Step-by-step instructions for the construction of a pile-resistant foundation with your own hands

Establishing a strong base is essential for any building endeavor. A pile-resistant foundation can give your building the stability it needs in difficult soil situations. This kind of foundation is perfect for locations with shifting or loose ground because it shifts the building’s weight to deeper, more stable soil layers.

Although building a pile-resistant foundation by yourself may seem difficult, it is completely doable with the correct advice. To make sure your foundation is sturdy and long-lasting, this guide will take you step-by-step through every stage, from planning and preparation to the finishing touches. Whether you’re a novice do-it-yourselfer or a seasoned builder, these instructions are meant to be simple to understand.

Everything you need to know will be covered, including how to choose the best materials, comprehend the layout, and carry out the construction process effectively. You’ll have the know-how and self-assurance to construct a pile-resistant foundation that endures over time by the time you finish reading this guide.

Step	Description
1. Site Preparation	Clear the site of debris and vegetation. Mark the boundaries of the foundation using stakes and string.
2. Soil Testing	Test the soil to determine its bearing capacity and composition. This helps in designing the foundation correctly.
3. Digging Holes	Excavate holes for the piles according to the foundation plan. The depth should reach stable soil layers.
4. Installing Piles	Place piles in the holes, ensuring they are vertical and aligned. You can use concrete, steel, or timber piles depending on the design.
5. Pouring Concrete	If using concrete piles, pour concrete into the holes around the piles, ensuring there are no air pockets.
6. Connecting Piles	Connect the tops of the piles with a horizontal beam or grillage to distribute the load evenly.
7. Waterproofing	Apply a waterproofing layer to protect the foundation from moisture and water damage.
8. Backfilling	Backfill around the piles and compact the soil to ensure stability and prevent settling.
9. Final Inspection	Inspect the foundation to ensure it meets all specifications and standards before proceeding with construction.

The most popular type of base for a private house

Due to its dependability and durability, tape foundation is preferred by the majority of owners when building on their own.

Generally speaking, the tape needs to be laid below the freezing line when building a house on unstable or wet soil, which adds significantly to the labor and material costs.

This issue is then resolved by a pile foundation, but the supports themselves are strong enough to hold the weight of foam block low-rise buildings, maximum frame buildings, and lightweight structures.

A pile-grillage foundation is an alternative to the two foundation types previously discussed. In this foundation type, the strapping distributes the overall loads evenly across the soil while the supports offer the required stability.

Various pile-grillage foundation types that you can construct on your own:

1. On screw piles.
2. On bored piles.
3. With a strip grillage (monolithic or block).
4. With wooden grillage.
5. With metal profile strapping.

A screw pile of modest diameter and height can be screwed in by three builders, but the load-bearing capacity of such a supporting structure is constrained.

It is appropriate for building:

• garages,
• fencing,
• baths,
• terraces,
• lightweight buildings.

Large-diameter screw piles are recommended for the future structure’s dependability, but hiring specialized tools or gear units to screw in the rods will be necessary. As a result, when building a home, the majority of owners choose to set up bored piles with grillage themselves.

The harness can be constructed with metal, beams, or a specific kind of tape. Wood is appropriate for light-colored wooden buildings because of its short lifespan and low strength.

You must be able to operate a welding machine in order to work with metal profiles. According to the information above, the most basic kind of strapping that can be manufactured without the assistance of hired labor is a tape grillage.

Although it may seem difficult, building a pile-resistant foundation yourself can be simple and satisfying with the right advice. This article will assist you in building a stable and dependable pile-resistant foundation by providing clear, step-by-step instructions. Every step, from choosing the appropriate supplies and equipment to applying the finishing touches, is thoroughly described, giving you the confidence to take on the project and establish a strong foundation for your construction.

Plan drawing of a pile structure with a grillage

In construction companies, the drawing plan is created by engineers and designers. The project is typically covered by the turnkey construction cost. A developer will require drawing and geometry skills if he intends to construct the foundation by hand.

It takes a design drawing to:

1. Accurately determine the installation points of the supports.
2. Maintain the distance between piles.
3. Choose a suitable method for tying piles with a grillage.
4. Calculate the amount of building materials.
5. Specify the distance between the grillage and the zero level of the site.

When creating a pile foundation with a strip grillage, the following must be noted on the drawing:

• the places where utility lines will pass;
• the type and diameter of the support section;
• the type and section of the grillage;
• the depth of the support elements.

Since the other structural components will line up with the first block from which construction will start, it is crucial to include its coordinates when creating the drawing.

How to prepare for work?

Since the material selection and installation quality determine the dependability and durability of the design structure, laying the foundation is a responsible procedure.

Prior to creating a plan, it is required to review the regulatory requirements (SNiP 2.02.03-85), gather data regarding the site’s geological characteristics, and determine the foundation.

Where to start?

The geological survey results serve as the basis for both the foundation calculation and the selection of supporting elements. You must place an order for a service from a company that specializes in this in order to receive trustworthy information.

