Digging Deep

Human beings are unpredictable. But even more unpredictable is soil.

Even after completing several internships and workshops, one of the biggest challenges I anticipated for my project was designing the foundation, because I didn't fully trust my knowledge in that area.

Even now, if you were to visit Quora and ask a question about foundation design and the type of concrete to use, you'd find lengthy discussions ending with a common line: "However, it's best advised to consult a professional or expert in this matter, as nothing can be determined without precise knowledge of the soil conditions."

In simple terms, it's like life; There's no universal solution for all questions.

I had two options: to conduct a thorough soil test or to seek guidance from an experienced individual. I chose the latter. This person had constructed a building adjacent to the site and was familiar with the soil's characteristics.

His recommendation was to dig a trench 8ft deep and 3ft wide along the walls of the building and create a wall foundation. Additionally, columns were to be added at the junctions between walls (10 instances in our building). A concrete slab was to be placed on top of the wall foundation to act as the roof of a conventional building. This transformed the basement into a roof for another building underneath. It required a significant amount of concrete. However, there was no room for risk, given that the soil we dug through was excessively clayey.

At that point, there was no alternative but to rely on concrete.

I have two regrets about the foundation:

• A substantial amount of concrete was used for a sustainable building, which contradicted my original intentions.

• The extensive use of concrete translated to high costs. In fact, it turned out to be a lot more expensive, and I now wish I had instead consulted a foundation engineer and conducted soil testing for that price.

One positive outcome from this experience is that the foundation is undeniably strong due to the significant cement and soil content.

The area surrounding the concrete wall foundation was filled with the excavated soil itself.

This phase took about a month to pour concrete and allow it to cure before moving forward.

Handling such a large volume of concrete meant high labor costs, a substantial time investment, and a considerable amount of raw materials.

Another lesson from this foundation phase is that it's crucial to calculate the required quantity of concrete as accurately as possible, along with the corresponding cement, sand, and aggregate requirements. If feasible, consider labor requirements too. The actual expenditure for the foundation exceeded my estimates by around 50%, significantly affecting my planned budget.

The foundation could be likened to a wall foundation with an RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) bedding atop it.

Additional lessons from the foundation phase:

• Meticulously check levels and angles during shuttering. Even a minor discrepancy can necessitate adjustments throughout the building, through plastering or additional cement sand work.

• Opt for high-quality materials when constructing the shuttering. Bent plywoods and leaky shutters will lead to extra expenses.

• When constructing a PCC (Plain Cement Concrete) RCC bedding above a wall foundation, take note of beam locations, especially since this is a load-bearing structure. Loads must be transmitted through the walls to the foundation, and placing them directly above the beams is optimal.

• I might have given more thought to the idea of a Pile Foundation. While I initially dismissed it due to the associated expenses, the concrete work turned out to be quite costly as well.

The foundation has been notably expensive, but it's equally robust. Despite my concerns about overdesigning, I'm relieved that I won't have to say "Building strong uh aana basement konjam week uh" at any point in the future XD.