What to Consider When Choosing a Building Foundation

Foundations are a necessary component in spreading the load of a building safely across the ground. There are several factors that you ought to consider when determining the type of foundation you are going to build upon. These factors can vary from the condition of the ground to the structure of the building to nearby sewage systems. All are equally as important and none should be overlooked. So as long as you’re not too hasty with your decision, you will come to a suitable conclusion.

It’s very important that you understand the pros and cons of each type of foundation before you can possibly come to a conclusion. There are many advantages to using helical piles to support your building, for instance, such as the fact that they can be quickly and quietly installed with straightforward equipment. Alternatively, an advantage of concrete is that it’s highly resistant to fire.

When selecting a foundation it’s a great idea to base your decision on the success or failure of the foundations of neighbouring buildings, to determine what is likely to work for your own building and what you should avoid. It’s also important to make sure that the excavation for your new foundation does not weaken these nearby structures.

It’s also vital to consider the type of soil you will be building on and it’s bearing capacity, so that you know whether or not it will hold a large, heavy structure and what height and width the foundations should be. Make sure the strength of the soil is assessed sufficiently to determine how easily it moves or changes shape. When surrounding trees draw moisture from the ground with their roots, it may cause the soil to shrink (depending on the size of the tree and the type of soil). If you build on the wrong type of soil where this type of movement is likely to occur you will end up with cracks and leaks in your structure. The limited amount of ground vibration during installation is another advantage of helical piles.

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