Pumping stations

Foundation for a one-story house made of foam block. Foundation for a house made of foam blocks

Buildings made of artificial stone, and in particular foam blocks, occupy a huge segment of the individual housing construction market. This is a lightweight and heat-resistant material, characterized by low cost and durability. When designing foundations for walls built from foam blocks, one should take into account not only the general conditions, but also the characteristic features of this material. This is an empirical value that depends on many factors, and careful preparation is necessary to determine it correctly.

Choosing a foundation type

Since a building made of foam blocks is almost fifty percent lighter than a stone one-story house with walls of similar thickness, the bearing capacity of the foundations, and therefore the amount of work and the estimated cost of the supporting structure, will be significantly lower. The minimum thickness of a foam block wall without cladding is 300 mm, and if it is not intended to line the house with bricks, the width of the foundation can be taken in accordance with the transverse size of the foam blocks.

Depending on the type of soil, an appropriate foundation should be selected. For slightly heaving and non-subsidence soils, it is rational to use strip foundations, since it is enough to lay the base of the foundation slab below the freezing mark. Waterlogged, weak soils require deeper laying of supports, and pile foundations successfully cope with the task within a reasonable budget.

When constructing pile foundations, it is necessary to take into account the installation features of the strapping structure. Pile foundations can be installed under walls made of foam blocks, with both low and high grillages. To install a grillage on the heads of metal piles, you should use reinforced concrete and rolled steel profiles, since it is not recommended to support walls made of foam blocks on wooden frames, as well as an unreinforced metal profile.

In addition, it is easier to lay a waterproofing layer on concrete.

Calculation of depth

The initial parameter for determining the laying depth is the level of soil freezing. Strip foundations must be laid at least half a meter below this level.

Since it is impossible to completely eliminate the impact of frost heaving, its impact at least on the sole of the supporting structure is avoided. It makes no sense to lay pile foundations less than two meters deep.

Of course, if a one-story house has little mass, you can use a structure made of screw piles, the depth of which can be from one meter.

If you do not take into account non-buried and shallow foundations, the depth of support structures is always determined taking into account the lower freezing mark of soils according to the following scheme.

Load collection

The next stage in calculating the parameters of the support, after geological exploration. Regardless of the type of supporting structure, you need to calculate the total mass of a house made of foam blocks in order to then estimate the load on the foundation structures. This parameter directly depends on the materials used in the construction of structures resting on the upper edge of the base.

Loads acting on the supporting part of a one-story house are divided into temporary and permanent. The permanent ones include:

Loads from walls and partitions made of foam blocks;
Loads from floors - basement, interfloor and attic;
Roof loads;
Payload - depending on the operating group of the house.

To determine each of the above indicators, you need to know the volume of the structure and the density of the materials from which it is made. The density of foam blocks varies in the range of 100-1200 kg/cm3 depending on the strength brand. You can calculate the volume of walls by multiplying the length, height of the wall and width of the masonry - there is no need to subtract window and door openings from the volume, since their weight is insignificant. By multiplying the volume and density, the load exerted by the walls on the foundation slab is determined.

The weight of the floors is calculated in a similar way - the area of the floor is multiplied by the thickness and density of the material. For example, 1800-2500 kg/cm3 for reinforced concrete or 600-900 kg/cm3 for wood. The mass of roofing structures is calculated for one square meter and then multiplied by the total coverage area. Typically, one square of a finished roof made of metal tiles weighs about 70 kg, and one made of rolled roofing – 80 kg. It is better not to rely on chance, but to check information about the mass of the material with the manufacturer or on the Internet. All calculated structures are multiplied by the load reliability coefficient, which is taken from SP 20.13330.2011.

Live loads are determined in accordance with the instructions of SP 20.13330.2011. These include wind, snow (depending on the region), as well as loads from equipment. The climatic region can be determined using the table located in the above-mentioned joint venture or in the regulatory documents on building climatology. The end of the calculation will be the summation of temporary and permanent loads.

Watch the video on how to correctly take into account all the loads when designing the foundation of a house.

