Groundwork Contractor Surrey Blog

A professional surveyor systematically collects data from the construction site and analyses the soil condition through a site investigation. Before every construction work begins, you must conduct a site investigation or survey. The data related to the construction site you collect through the site survey helps the site engineer understand soil condition and strength.

If the site has Rocky soil, it would be less strong enough to support the superstructure's load. The engineer might then decide to build a stronger piled foundation to keep the structure standing. 

So, in this blog, we will discuss how the site investigation helps in construction in the UK.

What Is a Site Investigation?

Understanding the site condition before the construction process is called site surveying. A professional surveyor conducts two types of site investigation

• Preliminary site investigation 

• On-site and lab investigation

In the Preliminary investigation, the surveyor checks if the site has any legal issues, if it is allowed for building construction, and other similar issues. On the other hand, an on-site investigation involves analysing the soil type and determining if the site is suitable for multi-storey buildings. Or, maybe special construction techniques (piled foundation, raft foundation, etc.) are needed to help the site carry the building loads.

A lab investigation further tells you the soil strength and type to accurately determine the type of concrete suitable for the particular site.

Key Components of a Site Investigation

The main purpose of a site investigation is to check the soil's load-bearing capacity. You can check it by conducting a soil analysis. You can also check the groundwater level at the construction site. It will help you understand how deep the building foundation can go. A site investigation is also necessary to identify if the site contains any hazardous materials. Suppose there are any hazardous materials, such as asbestos or any harmful chemicals.

Finally, a topographical survey would complete the entire investigation. You may learn which way the water rushes when it is raining.

Why Is Site Investigation Necessary?

Besides understanding the soil strength, it also helps to understand which type of building you can construct here. Workers can also work in a safe environment if they conduct the site survey properly.

Ensures Safety

A professional surveyor completes the task by analysing and identifying hidden risks in the construction area if the risk factors like hazardous elements are on-site, loose soil conditions and other things. It reduces the risk of sudden identification and taking necessary measures.

Prevents Cost Overruns

If you properly conduct the site survey, you can plan and decide on the construction cost better. Proper planning will help you prevent cost overruns, or going beyond the construction budget suddenly.

Helps in Foundation Design

An engineer can select and determine the ideal concrete mix for construction, improve the foundation design, and determine the type of building foundation that will work well with the soil type.

Reduces Legal Risks

Surveying the site before construction also saves time and money in legal proceedings. If the piece of land has any legal issues, surveying the site will raise them.

Risks of Skipping Site Investigation

you do not carry out a proper survey of the construction site, you might face several difficulties. For example, missing out on soil testing means you will never know the soil strength. Consequently, a weak building foundation will lead to developing cracks in the concrete structure.

Similarly, if you do not have data on the groundwater level, you might experience the foundation of the building under water with little or no rain. Moreover, checking for soil contamination allows to maintai a safe space for workers to work on the site.

How Groundwork Contractors Surrey Can Help

We have been in the construction work for years. We understand what common issues that you may look for when doing a ground work project. Our experts are trained to prepare the site for future construction by analysing the site condition.

For any groundwork, excavation or site clearance service, contact us today. Our experts work hand in hand with professional surveyors.

Conclusion

Now that you know the importance of conducting a site investigation before the construction process starts, don’t delay further. If you are planning to construct a building very soon, get the site investigation done as quickly as possible. Such a small and seemingly insignificant step can help you build a strong and reliable foundation.

Building a foundation is the most essential part of any building. Hence, a stronger foundation ensures longevity of the building and protects it from any ground settlement and other factors. Besides, it helps to carry the load of the superstructure efficiently. But how do you know which type of foundation is right for your building? In this blog, we will discuss building foundations and why they are important to building construction.

Why the Right Foundation Matters

Imagine you are planning to build a commercial building in a rocky area. Naturally, the soil will be uneven and lack the proper strength to carry the load of the building. But if you go for a piled foundation, the building will have a solid base structure to carry the loads. You don’t need to worry about ground settlement or soil displacement-related issues for the commercial building. The reason is a strong foundation, where concrete piles are deeply rooted in a stronger soil layer. However, a raft foundation may not be the right or strong type for commercial buildings. As it has a low load-carrying capacity, a heavy building load cannot be carried by it. So, always consult your contractor for the right building foundation. Now, let’s see what types of building foundations you can choose for your building.

Main Types of Building Foundations

The type of foundation that will suit your building depends on the structure and the soil type. The shallow foundation may be ideal for a small building with solid ground conditions; however, raft foundations may be suitable for weak soil conditions.

Shallow Foundations

The foundation type is also often referred to as footings. You can understand from the name that this type of structure is suitable for small homes on strong soil types. Besides, you have to ensure that the soil will not settle under the pressure of the building. Let’s see the different types of shallow foundations.

Strip Foundations

One of the types of shallow foundations, strip foundations, is suitable for strong soil conditions. It offers continuous foundation support to the structure. This type of foundation is most suitable for small homes and houses that do not put an extreme load on the foundation. You must not consider such a foundation for a commercial building (as they tend to be larger and house heavy materials); instead, go for small-scale residential buildings.