However, in order to save costs, you can independently investigate the site’s soil and the depth of any subterranean sources using reference material.

What you need to know before designing?

In order to compute a pile-strip foundation made of reinforced concrete, you must know:

• soil type;
• degree of soil heaving;
• freezing point;
• occurrence of ground sources;
• soil bearing capacity;
• elevation changes on the site;
• climatic conditions for the region (amount of precipitation).

Picking the quantity of piles is a prerequisite to figuring out the base. Supports are typically placed where the project calls for them—at the building’s corners and where the house’s walls will intersect.

A rough 1.5–3 m gap exists between supports. The soil’s bearing capacity is used to determine the cross-sectional area of the piles through experimentation.

It is advised to use the following reference data when choosing parameters:

Diameter of bored piles, cm	100	150	200	250	300
Base area, cm2	79	177	314	490	707
Soil type	Load bearing capacity
Coarse sand	325	701	1350	2050	2350
Medium sand	235	530	942	1472	2120
Fine sand, supersaturated with moisture	197	530	748	1226	1775
Hard clay	353	795	1413	2208	3180
Plastic clay	197	353	628	980	1413
Coarse rocks	432	1315	2168	3238	5650

Calculation of supports and grillage

There are several mandatory preliminary calculations that must be completed in order to create a strong foundation:

1. Determine the total loads taking into account the weight of walls, ceilings, roofing, snow flooring, etc.P.
2. Find the required support area, knowing the weight of the structure and the safety factor. Calculation formula: S support = (M * 1.4)/N, Where:
3. M – total mass of the structure (from p.1),
4. N – soil bearing capacity (reference information),
5. 1.4 – reliability factor.
6. Calculate the total cross-sectional area of ​​the piles, taking into account their number.
7. Compare calculation results n. 2 and 3.

The chosen parameters are appropriate if the cross-sectional area of the piles is larger than the support area; if it is smaller, the support area must be increased. Increasing the number of pillars is sometimes a good idea (the calculation algorithm remains unchanged).

The depth of soil freezing is taken into consideration when choosing the length of the supports. A reinforced concrete structure typically needs to be supported by a solid load-bearing layer. In most of Russia, 1.5 meters below the surface is the freezing point. Don’t forget to add the base’s height to this value.

We compute the grillage parameters according to the procedure outlined in SNiP 2.03.01-84. The formula for determining the minimum height of the tape (h) is as follows: h = na + 40 cm, where na is the approximate depth (in centimeters) at which the pile is embedded in the grillage.

The thickness of the plinth or load-bearing walls is either equal to or greater than the value of the grillage width.

Required tools and materials

To build a pile-grillage foundation, you will require the following equipment and supplies:

• hand drill or electric installation for making pits;
• mixture for concrete mortar: sand, crushed stone, cement, water;
• medium-fraction crushed stone for installing a drainage cushion under the grillage;
• bentonite solution for coating the walls of the well;
• roofing felt sheets for waterproofing piles;
• sheet waterproofing material for grillage;
• polyurethane foam insulation;
• metal reinforcement for reinforcing the upper and lower parts of the foundation;
• boards, beams, nails and screws for the manufacture of formwork;
• pegs, fishing lines for marking the area.

How to do it yourself?

The order of technological stages needed varies depending on the type of pile-grillage foundation. For example, drilling wells is not necessary to install driven and screw piles, but renting equipment or special tools is necessary (small screw supports excluded). The steps for building bored piles using reinforced concrete tape are listed below.

Determining the distance between piles

The cost of building will increase if piles are placed too frequently, and the formation of cracks in the structure’s load-bearing walls will result from infrequent placement, which raises the possibility of grillage deformation.

When building private homes, they typically carry out the following:

• Be sure to install supports at the corners of the building and at the intersection points of load-bearing walls;
• if the pillars are more than 3 m apart from each other, then intermediate supports are placed between them.

It is helpful to familiarize yourself with the specifications for support placement before designing, as outlined in SNiP 2.02.03-85 and GOST 27751.

Marking and excavation work

Prior to beginning construction, the site is cleared of construction debris and, if needed, leveled. Afterwards, pegs and fishing line are used to apply markings.

Make sure the diameters match the values in the design. Use pegs or rods to mark the locations of future supports, or create tiny depressions in the ground to serve as markers.

Installation of piles

For piles, drill holes with a hand drill. Pits up to 30 cm in diameter can be created with the manual tool. If the site is primarily composed of wet soils, the load-bearing layer should be compacted by placing a 10–20 cm high sand cushion at the bottom of the trench.

Apply a layer of bentonite solution to the surface to stop the well walls from collapsing.

Within the pit, a steel rod reinforcement frame is installed. The rod lengths should be 15–20 cm longer than the well’s height (reserve for grillage and support connection). Pour the concrete solution inside the well. To get rid of the air bubbles, bayonet the mixture. Before proceeding to the next stage, the concrete must harden for two to three weeks.