If you divide the obtained value by the length of the perimeter, you can find out the load value per linear meter of the foundation - which is important when designing, for example, pile foundation structures. After the soil has been analyzed and the loads have been collected, we begin to calculate the bearing capacity of the foundation, the sequence of which depends on the type of support.

Strip foundation

The bearing capacity of a strip foundation depends on the depth of its foundation and vice versa. The determining factor for the cost of the structure is this dependence of the geometric parameters of the foundation slab on the load limit that the foundation can withstand. The strength of the tape is calculated according to the following scheme:

Calculate the total area of the foundation base - for this, the perimeter along the center line is multiplied by the width of the base of the foundation slab;
Divide the total load by the resulting area;
The value indicating the mass of the house per linear meter of the foundation slab is compared with the calculated resistance - the first value should not exceed the second.

Also, data on soil resistance and other quantities used in the calculation can be found in SNiP 2.02.01-83*. The depth of the tape will influence in which soil layer the supporting part of the foundation is located, and therefore what soil resistance should be used in the calculation. The depth of soil freezing is another determining factor when designing the belt - the lower elevation of the foundation should be half a meter below this value.

Pile foundation

Pile foundations are calculated without taking into account the dimensions of the grillage, so the laying depth is measured from the top edge of the pile pillar. The calculation of the depth of piles is carried out in the following order:

The pile depth L is assumed to be equal to n meters;
The bearing capacity of the pile is calculated using the formula:

P – load-bearing capacity limit; Rg – relative soil resistance, an example of calculation of which is in SNiP 2.02.01-83*; D – cross-sectional area of the pile; Eycf, fi and hi – coefficients from the above SNiP; x is the length of the cross section of the pile divided by the length value.

Compare the load limit of the pile with the weight of the house per linear meter of foundation;
If the load is within acceptable limits, the calculation is completed; if not, one of the geometric parameters of the pile is increased.

Both piles made of monolithic reinforced concrete and metal screw pile columns are suitable for this calculation. The depth of the foundations for a one-story house made of foam blocks does not play a special role when using other types of foundations, for example, columnar or shallow foundations.

Designing the foundation of a private house, the walls of which are made of foam blocks, begins with determining the depth of the supporting part. A competent choice will ensure the strength and reliability of the base, the absence of cracks and other damage on the walls. The value depends on many factors, of which not a single one should be overlooked.

This characteristic is simultaneously influenced by several factors, which include:

soil freezing in winter;
location of groundwater (GW);
presence of a basement in the building;
foundation type and soil characteristics.

To consider the depth of installation in more detail, it is necessary to decide which supporting structures are suitable for a building made of foam blocks. The material is classified as massive: although it weighs approximately half as much as brick, it is inferior to wood by a large margin. The foundation for such a house must be reliable and durable, capable of bearing serious loads. The best options to consider are:

tape recessed base of rectangular section and shallow recessed T-shaped;
slab foundations of any type;
columnar shallow or deep (should be considered only as supports for a one-story house; for a two-story house the load-bearing capacity is too small).

The characteristics on which the depth of support of the foundation base depends are presented in SP 50-101-2004, paragraph 12.2.

Determination of value

It’s enough to just figure out the type of foundation and the presence of a basement. All options for supporting structures that are suitable for a building made of foam blocks can be of three types of laying:

not recessed (applicable only to slabs);
shallow;
recessed

If we start from the presence of a basement in the house, then, if necessary, its devices choose the latter option. In this case, a columnar base is automatically excluded from the types under consideration, since it cannot be used in a building with an underground floor. Next, it is worth considering more complex criteria for determining the depth of foundation support for a building made of foam blocks.

Dependence on soil freezing

Soil prone to heaving is one that contains a large amount of water. When exposed to low temperatures, liquid turns into ice. From a physics course, you may recall that water is the only substance on our planet that has the unique ability to expand when frozen. In this situation, this property is dangerous for the foundation, since it leads to its uneven rise and the appearance of inclined shrinkage cracks on the walls of the building.

