The secret behind a successful concrete foundation is site preparation. You may have heard it time and time again – the foundation of any construction project is of utmost importance.
By prepping the site to perfection, you can ensure you create a solid foundation for your building to sit upon and avoid any unsightly cracks from forming in the concrete slab.
So, without further ado, let’s look at what it takes to prep a site for pouring concrete to perfection.
How to prepare a site for pouring concrete
- Determine the proper depth and dimensions.
First and foremost, you need to know what you’re working with. So, before you go doing any digging, ensure you measure the depth and size of your concrete slab. Typically, the depth will depend on several factors, such as
– climate
– soil condition
– government rules and regulations - Clear the are
Now that you know what you’re working with, clear the site by removing debris, rocks, stones, shrubs, and grass. For this, you will need to hire an excavator to get all the unrequired materials off-site – so you have a safe and clean site to work on.
At NextGen, we have a team ready for all your soil removal requirements, whether that be soil from site cuts, piers, or drainage; our skilled operators will come and remove all soil on time, every time.
- Level things out.
Imagine walking on sloping, bumpy ground day in and day out – you’d start to feel a little off balance! Not to mention, a sloping site can be hazardous for neighbouring buildings as it can cause water pooling.
To avoid such a scenario, you need to level things out. For this, you can use the string and line method as a level or a laser level to help achieve a uniform finish to the concrete slab. - Dampen the base.
To achieve the perfect concrete slab, you need the perfect balance of moisture. Too dry, and it will crumble and be hard to compact. Too wet, you’ll face several other issues. Therefore, you must lightly dampen each base layer with a hose.
Here’s a little trick of the trade – take a handful of base soil in your hand and roll it into a ball. If it crumbles like a biscuit – you need to add more water; if it retains its shape like Play-Doh – then it’s perfect. - Tamp (compact) the base.
The next step in the process is to tamp/compact the base. By compacting the base, you reduce the amount of pore space for water and air to take up. In turn, you’ll have a more stable foundation to build on.
For clay soil and smaller areas, you’ll want to consider tamping rammers, which compact the soil by hitting the ground through high impact. Alternatively, plate compactors are best suited if you are working with larger areas, gravel, and sand. Plate compactors compact using vibration.
- Install a moisture barrier.
If needed, especially in areas where moisture is a concern, create a moisture barrier using plastic sheeting to prevent moisture from rising in the concrete. - Add base material.
For additional support and to help with drainage, you’ll need to add a layer of compactable base material (such as crushed stone or gravel) over the subgrade. - Build the concrete formwork.
You’re now almost ready to pour the concrete. But before you do, you will want to create a guide with form boards to indicate the area and the depth at which you need to pour the concrete. After all, you don’t want the concrete flowing in all directions and going above and beyond the ideal depth.
Remember you will be removing the form boards once you pour the concrete. Therefore, to ensure you can release them with ease, use some form of release agent – cooking oil will do.
- Reinforce with a rebar.
Concrete, even its liquid form, is strong. Therefore, you will need to reinforce your formwork so it can stand against the powerful concrete tide. You can do this by placing a rebar for extra support.
Remember – before starting any work, check with the local authorities to understand and abide by codes of practice and regulations.
Hire the professionals to lay your concrete foundation.
If you’re looking for a reliable concreting service to lay solid quality foundations for your next building project and complete the job on time, every time – look no further! Contact our team at Next Gen for a quote today.