Trenching is not required for screw and driven posts. The anchoring components are driven or screwed into the ground in accordance with the marked locations.

Construction of formwork

Underneath the grillage is a crushed stone cushion that will shield the foundation from frost heaving’s vertical forces.

Experts recommend raising the grillage above the site’s ground level, but implementing such technology will make construction much more difficult.

Beneath the monolithic strip, panel formwork is constructed. You can use knocked down boards or sheets of plywood for this. To ensure that the formwork does not collapse under the weight of the concrete, it is advisable to use beams to support the structure from the outside.

Reinforcement

A reinforced rod frame will give the foundation more strength. Rounded steel from grades AI through AIII is typically utilized. The rods that extend from the surface of the supports are firmly fixed to the grillage’s reinforcing frame.

Pouring concrete

Use concrete that has at least M200 strength for the grillage. Using gutters, one pour is done at a time to avoid concrete from delaminating when it falls from a height.

Once the material has filled the formwork, air bubbles are removed using a bayonet. After that, the concrete is wrapped in plastic film and allowed to set for three to four weeks.

When it comes to a metal grillage, the rods that were left sticking out from the supports are welded to the strappings. After technically creating holes in the metal plates, a beam-based grillage is fixed atop the heads of the pillars.

Waterproofing and ventilation

Structural elements are waterproofed because soil moisture erodes the concrete foundation over time. A roofing sheet or glass-rubber material rolled into a pipe is inserted into the pipe to shield the supports prior to the installation of a reinforcing frame into the well.

Roll waterproofing material is also used to waterproof a recessed grillage; it is applied to the formwork’s interior surfaces prior to reinforcement.

Small diameter (20–25 cm) pipe fragments are embedded in the formwork to ventilate the area between the reinforced concrete structure and the ground. Venting is accomplished by the air space between the soil and the base, so venting is not necessary for a "hanging" tape.

When it comes to metal grillages, the parts of the structure that protrude above ground are covered with a hydrophobic composition coating that pays particular attention to the welds. A hydrophobic liquid is pre-impregnated into wooden beams.

Thermal insulation

A polyurethane foam film acts as a heat insulator for the grillage while also shielding the structure from weathering. Once the concrete is fully frozen, peny material is sprayed over the entire surface of the grillage using a specialized sprayer. You can also use extradited polystyrene leaf as a substitute.

Errors and recommendations

Even with the ease of use of technology and the accessibility of construction materials, owners frequently make mistakes with installation and design:

1. Refusal of geological examination of soil. Beginning builders often underestimate the action of frosty tuning forces, which at a minus environmental temperature “pour out” the foundation from the soil. The sand pillow arranged under supports will be protection from the expansion of the soil. In this case, the layer of sand must be carefully tamped.
2. Use of low -quality concrete. In order to save money, some developers buy cheaper concrete (M100, M150). Such material is not able to withstand the weight of the massive structure, so experts recommend using concrete stamps not lower than M200.
3. Light bunch of supports and grillage. Connection of the tape and pillars – a weak point of the structure. If the stiffness of the ligament is insufficient, under the influence of frost heaving forces, the upper and lower parts of the foundation may rupture, which threatens the collapse of the structure.

This section contains a wealth of significant and practical information regarding pile-grillage foundations.

Video on the topic of the article

Foundation for pile-grinding from A to Z, with video instructions:

Although difficult, building a pile-resistant foundation yourself is a worthwhile endeavor. You can make sure your foundation is sturdy and long-lasting, giving your structure a strong foundation, by carefully following these step-by-step instructions. Your project’s success depends on every stage, from planning and site preparation to the final inspection.

It’s crucial to go slowly through each step and pay careful attention to the details. The longevity of your foundation will be ensured by careful execution, precise measurements, and good planning. To ensure you meet all requirements, don’t forget to check your local building codes and regulations.

Utilizing high-quality supplies and appropriate equipment can have a big impact on how your project turns out. If you have any doubts about any step of the procedure, don’t be afraid to consult a professional. Even though you can do it yourself, getting advice from an expert can give you additional confidence and help you avoid making costly mistakes.

Finally, be proud of your work once you’ve finished building your pile-resistant foundation. You’ve literally set the foundation for a solid, dependable building. This foundation will provide peace of mind and withstand a variety of environmental conditions for many years to come, supporting your building. Congratulations on finishing such a big and influential project!

Video on the topic

Do-it-yourself pile foundation step-by-step video instructions!

UNRELIABLE FOUNDATION! Gross VIOLATION of Building Regulations. Errors of Pile-Grillage Foundation

Nuances of constructing a pile-grillage foundation. Recommendations from experts // FORUMHOUSE

Do-it-yourself pile-grillage foundation. Event Diary.

pile-grillage foundation / stages of foundation construction

Pile-grillage foundation on bored piles. All stages of production.