When designing the foundation of a building made of foam blocks, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the foundation soil, since they influence the likelihood of frost heaving forces occurring. Coarse foundations and sands of medium and coarse fractions are classified as conditionally non-heaving. For such foundations it is possible to use non-buried foundations. When building on clay, loam or sandy loam, the laying depth must be no less than the freezing thickness.

The only exceptions can be those structures during the construction of which additional measures for thermal insulation and drainage are provided. Thermal insulation materials are laid in such a way as to protect the foundation itself (vertical layer) and the soil near it (insulated blind area).

The depth of soil freezing near the house can be determined in three ways:

The most accurate option for finding what the mark of the base of the base should be is carried out according to the SP “Foundations of buildings and structures”. Formula 5.3 takes into account all possible characteristics and conditions that may affect the behavior of the foundation in the winter season. To build the foundation of a private house from foam blocks, such precision is most often not required.
Determination from SNiP maps “Building climatology and geophysics”. This document is considered inactive (cancelled and replaced by an updated version), but allows you to get an idea of what the maximum freezing mark may be. It is easier to use such sources; in addition, the information provided in them is sufficient, since this document was used for many years before the introduction of the new joint venture “Construction Climatology” in 2012.
Using tables. There are variants of tabular values calculated using the first formula for large cities and various types of foundation soil. If there is no settlement where the construction site is located, you can take the values for the nearest one in the tables.

Table of freezing depths for some cities in the European part of Russia.

Advice! The type of soil on the site is determined by field studies, which can be performed by digging holes (pits) or manual drilling. A description of various soils is given in GOST “Soils. Classification".

Dependence on the location of groundwater

Here everything is assigned according to Table 5.3 SP “Foundations and Foundations”. After adapting this information, the following table is provided, which will help to identify the dependence of the foundation depth for a foam block structure on two factors simultaneously.

Foundation soil	GWL at a distance of more than 2 meters from the support mark	GWL at a distance of less than two meters from the support mark
Coarse clastic Rocky Coarse sand Medium sand	No dependence on freezing
Fine sand Dusty sand	Designated no higher than the soil freezing mark in winter (without additional insulation measures)	No dependency
Sandy loam		No dependency
Clays Loams Coarse clastic with inclusion of silty fillings		Should not be higher than half the soil freezing depth in winter

The thickness of laying the supporting part of a house made of foam blocks into the ground depends both on the combined influence of freezing and water, and only on the groundwater level. Recommendations can be presented as follows:

The water is located at a distance of more than 3 meters from the surface of the earth - you can use supports of any type, but make sure that the groundwater level mark is at least 50 cm below the base.
The water is more than 1.5 m from the surface - shallow support structures are suitable.
Water at a distance of less than 1.5 m - use shallow foundations. In this case, a monolithic slab is suitable for a house made of foam blocks (other types of non-buried supports cannot be used even for a one-story building).

Advice! The groundwater level on the site for building a house should be measured in the spring, when the soil is most saturated with moisture. This method will provide more accurate data. In this case, it is better to designate several points for research, one necessarily in a lowland.

Determining the width of the foundation

This question is relevant for columnar and strip supports. The dimensions of the monolithic slab in plan are simply taken so that it protrudes 10 cm onto the contour of the external walls. The width of the foundation base depends on two main factors:

Soil characteristics grounds. The worse the soil strength, the larger the cross-section of the sole will be required.

In fact, it is in calculating the width of the sole that the calculation of strip and column foundations based on bearing capacity lies.

A competent choice of support mark, as well as geometric dimensions, will increase the reliability of the structure and guarantee its long and trouble-free service.

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By what principle do we consider the project of a future private house? As a rule, these are cost, functionality, rationality. And we will also add here the moment of construction itself if we are going to build on our own.

Choosing one-story construction

Today we will consider with you a very interesting construction option, which involves building a one-story house from foam blocks from scratch. Moreover, we will carry out the work in stages, focusing on the fact that everything is in our hands.

