Foundations
Waffle Pod Raft Slab
A ‘Waffle Pod’ slab is now probably the most common Concrete ‘Raft’ House base. It has generally taken over from the Conventional Raft Foundation. It’s an example of composite construction with polystyrene pods forming the voids in the underside of…
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Building On Fill – Concrete Piers
Its not unusual for the Site Investigation Report for your new house to reveal loose fill materials above a more stable clay or rock. It might also reveal the soil is in poor condition. To deal with the problem of…
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Conventional Raft Slab
A ‘Conventional’ Raft Slab is a concrete base laid directly on a compacted base. It is strengthened by cutting trenches in the base and adding reinforcement. These ‘thickened beams’ are formed at the edges and also under loadbearing walls. This…
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Building On Sand
Building on sand at first seems to be an issue…… although I have heard it said that sand is actually the easiest ‘soil to build on. If you live in West Australia there is a good chance that your house…
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Building On Pipeline Easements (Or Close To)
Previous posts have talked about Sewer and Drain Easements but you build close to or over a pipe on an easement? Permission You must get permission from the owner of the easement to build on the easement. Some easement owners…
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Soil Heave – Protecting the Slab After Construction
Once the house is completed it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be concerned about the foundations. This is particularly the case if your house is Built on Clay as there is a risk of ‘Slab Heave’. This is the result of moisture…
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Saline Ground Conditions
Salinity doesn’t have to be as bad as in this photograph to cause problems in new homes. It’s also quite common for land that has not got salinity issues to develop salinity over several years. Building Problems Due To Salinity Problems can…
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Under Slab Membranes
This photo shows a plastic membrane underneath a slab. . . . but what sort of membrane? Vapour Barrier The Building Code of Australia requires the installation of a Vapour Barrier with the following characteristics Medium Impact Resistant Polyethylene Film 0.2mm…
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Pre-Wetting A New House Block
Reason For Pre-Wetting If you are Building On Clay that is dry there is a risk of Soil Heave. This is due to expansion of the clay if the moisture level increases with particular risk factors being: Building after a…
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Placing Fill
Of so you want to place some fill. . . .perhaps behind a retaining wall to level a garden . . . So what do you need to understand? Here are some things to consider. Final Volume – Loose Volume Most people…
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