Is it possible to save money on the foundation without damaging the house? Builder Tips
Building a house is an expensive procedure, and saving on construction is a very popular topic. There are many ways to save money on construction sites on the Internet, but you should understand that most of them are dubious. Savings methods are divided into two types - to build cheaper for sale and build for yourself. Let's take a look at those foundation reduction techniques that are useful, work, and have proven effective.
Method one: reduce the wall thickness of the strip foundation
Many people mistakenly think: the thicker the foundation wall, the stronger it will be. This is far from the case, because an unnecessarily thick wall creates additional pressure on the ground. The strength of the foundation is influenced by the base, not the wall. It is the base that needs to be paid attention to when calculating, and the wall can be made thinner.
But here the question arises - how to carry out the masonry if the foundation wall is thinner. Let's take a look at the example of the most popular aerated concrete block with a width of 375 mm. It is not necessary to pour a foundation wall of 375 or 400 mm under it - you can completely do with 300 mm. How do you put up the walls? It's simple - the house can extend beyond the foundation by 100 mm - this is declared by the block manufacturers, tested in laboratory and real conditions. In this case, we obtain savings on wall thickness and, accordingly, on concrete by 20%. In this case, the foundation will become lighter, and its bearing capacity will not change.
Method two: we apply a reduced grade of concrete
Usually, concrete grades M200 and higher are used for pouring the foundation base. For the construction of one-two-story houses, you can use the M150 brand. The difference in price between M150 and M200 is 10%, and with M250 within 15% - there is something to think about. You can, of course, make concrete yourself using your hands and a concrete mixer, but one point should be taken into account: the foundation is a monolithic structure and you need to pour it in one day.
Method three: concrete foundation
This method is also suitable for one- to two-story buildings. Rubble stone (50–300 mm) or concrete battle is 2–4 times cheaper than ready-mixed concrete. Part of the foundation can be filled with this material. The proportion is calculated as follows: 1 cube of rubble stone is used for 4 cubic meters of concrete. Savings - 20% on the purchase of concrete.
The process is carried out as follows: before pouring the concrete mixture, part of the backfilling into the formwork or trench around the perimeter, and then in the process of pouring evenly throw in the stone into concrete. The work is carried out in layers - the solution is alternated with rubble stone or concrete battle. An important point: the rubble stone should be moistened with water so that it does not draw moisture out of the solution!
Method four: saving on formwork
There are 3 options to apply here:
- Pour the foundation separately. One day, pour in a monolithic tape, and then disassemble the formwork and use it to erect a foundation wall.
- Do not use formwork to fabricate the base. In this case, the soil is removed with the broadening of the base of the foundation, usually trimmed with a shovel bayonet after organizing the main trench. The method is used only when the soil does not crumble - this allows you to maintain the required support area of the foundation on the ground.
- Pouring is carried out directly into the ground without the use of formwork. This reduces the cost of the overall process, but slightly increases the consumption of concrete.
What saving methods do you know? Write your experience, share in the comments.
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