Raft Foundations

This foundation is beneficial for commercial or residential building structures where the soil is weak. A single, large concrete slab forms the foundation of the building. So, the building weight is spread across the slab, reducing settlement risk. This type of foundation is common for basements and commercial structures. Sometimes, to strengthen the foundation, a raft foundation is further supported by piles underneath. Then it becomes a piled raft foundation.

Deep Foundations

When the topsoil is not strong enough to carry the building load, contractors go for a deep foundation. It is much stronger than a shallow foundation. Let's discuss some types of shallow foundations.

Pile Foundations

This type of foundation is most useful for high-rise buildings, where the foundation needs to carry heavy building loads. Concrete piles are driven into the ground to a stronger soil layer, so that the piles can carry the loads of the building. If the site for your future building construction is weak or remains under water, a pile foundation is the right option.

Caisson Foundations

This type of foundation is most common in constructing a building foundation underneath water. You build prefabricated boxes or cylinders for a caisson foundation and then sink them into the water to cast concrete. The hollow structure does not let water enter it and allows the concrete to solidify. You will find these in constructing bridges or any concrete structure on water.

How to Choose the Right Foundation

Before you decide on the building foundation, survey the construction site. Analyse the soil type and its condition. Next, consider the building structure and determine how well the soil can carry the building load. Based on these factors, decide on a suitable building foundation. For weak soil, you have options of a piled foundation. If the soil is strong, you can go with a raft foundation.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, a building's foundation is everything. It distributes the load of the building to the soil. If the soil is weak, you can go for a piled foundation, where concrete piles transfer building loads to a stronger soil type deep into the ground. Contact us for any groundwork for your construction. Our years of expertise in concrete foundations will ensure a flawless building foundation for you.

Are you worried about preparing the construction site? Are you not sure about the soil condition or the pH level? Contact a groundwork service in your area. A groundwork contractor inspects the soil condition and prepares the site for construction through excavation, levelling, etc. The primary purpose of a contractor providing groundwork service is to prepare the ground or foundation of the building for safer construction. In the UK, a groundwork ensures that the building follows construction regulations and meets safety standards. In this blog, we will discuss what groundwork is all about. We will also discuss how you can benefit from groundwork services in your construction project. Let’s start with understanding what the service is all about.

What Are Groundwork Services?

The beginning of a successful construction project depends on how good the groundwork service is. You can say that groundwork service helps prepare the construction site and ensures the safe construction of the building. In a groundwork, you get to analyse the soil quality, excavate the ground and remove all the waste material from the ground to prepare the site for construction. For example, the contractor can prepare the soil to make it strong enough to carry the load of the superstructure. To increase the lifespan of your building, you need to invest in building a solid foundation. The contractor might suggest a raft foundation or piling for weak soil conditions. These will increase the soil's load-carrying capacity. Needless to say, you won't have to worry much about the building's foundation.

Key Components of Groundwork Services

The service can serve different purposes for strong building construction. These might include the following:

Clearing the site

A groundwork contractor can remove debris and waste materials from the construction site. If there are remaining old building structures, you can remove them through the groundwork service.

Excavation & Earthworks

To construct a building, a groundwork contractor digs trenches and prepares the land for the foundation. Measurement and excavation of the trenches require specific expertise.

Foundations

The contractor may suggest inserting piles deep into the ground or constructing a piled raft foundation for a stronger building foundation. These foundation techniques help stabilise the core of the building, protecting it from unexpected ground settlement. Concrete piles or piled raft foundations can protect your building in case of an earthquake or landslide.

Drainage & Utilities Installation

When you are doing groundwork, you must install pipelines for water, wastewater, electricity and gas. A groundwork contractor is an expert in laying the utility lines for your building.

Ground Stabilisation

When the soil is not as strong as it should be for a building construction, the contractor stabilises the ground. Especially in rocky or hilly areas where the soil condition may not be strong enough to hold building foundation intact. Concrete piles, grouting, or raft can help stabilise the ground.

Substructure Work

The groundwork contractor can also help you build a sustainable and long-lasting basement and do other construction work below the ground level.

Why Groundworks Are Crucial in the UK

Groundwork becomes very important for the climate conditions in the UK. Heavy rain or uneven ground conditions in an area make it difficult for buildings to be stable with a strong foundation. In such cases, groundwork contractors can build a strong drainage system that may prevent flooding. They can also help you by building a strong foundation depending on the ground condition. A reliable contractor like us can help you build the building following all the legal regulations and rules.

When Do You Need Groundwork Services?

However, you might not need the service of a groundwork contractor at all times when constructing the building. Only when you are starting the building construction for a new home or commercial building. Otherwise, during the time of extending a building structure. The groundwork contractor will install the foundation for the new building, along with the driveways and parking lot.

Hiring the Right Groundwork Contractor

Whatever you do, make sure you hire the right contractor for the construction work of your building. A reliable and right groundwork contractor will know what you need based on the building specifications. With the right experience, a contractor can deliver a reliable solution for your property. To check the contractor's experience level, you can ask about his work or the areas in which he has worked. Choose the one that has worked in the same area where you plan to construct your building.

Conclusion

A groundwork service can help you improve the quality of your building and ensure that it stands strong with a strong foundation. Based on the soil condition, a groundwork service ensures that your building has a stable foundation through excavation and ground preparation.