First stage

So, of course, we have a project, that is, we have a clear idea of what we are building and of what size. All the main points are outlined here in detail in schematic diagrams. All the pros and cons of building a cinder block house are obvious. There are definitely more points in favor.

That's why we get to work. And first of all, we carry out a geological analysis of the construction site.

Important! The analysis must be carried out without fail, and only on its basis can the correct decision be made on laying the foundation.

As soon as we have the data, we begin to prepare the foundation for a one-story house made of foam blocks. Which foundation is better for a house made of foam blocks? The question is controversial. For example, we chose the tape option, and for it we will need:

Materials in the form of sand, crushed stone, cement, reinforcement.
Tools, building level, screwdriver, concrete mixer.
Measuring instruments, tape measure, angle.

Important! When constructing formwork from boards or plywood, it is best to use wood screws; they will give much more strength to the joints of the grillage, and after the concrete has hardened, they are much easier to dismantle.

We mark the entire area for the foundation. We clear it of grass and stumps, prepare communications and a normal entrance.
We take out the soil. Let’s immediately make a reservation that the depth of the foundation for a one-story house made of foam blocks should be at least at the depth of soil freezing, and the width at the level of 30-40 cm.
We lay sand along the bottom and compact everything well.
We lay the fittings.
We install the formwork.
We produce concrete and pour everything.

Important! The tape base can be poured in layers. However, it is best and most reliable when our base is poured in one go, without interruptions.

Second phase

Next we will focus on preparing the foundation for masonry, and also understand how to eliminate problems with freezing. There are several interesting nuances that will help us avoid soil heaving. For example:

We can treat the concrete after it hardens with a smooth material, roofing felt, which not only waterproofs the base, but also reduces friction with the soil. Accordingly, when heaving, the base will not rise, but will simply push out the soil.
You can also mount the formwork in such a way that it tapers somewhat towards the top. This will also reduce friction and soil pressure when the concrete swells on the walls.

Note! Any one-story house made of foam blocks always requires waterproofing the foundation and the joint between concrete and masonry.

Do not forget that foam block, with all its undoubted advantages, is a material with very high hygroscopicity. Accordingly, if we add moisture from the foundation to the absorption of moisture from the air, we will get a highly deteriorating material.

Waterproofing is simple; for this you can use the familiar roofing material or mastic; our main task here is to prevent moisture from penetrating into the masonry of the walls.

Third stage

Selecting material for construction. The fact that we are considering one-story houses made of foam blocks with our own hands is understandable, but what exactly will be the dimensions of the blocks? We chose the standard one, 200x300x600 mm. It is convenient to work with and meets the basic requirements for the construction of load-bearing structures.

For masonry we will need:

Twine for guides.
Construction level, rule.
Trowels.
A hammer, simple and with a plastic tip.
A simple hacksaw.

As you can see, the set of tools couldn’t be simpler!

Important! Before starting work, we made all the calculations, and we know exactly how many pieces we need to build perimeter walls, taking into account the minus area of window and door openings. Advice! In order for our masonry to be strong “in a square”, so to speak, we use metal embedded parts in several rows, these can be plates or reinforcement with a cross-section of 10-12 mm.

We carry out the masonry in a contractual manner, and we observe the binding, the joints should fall in the middle of the lower block, that is, the basic principles here are the same as in brickwork, only the dimensions of the blocks are different.

If according to our project we have a one-story house with an attic made of foam blocks, this does not particularly change our attitude towards the masonry or the foundation. The fact is that we initially laid the foundation with a margin of safety, and the weight of the second, attic floor is at least two times less than what a full-fledged first level weighs.

Plus, we can generally make an attic in a lightweight version. Let's explain:

For the roof we choose the lightest materials, these are plywood for cladding, and cathepal, bitumen shingles.
We equip the gables with large and spacious windows, which initially seriously reduces the weight of the second level.

Window openings

By the way, we will linger a little on openings, regardless of whether we have one-story houses with an attic made of foam blocks or simple structures, window and door openings will require lintels.

