Foundation for a house of foam blocks with their own hands

Penoblock is a material in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 30 by 40 cm. Foam concrete blocks are made which are mixed with cement, water and sand. The material is characterized by the color of gray color and the ability not to sink in water, even having a sufficiently large weight. Penoblok by some characteristics is similar to aerated concrete and is often confused with this material. But the foam blocks for the basement price is much lower than the cost of aerated concrete, because this material in construction is used more often.

Advantages of using foam blocks

Penoblocks have low cost compared to other similar onesmaterials, while the structures from it have the same characteristics as those of brick or wood. In addition to this factor, there are other significant advantages:

• When manufacturing foam blocks, no harmful impurities are used, this material is environmentally friendly and does not harm human health and the environment. According to the sanitary norms penoblok is suitable even for the construction of various children's institutions.

• The walls of the foam block do not let sound and do not require additional soundproofing.
• The surface of bricks made of foam concrete can be easily processed, it creates structures of any shape.
• The porous structure of the material ensures good air exchange between the room and the street. This indicator is at the same level as that of the wooden walls. In this case, do not conduct heat, keeping it inside the room.
• The foundation of the foam blocks will not be drained due to the same porous structure of the material. It will not be necessary to install additional structures to deal with high humidity in the basement.
• When laying a foam block all the work is carried out quickly and easily, since all the bricks have a small size and the right shape.
• The maximum distance between bricks is 3 mm, so not only cement, but also special glue is used for laying.
• The finish of buildings does not require the installation of a large amount of plaster, since the walls of the foam block have a flat surface.
• This material is highly resistant to heat.

With all the advantages of foam blocks have one drawback - the strength is not very high, this should be taken into account when calculating the load on the foundation.

Types of foundations of foam blocks

In order to determine exactly what foundation is needed for foam blocks, it is necessary to study all possible options, as well as the characteristics of the area where the construction is planned. The most common reasons for the structures of this material are divided into 4 types:

• Belt foundation - this construction is constructed recessed or shallow.
• Column foundation - the structure includes reinforced concrete, poles in the form of a square or circle with a grillage or beam, which has a reinforcing belt made of reinforcement.
• Pile foundation - when constructing, pile screws or hanging piles, piles with reinforced concrete piles are used. The fundamental difference of this type of foundation is only in the presence of reinforcing pile elements. Otherwise, the structure is erected as a tape or columnar. Piles are optimally suited for unstable bases, which require additional support.

• Monolithic foundation - on the principle of erection does not differ from similar structures from other types of material. The construction of the foam blocks has a low weight, and therefore the thickness of the base is less, but this factor depends on the design of the house, its floors and area.

Parameters for selecting a foundation type of foam blocks

When choosing the optimal basement for a house of foam blocks, they take into account the peculiarities of the area on which the construction is carried out. The foundation must be reliable, as it is the basis of the house, but the calculation is carried out so as to minimize costs. All the factors that are taken into account when choosing the type of foundation are described in more detail below:

1. Soil characteristics at the construction site. Geological investigations are carried out to determine the type of soil, which are carried out by specially trained people. But this work is easily done by yourself. For this, one or several wells with a depth of not more than 2.5 m are made by the drill. From these wells, ground samples are taken to determine the constituent components. In groups, soil types are divided into:

• non-hepatic, contain gravely sand with a large or medium size of grains of sand;
• weakly-hedged, contain fine grains of sand or sand dust;
• are pulverous, containing impurities of clay, loam and sandy loam.

2. The optimal type of foundation is then determined from the analysis. For the third group of soils, it is not worth choosing a strip foundation. The optimal solution will be piles.

3. If at a depth of more than 2 m there are soils from the first group, and freezing passes at a sufficiently large depth, it is advisable to erect a columnar or pile foundation. In calculations, the posts or piles are arranged so that the distance between them corresponds to the total mass of the structure. The depth of soil freezing is determined on the basis of observations of several years, on average this figure is from 0.5 to 2 m.

4. The next factor is the level of groundwater and its influence on the construction. High-standing water excludes erection of the basement, this indicator is equal to 0.5-1 m. At this height, it is necessary to supplement the foundation with drainage, which will increase the cost of work. In this case, the best option is a monolithic foundation. However, if you plan to build a house with a basement, the erection of the basement and drainage under it is inevitable.

5. The last factor is the necessary terms of works and their cost. For fast construction, the pile or column foundation is ideally suited, since these jobs require the least time. The most expensive foundation for a house of foam blocks is monolithic and tape.

Construction of the tape foundation of the foam blocks

The banded base from the foam blocks is optimally built on the soil from clay or soils of the group of heaving type. The depth of the deposit is calculated based on the ground freezing data. The width of the foundation under the foam block is calculated so that it is greater than the wall thickness by at least 100 mm. The height of the socle is not less than 40 cm, the upper part is reinforced with 10-16 mm reinforcement in two rows in two layers.

