Soil

Soil type is very important for building as it will influence design details ie (foundation type) Great expense can be incurred due to soil type. This could require site drainage, pumping, increased amount of stone fill for site and machinery Carrying out a soil investigation before building can speed up the build and allow control of costs When building one of the 1st steps is to strip the topsoil from the site and uncover the subsoil. Top soil Subsoil Its the soil that remains after the subsoil is removed 4 Main Types o Rock o Coarse grained non cohesive soil o Fine grained cohesive soil o Peat and Made Up ground Known also as vegetable soil Refers to the top layer of soil (approx 300mm). Its easily compressed and not suitable to build on

Soil investigation Why o To find out the soil type below the ground and its characteristics o Is it suitable for the building being planned? o Correct foundation choice o Safety on site o Efficient and on budget construction Early investigation o The geology of the area o Topography (lie of the land) o Vegetation (rushes, willow etc) o Drainage location of streams and drains o Previous use of the land o Foundations in the area Walk the site o Note the lie of land o The type of vegetation o Feel of soil o Underfoot conditions Final stage (Trial hole or Bores) o Collect soil samples and analysis o Find the water table level o Small projects trial holes dug with Excavator usually 3m deep) o Trial holes/ bore holes drilled into ground and sample taken

Water Table Level at which water settles in the soil Rises and falls due to rainfall. Important to know for site safety, drainage and flooding

Soil Types Rock Coarse grained non cohesive soil (Gravel and Sandy) Fine grained cohesive soil (Clays) Peat and Made Up ground

It is important to know the soil type as it will influence foundation choice due to the soil load bearing capacity. Due to the different layers in the soil it is not uncommon to encounter different soil types when excavating. Typical loading of a two storey external wall is 75kN/mm2. A soil above 300kN/mm2 cannot be excavated by hand. Soils below 100kN/mm2 can be moulded like moulding clay Angle of Repose The angle that a certain material makes with the ground When stone or sand is tipped from lorry look at the angle it makes with the ground Gravel, soil Largest particles usually end up at the bottom of heap Important to know for the storage of aggregates or for excavations