Here we have several options:

We arrange a jumper from two steel corners. The corners are located along the edges of the masonry, laid between the rows. The distance between them is exactly the same as where we lay the foam blocks. That is, we calmly continue laying the stones.
The second option is a reinforced concrete lintel; it will require us to install formwork and knit a reinforcing element. The option, let’s say right away, is durable, but a little labor-intensive.
Using a ready-made reinforced concrete column. We simply place it on the lintel and continue construction.
Using a metal channel. You can also arrange a jumper by laying a piece of channel, pre-primed

Which of these options is better? It is from the point of view of strength and ideal masonry bond that we will advise you to choose a reinforced concrete lintel, which we will pour ourselves.

Fourth stage

Here it’s time to talk about the roof, which is quite difficult to assemble with your own hands. If we have an attic, we assemble the roof based on simple rules:

Beam with a minimum cross-section of 100 mm.
Installation step 60 cm.
Sheathing made of plywood or chipboard on the inside.
We lay thermal insulation material between the beams, usually mineral wool.
We cover everything with a sheath of moisture-resistant plywood.
Be sure to install waterproofing in the form of roofing felt.
We install bitumen shingles.

Important! The two main points in installing any type of roof are vapor barrier and aeration. During installation, do not forget to lay a vapor barrier film and leave several holes in the roof, covered from water and snow. Natural air circulation will save us from the appearance of fungus and mold

Fifth stage

Naturally, one-story houses made of foam blocks for permanent residence require finishing. Here it is important not only to finish the external walls, but also to immediately carry out insulation.

Even though the foam block itself is a fairly good heat insulator, we will carry out insulation here with a reserve, which, by the way, will significantly reduce the cost of heating the house.

Therefore, along with the construction of walls, insulation can be carried out immediately. To do this, choose polystyrene foam with a cross-section of 7 mm, for example.

There is nothing complicated in the process of installing insulation, given that our walls are perfectly smooth and fresh, we immediately strengthen the foam with glue and plastic anchors in the form of an umbrella.

To work we will need:

Styrofoam.
Glue.
Drill, tape measure, spatula with teeth.

Mix the glue, place a few patches in the corners of the foam and in the center, and attach the slab to the wall. With a few movements from side to side, we finally install the sheet. Just don’t put pressure on it, foam is a fairly fragile material.

Then we attach the sheet to the wall with plastic ackers. Note that the price of such insulation is quite low, but at the same time in terms of quality, this is one of the most optimal insulation options.

Once we have all the foam sheets completely installed, we continue with the rest of the work. The final finishing is carried out at the very last stage, along with interior work.

Conclusion

Many are probably attracted by the cost of a one-story house made of foam blocks; it is quite difficult to say the exact figure; it consists of a lot of parameters, including the cost of the material in different regions. We can only note that self-construction will reduce overall costs by at least 30-50% .

Plus, we note that the final estimate includes not only the material, but also transportation costs for their delivery, communications, and installation of a heating system. But learn how to calculate everything, and most importantly, build it on our website.

And in the video presented in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

How to determine which foundation is best to choose for a house made of foam blocks: recommendations for conducting soil analysis, calculating the load from the building and determining the economic feasibility of each type

The construction of foam block houses continues to actively conquer the market. This is due to the high speed of construction, high-quality performance characteristics, and relatively low costs of construction work. However, already at the very beginning of construction, many developers are faced with the need to choose: which foundation is best for a house made of foam blocks. It would be completely wrong to state categorically that it is strip, slab or columnar. The choice of foundation type necessarily depends on the specific conditions of the site and the construction itself.

Foundation selection criteria

When deciding on the type of foundation for a foam concrete house, it is important to consider the following indicators:

soil characteristics (soil type, composition, freezing depth, location of groundwater);
total load from the future home;
variable loads (from snow, wind);
construction time and costs for constructing a foundation (feasibility and economic justification for constructing a specific type of foundation).

Soil analysis

Before starting work, a geoanalysis of the soil is carried out, based on the results of which the first conclusions will be drawn.

