It is a particular design and method of constructing a sound foundation for a house. This house is almost ready for cement.
If you notice in this photo there is no re-bar or wire mesh. Instead the red plastic sleeves contain steel cables that will be drawn tightly and locked in place. Each cable will be stretched to a specific tension as prescribed by the engineer who designed the foundation.
As the concrete continues to cure, these cables will remain taught [hopefully] for some time.
This design may or may not be better than other methods but it is now the industry standard in North Texas . Until a better design comes along, builders and engineers will continue to use what works best.
Soil composition and site preparation are the most crucial elements of a sound foundation; hiring a highly-skilled foundation contractor is essential but may be secondary. If the developer and the builder fail to choose the right location to develop or fail to prepare the site, the skills of the foundation contractor and the quality of the foundation he installs will mean very little.
If you are building or buying a new home, premature failure of the slab is not good.
My experience with foundations has lead me to several conclusions. First, all concrete slabs fail. That is, they fail to remain intact, pristine, whole, etc. for much more than 3 or 4 years. Don't panic. [Stop shaking.] I should add the word....eventually.
All foundations move but probably much sooner than most people think. Slabs just can't move up or down without cracking. Pier and beam foundations move also, the floors just don't crack.
Most houses in North Texas move between the 3rd and 5th year. This movement usually is so subtle that no one notices. It may show up as a hairline crack or a sheet rock tape joint separation. Five years requires some level of forgiveness but not too much.
If this movement occurs in the 3rd year, it is likely right on schedule. If it happens in the 2nd year, it is premature and may not be a good sign. If movement occurs in the first year, it has to be addressed. Contact the builder, an engineer or an inspector and get it documented, especially if no action to repair it is taken. It must be documented in case serious problems develop well outside of the warranty period. You can at least contend and prove that problems began to manifest much too soon.
A good builder will take the movement seriously and will consult with their engineer as well, especially if it is still in warranty. Others might try to explain the condition as normal when in fact it may not be and hope to get through the warranty period.
Builders are not scientists but they have to deal with the laws of physics indirectly. Three elements of these laws are common to foundation and structural movement: expansion, contraction and that wonderful, always-available gravity.
Whenever structural movement is discovered during the inspection for the first owner, there is no level of forgiveness. It has to be addressed because something has failed.
If you notice in this photo there is no re-bar or wire mesh. Instead the red plastic sleeves contain steel cables that will be drawn tightly and locked in place. Each cable will be stretched to a specific tension as prescribed by the engineer who designed the foundation.
As the concrete continues to cure, these cables will remain taught [hopefully] for some time.
This design may or may not be better than other methods but it is now the industry standard in North Texas . Until a better design comes along, builders and engineers will continue to use what works best.
Soil composition and site preparation are the most crucial elements of a sound foundation; hiring a highly-skilled foundation contractor is essential but may be secondary. If the developer and the builder fail to choose the right location to develop or fail to prepare the site, the skills of the foundation contractor and the quality of the foundation he installs will mean very little.
If you are building or buying a new home, premature failure of the slab is not good.
My experience with foundations has lead me to several conclusions. First, all concrete slabs fail. That is, they fail to remain intact, pristine, whole, etc. for much more than 3 or 4 years. Don't panic. [Stop shaking.] I should add the word....eventually.
All foundations move but probably much sooner than most people think. Slabs just can't move up or down without cracking. Pier and beam foundations move also, the floors just don't crack.
Most houses in North Texas move between the 3rd and 5th year. This movement usually is so subtle that no one notices. It may show up as a hairline crack or a sheet rock tape joint separation. Five years requires some level of forgiveness but not too much.
If this movement occurs in the 3rd year, it is likely right on schedule. If it happens in the 2nd year, it is premature and may not be a good sign. If movement occurs in the first year, it has to be addressed. Contact the builder, an engineer or an inspector and get it documented, especially if no action to repair it is taken. It must be documented in case serious problems develop well outside of the warranty period. You can at least contend and prove that problems began to manifest much too soon.
A good builder will take the movement seriously and will consult with their engineer as well, especially if it is still in warranty. Others might try to explain the condition as normal when in fact it may not be and hope to get through the warranty period.
Builders are not scientists but they have to deal with the laws of physics indirectly. Three elements of these laws are common to foundation and structural movement: expansion, contraction and that wonderful, always-available gravity.
Whenever structural movement is discovered during the inspection for the first owner, there is no level of forgiveness. It has to be addressed because something has failed.
1 comment:
When buying a new property, there are certain checks that should be done in order to know if you are getting what you have paid for. Structural defects and pest infestation are two of the most damaging factors that should be avoided when acquiring new property.
building inspections in sydney
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