A shallow foundation has a depth of not more than 60 cm. This type of foundation is optimally suited for non-hardened soils with a strong base. Tape foundations allow you to equip the house with a basement room. The algorithm for building the structure is as follows:

1. The process begins with the laying of the pillow, which is made using sand or a mixture of gravel and sand. Prepare a trench to build a house, sand falls into it, rammed, and then gravel or gravel is laid on top. The thickness of each layer is 15-20 cm.
2. The next step is to fill the prepared cushion with a grout of 5-10 cm thick. This part is called "concrete block".The solution is left for 5-7 days, but not until it dries completely, but only up to half.
3. When the "concrete" has dried up to half, the foundation is reinforced. Reinforcing bars are tied in the belts with a knitting wire. It is not recommended to fasten the rods by welding, as the places of influence are more prone to corrosion. The reinforcement for the foundation should be chosen from products that have an anti-corrosion coating. If necessary, the foundation is reinforced with a more complex frame, which is additionally poured with concrete. This measure is necessary for the high severity of the future structure.
4. After the reinforcement, formwork is performed. To do this, apply wood, slate, plywood or metal material. A concrete solution is poured into the finished structure.
5. For the preparation of concrete solution all components are taken in this ratio - 3 parts of sand for 5 parts of crushed stone and 1 part of cement. The ratio of water to cement is 0.5.When performing work in cold weather, various substances are added to the solution, which accelerate hardening.
6. Ready concrete is poured into the formwork and compacted. The best option for a good seal is a vibrator, which is also not difficult to make by yourself. Alternatively, compact the mortar with a wooden hammer, having previously made several holes in the concrete to allow air to escape.
7. The formwork is removed after full hardening of the solution, usually it takes about 3 days. Then start laying foam blocks on the finished base.

Some features of the terrain significantly affect the construction of the base under the house. If the terrain has a slope, then the foundation is poured with ledges, begin work on the lowest surfaces and move on. In this case, the height and length of the ledge is calculated in the ratio 1: 2, its height should not exceed 50 cm. With the same calculation, the deeper embedding turns into shallow. When building a foundation on dry soils, the thickness of the sand cushion is increased, while reducing the size of the masonry.

Construction of columnar foundation of foam blocks

The column foundation under the house of foam blocks is suitable just perfect, because this type of construction is reliable for buildings with low weight, and the building of a foam block is inherent in this feature. At the heart of the structure is the construction of pillars, on which the whole building will be built. Places for pillars are calculated in such a way that they support each corner and the intersection of walls, and also all the points of concentration of the load - heavy or bearing walls, beams, girders, etc., strengthen by columns. The calculations also take into account the fact that there should not be more than 2-2.5 m between the posts.

The column foundation is constructed with the help of various materials, including stone, brick, butot concrete, wood and others. The depth of the plot divides the structures into ruined and shallow ones. The structural features divide the foundations from pillars into monolithic and demountable. If, when erecting a foundation, beams are laid on top of it, then this structure is with a grillage, but construction is possible without it. The most reliable construction leading experts recognize the reinforced concrete columnar foundation for the house. The algorithm for its construction is as follows:

1. In each marked under the pillar, a pit is dug out. In the finished cavities lay a pillow of sand, gravel and crushed stone. On top of the pillow lay moisture-free material, so that when pouring poles with concrete, moisture does not go to the base.
2. In the pits, install shields and open them so that the structure does not fall inward. This measure is necessary in order to prevent the shedding of land in the pit. The same boards are used as a formwork, if their width corresponds to the required.
3. Then reinforcement is carried out, the thickness of the rods for this is about 12 mm. Reinforcing material is inserted into the pit vertically, at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other. All the bars are fastened with a knitting wire.
4. Before filling the mortar, the formwork is securely fastened. To prepare the solution, use 1 part of cement to 3 parts of sand. The solution is poured gradually, in small portions. Every 20-30 cm of cement is carefully tamped.
5. Filled posts are left for 10-14 days until completely dry. Next, remove the formwork and mount the floor. Use for this purpose concrete pouring or monolithic blocks of concrete.
6. Overlapping from concrete pouring is done on the same principle as the pillars themselves. It is reinforced with nets of reinforcement.

Construction of a monolithic foundation of foam blocks

This foundation under the foam blocks is optimally suited for soils. It fills the whole space under the house, while the above types only support individual elements.

The disadvantage of the design is that it is impossible to equip the basement. The algorithm for constructing the structure is as follows:

1. The foundation pit is fitted with the required dimensions with a depth of no more than 60 cm.
2. A 40 cm cushion is laid on the bottom of the pit as when building a tape or columnar base. The thickness of the sand layer is not more than 25 cm, the layer of crushed stone is no more than 15 cm. On the upper crushed stone layer of the pillow lay a waterproofing material and two reinforcing layers from the reinforcement. The reinforcing layer consists of reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm and a mesh size of 20 by 20 cm.
3. A formwork is installed throughout the entire area of ​​the monolith. The concrete solution is poured.
4. After complete drying of the mortar, the formwork is removed, a waterproofing material is placed.