The soil can hide several problems:

Flowability. Characterizes weak soils on which skewing and deformation of the foundation and walls are possible.
Water saturation. Requires large-scale drainage work, including, during construction, the installation of a drainage system that will continue to function in the future.
High level of groundwater. It must be taken into account that in such cases water can wash away and destroy the foundation.
Difficult terrain. With such problems, it will be quite difficult to build some types of foundations.

Carrying out research work is quite expensive, so many developers neglect this procedure, relying on the statements of neighbors who have already carried out such geological research on their site. However, you should know that the quality and composition of the soil can change significantly even over a short distance.

Therefore, you need to independently drill a well at least 2 meters deep and take soil samples every 20 cm.

If the soil turns out to be non-heaving or slightly heaving with a freezing depth of a maximum of 100 cm and groundwater deeper than 2 meters, you can safely choose a shallow strip foundation. It should be borne in mind that the strip base becomes less reliable the higher the groundwater level. If this level is located 50 cm from the surface, then the construction of strip reinforced concrete foundations becomes impractical, since the work will be complicated by additional. For such soils, a base in the form of a non-buried reinforced concrete slab is optimal.

Sometimes quite difficult situations are possible when the soil on the site turns out to be of poor quality, and the non-heaving layers lie quite deep (more than 2 meters). In this case, the question is, which foundation is better for a house made of foam blocks? , must be decided with special care. If you choose the option of a pile foundation, you will have to install the piles a maximum of 1 meter between them, and then make a monolithic piping. It is necessary to equip a columnar concrete foundation, also with mandatory adjustments for bearing capacity.

Determining the load from a foam concrete house

Foam blocks are a porous, lightweight material, so a house built from them will have a weight that is at least half that of a brick structure and the same amount greater than a similar wooden building. The most common options for foundations for foam block buildings in low-rise construction are monolithic slab or strip recessed foundations, which can withstand the load even from three-story buildings made of foam blocks. Columnar foundations are usually used for one-story buildings.

In any case, the decision regarding the choice of foundation for any building is considered individually, since in many respects it depends not only on the main, but also on secondary factors. All available nuances must be taken into account.

Time and costs for building a foundation

The most short terms The construction has a columnar foundation. Moreover, all stages can be easily completed with your own hands in a maximum of 3 days of productive work. Laying a recessed strip or slab base requires more time due to excavation work, installation of formwork, installation of a reinforcing frame, and pouring concrete. In addition, such foundations require several weeks to reach sufficient strength.

If you choose a foundation according to the cost of work and materials, then the most expensive are monolithic slab and recessed strip types. The construction of a columnar foundation is much cheaper, but in this case the costs depend on the number of load-bearing elements in the base structure.

Features of the foundation for a foam block house

Having decided on the type of foundation for a foam concrete house, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristic features of its construction.

Strip foundation for a foam concrete house

For such a structure, both a recessed and a shallow version of a strip foundation may be suitable. This type of recessed foundation is suitable for clay soil and other types of heaving soil. In this case, the laying depth cannot be less than the freezing depth, and the width should be 10 cm greater than the width of the wall.

The base is arranged to a height of 40 cm. Its top is necessarily reinforced with a belt of two layers of reinforcing bars connected to each other by knitting wire or clamps. The construction of such a foundation requires a large amount of building materials along with large labor and financial costs. Therefore, it is installed only under a two- or three-story building or when creating a basement.

A shallow foundation is laid to a depth of no more than 60 cm and is only suitable for strong, non-heaving soils. A sand and crushed stone cushion must be laid under such a foundation at the bottom of the trench. The principle of construction of this type of foundation is the same as that of the buried version.

Slab base for foam block structure

It is recommended to lay a regular slab foundation for a small one-story house. It can be made from tightly laid floor slabs, which will form the base. After waterproofing such a foundation, the foam blocks are not installed immediately, but on a series of small concrete blocks.

Then another layer of waterproofing is applied to the concrete blocks, after which foam blocks are laid. Such a base is made not only from ready-made slabs, but can also be monolithic, i.e. erected at the construction site by pouring concrete.

