of cement - 2.6 buckets of sand and 4.2 buckets of crushed stone.

Concreting columns three people performed 2.5 days.

wooden construction. pillars are concreted  

Fig. 5 Columns are concreted covered with a film from drying. The film is pressed with boards.

Concrete was prepared in a 100-liter concrete mixer. After the completion of concrete, the top of the columns, to prevent drying, closed with the rest of the film and pressed with boards.

country house is cheap. This looks like a columnar foundation 

Fig. 6 It looks like a column foundation for a 9x9m frame house under the "Pasha" project.

After demounting the formwork, it is not necessary to strip the adhesive to the concrete surface of the film. The longer the concrete will be wet, the stronger it will be.

It should not be forgotten that under the house will be laying sewage and water pipes. Digging the trenches under the plumbing and drains is best right after the concreting of the columns, until nothing interrupts.

to build a house of inexpensive cues. An excerpt of trenches under the water supply

Fig.7 Preparation of trenches under the water supply.

Above the foundation columns should be a socle - randblocks. It can be brick or concrete. Was chosen a concrete variant. Between the columns installed formwork. The shutter was knitted from the shorts, which we got cheaply, from the dismantled pallets.

Production of formwork for cap-and-randballe 

Fig. 8 Production of formwork for a cap - randballe

Production of formwork for cap-and-randballe 

Fig.9. Production of formwork for cap-and-randballe.

After the formwork was assumed, the use of boards of normal size, bought at the usual price on a forest stand, would save us time and effort, and ultimately finance.

Between the floor of the first floor and the earth formed space - a technical underground height of more than 1 meter. If desired, it could be converted into a basement and used for business purposes. Due to lack of funds, we did not arrange the basement. Getting into the underground can be through the hatch in the house.

country houses kiev. Arrangement of products for the ventilation of technical equipment 

Fig.10 Installation of products for ventilation of technical subsoil.

For the ventilation of the technical floor in the formwork of the base laid trimming of asbestos cement and plastic sewer pipes. Instead of plastic pipes, you can combine boxes of rectangular cross sections from the boards. On each side of the house we laid three pipes of diameter 100 mm.

from which to build a house is inexpensive. Surface reinforcement frame 

Figure 11. Spatial reinforcement frame

panel houses. Laying reinforcement frames in the formwork of the base 

Fig.12 Laying reinforced frames into the formwork of the base.

The base is between the columns of the foundation.

The distance between the columns is 1.5-2 m. For the reinforcement of the base, we manufactured frames of four rods of periodic armature A III with a diameter of 12 mm, interconnected by square sleeves of smooth wire with a diameter of 6.5 mm.

It should be noted that the bottom of the socket should be located below the surface of the soil by 30 - 35 cm.

Warning! Between the ground and the bottom of the randballe (the base) there should be an empty space of 6 to 7 cm. This will prevent the deformation of the foundation with the possible laying of soil in the winter.

cottage garden building with your own hands. the formwork is ready 

Fig. 13 The formwork is ready for receiving concrete.

Caution! The deck should be very sturdy and rigid. Concrete is very heavy and can open the walls. For rigidity, we strengthened the walls of the formwork under the slopes, and the top was joined by boards. The distance between the bottom of the base and the ground will subsequently be filled with soil, which was removed from the stains of the house.

cottage house with your own hands photo. concrete mixing ramming 

Fig.14 Concreting of Randblocks

Concrete was carried by hand in a plastic pelvis. Seal the concrete with spraying, shovels.

Please note!

The upper plane (the end) of the cap must be aligned with a cement-sand mortar. The top surface of the cap should be perfect. This will save you strength, eliminating the need to adjust the lower strap to the uneven base.

from which to build a house cheaply. the foundation is complete 

Fig. 15 The foundation is finished.

After finishing the concreting, be sure to close the top of the cap with a film, can be foil film, and secure so that the film does not tear down the wind.

Subsequently, the ground level was raised and the bottom of the rabbit was in the same level as the surface of the earth. Under the randbalque, an air gap of 50 mm was left.

For a socle, concrete is required not less than M150. At the concreting of the cap it took about 6 m3 of M150 concrete,

For the preparation of which you need:

  • C 400 M 400 - 1200 kg
  • River sand - 1,846 m3,
  • Rubble (fractions 5 - 20 mm) - 3.23 m3.

Concrete was prepared in the following ratio: 1 bucket of cement - 2 buckets of sand and 3.5 buckets of crushed stone.

from which to build a house with your own hands. General view of the foundation 

Fig. 16. General view of the basement and the socle. Find the mistake!

In order for a frame house to stand firmly on the foundation, the frame should be securely attached to the cap. For this purpose, before the concrete, the carved studs must be laid in the formwork, or bolts with a diameter of 14 - 18 mm, which will protrude above the concrete surface not less than 15 cm.
We did not consider this.

I had to install anchor bolts in hardened concrete randballe (cap). Correction of this error required additional work

If you have any questions about Building your home with your own hands. We will help you from the moment of designing to moving to an already built house.

Read more about building a frame house with your own hands HERE

The next stage - we do waterproofing the foundations - see HERE

Pavlo Biriukovych
Pavlo Biriukovych
Engineering Systems and Energy Efficiency Expert

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