Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2
Site preparation and marking
for foundations
It is not my intention to give any consideration to the positioning of your house in order
to take advantage of passive solar gain to reduce winter heating costs or any other
environmental issues. There are many good topics that deal with these issues, written by
very qualified experts.
Considerations when choosing a building site
Foundations and soil types
Foundations are designed to suit the soil type. The soil type is determined by a soil
report. The soil testers will go on site and drill several holes within the building envelope
to ascertain the capacity of the soil to support a structure. The reason there are several
tests taken is to reduce the likelihood of any surprises when it comes time to dig the
foundations. The engineer you are using to do computations for the building will be able
to arrange a soil report for you, and do any design work necessary for the foundations.
Building site excavation
Once you have established where the house is to be situated and the direction that the
building is to face, it may be necessary to do some excavation prior to construction.
Whether you are employing a contractor or doing the excavations yourself will have little
bearing on the marking on the ground required to ensure the correct shape area and
depth of the final excavation. In some instances it will be appropriate to excavate a site for
a house built on stumps, however it is more likely to be required for houses with a
concrete floor.