Columnar foundation for a foam block house

It is advisable to use this type of foundation for small one-story buildings made of foam blocks on a clay area or on other heaving soils if the depth of soil freezing exceeds 1.5-2 meters. To construct such a foundation, you can use ready-made pillars or pour them into prepared holes using a reinforcement cage.

The pillars are installed at a short (maximum 2 m) distance under all external and load-bearing walls, in corners, as well as in places where increased load is expected. In this case, the depth of the supports should be 15 cm greater than the established level of soil freezing. A sand cushion is placed under the pillars, then a formwork with a bottom is placed into which a reinforced concrete beam with an armored belt is poured. Before pouring concrete, the beam frame is attached to loops or pieces of pole reinforcement with binding wire.

The pile type of foundation for foam concrete houses is used very rarely (usually on very weak soils).

When deciding which foundation is best for a house made of foam blocks, you need to take into account the design of the house, the results of soil analysis and calculation of the load on the foundation, and also take into account the feasibility of using and the cost of different solutions. With the right choice of foundation and compliance with construction rules, a foam block house will become a reliable fortress for its owners.

The construction of the foundation of a building is an important stage in construction. The strength of the entire structure depends on how correctly the base is laid.
To build a reliable and durable foundation for a one-story house, you must be guided by SNiP regulations: 2.02.01-83 “Foundations of buildings and structures” and 23-01-99 “Building climatology”.

Features of foam block material

Foam concrete blocks are made from cellular concrete by pouring it into special forms. The resulting layers are cut into elements suitable for building houses.

Types of foam blocks

The material is divided into three types depending on density. For private construction the following are relevant:

structural elements of grades D1000-1200;
structural and thermal insulation blocks of grades D900-500;
thermal insulation segments of grades D500-300.

The high density of foam concrete allows the construction of a two-story building with a reinforcing belt.

Properties of building materials

Foam block buildings are becoming relevant for owners of suburban areas. This is facilitated by the properties of the material:

a unique “breathable” structure, thanks to which sweating of the walls is eliminated;
the ability to retain heat in winter and provide coolness in summer;
profitability - due to heat conservation, home heating costs are eliminated;
good sound insulation;
environmental cleanliness;
ease of processing and strength of walls.

Low cost elements based on sand, water, cement and special foam. Small costs for construction consumables allow you to invest more money in arranging a high-quality foundation for your home.

Compared to buildings made of bricks, foam block buildings are lighter. If a square meter of a brick wall weighs 1.8 tons, then foam blocks have a mass of 0.9. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to construct massive foundations. For a dwelling made of foam block, a monolithic strip, slab or pile base is sufficient. Regardless of the type of foundation, it is worth considering the criteria for its construction and design.

Depth selection: influencing factors

The depth of the foundation for a one-story building is determined through accurate, competent analysis and calculation, taking into account the characteristics of the structure and the environment. The choice of recess is influenced by the following indicators:

degree of soil freezing;
climatic features of the region;
groundwater level;
quality of the soil surface, occurrence of layers;
availability of design additions (basement, ground floor, garage);
type of foundation.

Laying the foundation for a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks is carried out above the groundwater level and below the freezing layers. Correct calculations ensure the reliability and durability of the building, the main building material of which is expanded clay block.

What influences the choice of base height?

The height of the foundation for a one-story house is set taking into account the following factors:

Relief features of the land plot for development. If there are small slopes, the depth of the foundation for a one-story house increases; in areas with seismic activity, additional measures must be taken to increase the stability of structures. The full picture is provided by calculations based on geodetic data.
Design features of the building and its purpose. Construction is carried out with or without a basement floor.
Level of groundwater passage.
The presence of nearby buildings and the type of supporting system used.
The composition of the soil, the presence of various voids, bedding in layers and other features.

The ground part of the basement for a house made of timber can rise several meters above the ground, unlike heavy brick buildings.

