What happens during house pad preparation? Prior to pouring the foundation or doing anything else involving the actual construction of the house, the house pad must be prepared. Starting the construction of any building before preparing the house pad properly is setting yourself up for disaster. It’s an essential part of the process and there’s no way to avoid it without being willing to accept disastrous consequences down the road.
The Soil Where a Building Is Being Constructed Is Usually Not Suitable for Building
Soil is rarely naturally in the proper condition to be built on. Soil contains impurities that can be problematic. If there is too much organic matter in the soil it will sink and compact too much. If there are large rocks or boulders, they will shift and move, which can cause the soil to collapse beneath the foundation. There could be other issues as well, any type of debris that is in the soil before construction and pouring the foundation needs to be removed. If there are any trees, existing structures, or vegetation, these will all have to be removed.
After the area has been cleared of impurities, vegetation, structures, and anything else the sand can be added to the construction site. Sand helps to raise the ground level up before the excavation process, which will aid with drainage and water control once the building has been constructed. The sand will then have to be compacted thoroughly to make sure that it is stable, a compaction test is also required to certified the pad before building begins so the weight of a foundation and building can now be placed on it. Once all of this has been done, then the initial stages of construction can begin.
Will this take time? Yes. Is it an added expense? Yes. Is it necessary? Yes. If you don’t test the sand and ensure that it is stable enough for building, you run the very real risk of constructing a building that will not be structurally sound.
Excavation
Excavation is another step in the process of preparing a house pad for construction. During this step a trench will be dug, and then the sand will be compacted to allow for the foundation to be poured. After the trench is dug and the foundation has been put in, then backfilling the area will be necessary to reinforce the foundation and prepare for the construction of any structures.
Once all these steps have been completed grading will be necessary to ensure you have a nice, even surface to build on. While this might seem like a lot just to get to the point where you are ready to start construction, these are all important steps that cannot be skipped over. Dobson Excavations takes all uncertainties out of your house pad preparation. Our experienced and professional team makes sure that the foundation of your house is properly constructed.