Foundation Design Services London
Foundations are the most critical aspect of your build. Without proper foundation design, your property will likely sink into the ground, resulting in cracks appearing, and causing untold damage to your structure.
Properly designed foundations will keep your structure even, secure and supported, even in the event of flood or an earthquake.
Which is why you need experienced architects like AC Design Solutions to design your foundation system.
or call us for advice today!
What is a concrete foundation?
Building foundations refer to the lower structure of your building. They’re designed to to spread the weight of the property evenly, providing a firm footing for every inch of the building.
When you’re designing foundations, one of the most basic requirements is choosing the right type of materials for the building and the soil type, given the soil bearing capacity will vary even in London.
If you don’t take your building foundation design requirements seriously, it can lead to serious ramifications further down the line, and even result in your structure being condemned and torn down.
Foundation design and building regulations
Getting the foundation design right for your building is essential for your structure’s longevity. This means choosing the right type of foundation for your building taking into consider the ground conditions, the soil type, even nearby buildings, drains and sewers.
Don’t take risks with your foundation design. Seek advice from architectural design experts like AC Design Solutions and make sure your building meets building regulations.
Different types of building foundation
Before you begin designing your building’s foundations, it’s worth carrying out a soil study to determine which type of foundation you require. This is because ground conditions will play a huge factor in what type of foundation you go for.
A soil survey is done by digging multiple holes across your site to get an idea of what the soil bearing capacity of your ground is.
Foundations usually fall into one of two categories:
- Shallow foundations – these are most commonly used for small buildings and domestic build projects, including house extensions. They are typically used when the building load is relatively low in comparison to the bearing capacity of the surface soil.
- Deep foundations – these are used more with taller buildings, multistory residential properties i.e. block of flats, or buildings built on poor ground. These are typically used when the bearing capacity of the supporting soil surface is not enough to support the building load, therefore the load needs to be transferred deeper into the ground.
Factors to consider when designing foundations
There are numerous factors to take into consideration when designing a foundation system, for example:
- The nature of the building requiring support
- Supporting ground conditions, including frost depth and frost line
- Presence of water including groundwater, rainwater run off, rivers, sea, etc
- Available space
- Sensitivity to noise, vibration, wind load etc
Types of Concrete Foundation Design
Slab-on grade-foundations
A slab is a single layer of concrete which is poured thicker at the edges to create integral footings. Reinforcing rods are used to strengthen the thickened edge of the slab. The slab is laid on a bed of gravel to aid drainage.
Slab on grade foundations are most suitable for ground that doesn’t freeze. Saying that, the structure can be modified to include insulation to prevent damage by frosts.
Concrete footing
The purpose of a footing is to support the structure’s foundations and prevent differential settlement. Footings are critical when building on weak underlying soil.
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Foundation Design Services London
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