Varieties and types of soils

When calculating how deep the foundation should be installed for a one-story block house, you should take into account the types of soil. It happens:

non-heaving – rocks, sand;
heaving – sandy loam, loam, clay;
slightly heaving – a varied mixture.

The best type for the construction of residential buildings from expanded clay concrete is considered to be a non-heaving type, characterized by high strength and the ability to withstand various loads. For it, the optimal foundation depth is 0.5 - 1 m, for mixed - 0.5 - 1.25 m, for clay - 1.2-1.5 m, without taking into account other factors.

Types of foundations for one-story buildings

The foundation for a house made of blocks is the load-bearing part of the structure. How reliable and durable the house will be depends on its type. For the construction of a block one-story building, 3 technologies for laying a monolithic system are used: a traditional strip base, a columnar structure and a slab system.

Laying depth of strip foundation

For one-story buildings, with heaving soil, the laying depth of the strip foundation is 60 cm for the shallow type. The design resembles load-bearing floating systems lying under the sole and capable of withstanding soil movement.
The buried type is performed below the freezing point of the soil. The laying depth reaches 1-1.5 m. A monolithic tape with reinforcement is constructed. This look is typical for the construction of massive brick and block houses.
Experienced craftsmen note that the width for the foundation should have a size that exceeds the thickness of the walls by 5-10 cm. This will ensure the reliability and stability of the base of the building.

Pile foundation level

The strength of the building depends on the depth of the base. For the construction of one-story buildings, a pile foundation is often used.
The method of constructing foundations using piles gained popularity due to the use of drilled rods. A bored construction is a universal way of arranging a basement floor and has several advantages:

Used on terrain with characteristic slopes.
Does not require preliminary soil preparation or clearing of the construction site.
It is economical. Laying is carried out using a minimum amount of building materials.
The pile system is not a continuous structure, which ensures unhindered communication under the building.
The construction is carried out without the use of special equipment.
The laying of the pile foundation can take place one at a time, in contrast to the strip foundation, where concrete must be poured immediately along the entire perimeter.

What will be the installation depth of the pile foundation - the support for a one-story house built from blocks must be 10-15% below the soil freezing level. This will allow the core structure to easily carry the loads of the building. On heaving soils, to ensure the strength of the system and eliminate structural deformation, the piles are additionally reinforced.

Features of installation of a slab base

The monolithic system is stable and reliable. The slabs are a solid concrete base. To lay them, it is necessary to prepare a pit and clear the construction site.
The slab is laid to a depth of 60-100 cm, on a sand and gravel bed. The foundation can withstand heavy loads of buildings.

How to calculate the optimal depth for laying a plinth: recommendations from experts

After determining the type of foundation and analyzing the parameters characteristic of a particular area, you should calculate the optimal depth for installing a solid foundation for a one-story building.
Each calculation is individual, but its implementation requires compliance with the following recommendations:

any type of supporting structure is laid on average 10% below the freezing level of the soil layers. For example, the freezing point is 100 cm - the trench is dug at a depth of 110 cm.
for loose soil in a temperate climate zone, it is recommended to equip a shallow foundation (monolithic or made of blocks). The slab deepens by an average of 45-100 cm.
for a weakly heaving mixed group in harsh cold latitudes, a structure is used that is dug in at 1-2 m.
The foundation for a one-story block house using two laying technologies is characterized by reliability and strength. For example, a strip base with the addition of reinforcing rods.
For swampy and clayey areas, it is planned to lay a monolithic slab system with piles. The base is installed at a depth of 2.5 m.

Some builders advise constructing the foundation with a “margin”. But this is not always the right decision. Firstly, it will still be necessary to carry out land work, and secondly, financial costs are required. The feasibility of its implementation is excluded on permanent dense soils, with low seismic activity, in temperate climatic zones.
To construct a supporting structure for a one-story house, builders often use strip foundations. Other types of bases have gained popularity due to their cost-effectiveness and quick DIY implementation. To build your reliable home, it is better to resort to the use of several technologies in the construction of a durable and strong foundation.