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Introduction........................................................................................................... 1
Definition of Raft Foundation.................................................................................2
Foundation Design Considerations........................................................................2
Types of Raft Foundations...................................................................................... 4
Solid Slab Rafts................................................................................................... 4
Beam and Slab Raft Foundations........................................................................6
Cellular Raft Foundations....................................................................................7
Advantages and Disadvantages of Raft Foundations.............................................9
Best Practices for Utilization of Concrete.............................................................10
Concrete as a Material Hazard..........................................................................10
Access.............................................................................................................. 10
Delivery Tickets................................................................................................ 10
Slump Test........................................................................................................ 11
Weather Conditions.......................................................................................... 12
Regulatory Requirements.................................................................................... 12
Conclusion........................................................................................................... 13
Bibliography......................................................................................................... 14
Introduction
The foundations of a house are the most important part of the build
structure, if this part is not done properly it could cause you severe
problems in the future. Foundations act as the interface between the loads
from a building and the ground. Therefore, the foundations must be
robust, strong, durable and balanced to ensure effective load transfer to
the ground.
There are different methods of building the foundations. The selection of
foundation type depends upon the nature of the ground, characteristics of
the building form and the extent and nature of loads from the building. In
this report we will focus on Raft foundations. It will discuss the different
types of Raft foundations, analyse when the use Raft foundations are most
appropriate and look at various safety measures that need to be taken
account of when Raft Foundations are being utilised.
The concrete is then poured in and spread all over to cover the
reinforcement. When the concrete has been allowed to cure for some days
a layer of damp proof membrane is used to cover the entire foundation.
Then a reinforced mesh wire is laid over it which will receive the concrete
for the main floor slab. Before the concrete is poured all necessary
plumbing piping should be completed. Only after the concrete has been
cured can the main walling for the building begin. (Limited, 2016)
They are ideal for poor ground conditions where normal footings
would not cope well as they cannot spread the load as effectively.
The main disadvantage of raft foundations is that they can prone to edge
erosion if they are not treated properly. They are not effective if the load
of the building is going to be focused on a single point. (Forum, 2016)
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Access
The site manager should ensure that there is easy access for the delivery
truck to discharge the concrete in an efficient manner so as to avoid
crystallization of the cement in the concrete and possible extra charges
from the concrete company.
Delivery Tickets
On arrival of the concrete delivery dockets must be furnished to the site
manager to ensure proper records can be recorded and filed. The key
items to be noted from the delivery dockets are
Grade of concrete
Type of cement
Time of loading
Quantity of concrete
Slump Test
No matter which type of raft foundations mentioned above is selected it is
vitally important to test the the workability of fresh concrete on site before
it is used. This is commonly known as the slump test. If the fresh concrete
has been made off site in a batching plant, it may have been delayed in
traffic. It is important to record the time of arrival and check the delivery
ticket for the time it was originally mixed. The cement will start to form
crystals between two and three hours after mixing, depending on the
weather, and that a late delivery will reduce the placing time on site.) The
slump test will indicate how workable the mix is and whether It has been
re-watered en-route. Re-watering weakens the concrete and thus reduces
the specifications that were initially ordered.
2016)
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Weather Conditions
If it's too wet and water starts to accumulate in the foundation, you can
end up with weakened concrete. One of the key metrics for a concrete mix
is the free water to cement ratio. If the water content is too low, you
struggle to get it to compact properly, resulting in air voids, and weak
concrete. If the water content is too high, the water can leave pores in the
concrete, which also reduces the strength of the concrete.
If the temperature is low, the hydration reaction slows down. Further, if
the temperature is too low, the water can freeze, which means that it is
not available to hydrate the cement, again affecting the strength of the
concrete.
Regulatory Requirements
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In recent years the quality and consistency of concrete have become more
tightly regulated, mainly by European Standards.
The Irish Standard for Concrete - I.S. 326 - was replaced by a new
European Standard I.S. EN 206-1: 2002, Concrete - Part 1: Specification,
performance, production and conformity. This Standard forms part of a
group of construction standards. The Irish version EN 206-1 consists of the
core text of the European Standard, plus a National Annex.
I.S. EN 206-1 puts substantial responsibility upon the manufacturers of
ready-mix concrete to conform to a series of specified requirements.
Manufacturers must issue a formal Declaration of Conformity along with
the documentation before they can dispatch ready-mix concrete.
I.S. EN 206-1 demands greater clarity on elements essential to quality,
durability and consistency such as:
Consistency of mix
Grade or compressive strength class as it is defined in the Standard.
(NSAI, 2016)
Conclusion
The above report illustrates that it is vitally important to conduct the
necessary checks before deciding on the type of foundation required as to
ensure that the foundation design will be appropriate to the nature, scale
and complexity of the building,
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Bibliography
Architectural Guidance. (2016, February 20). Retrieved from Architectural
Guidance:
http://architecturalguidance.blogspot.ie/2008/04/architecturalpresentation-raft.html
Association, P. C. (2016, February 17). Concrete Construction Safety
Measures. Retrieved from Concrete Construction Safety Measures:
http://www.cement.org/for-concrete-books-learning/concretetechnology/concrete-construction/safety-measures
Choice of the Type of Foundation. (2016, February 16). Retrieved from
osp.mans.edu.eg/sfoundation/foundtion.htm
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