How to make a foundation from asbestos-cement pipes?

When choosing the type of foundation, the homeowner must first take into account the characteristics of the soil and the structure itself. An important criterion for choosing a particular foundation system is affordability, a decrease in the labor intensity of installation, the ability to carry out work without the involvement of special equipment. The foundation on asbestos pipes is suitable for "problem" soils, has a lower cost compared to some other types of bases.

A few decades ago, asbestos-cement pipes were practically not used in private housing construction, which is due, firstly, to the myth that existed at that time about their environmental insecurity, and secondly, to the lack of knowledge and practical experience in the technology of using this material.

Today, columnar or pile foundations on asbestos foundations are quite widespread., especially on soils where it is impossible to equip a tape base. Such soils include, first of all, clay and loamy, moisture-saturated soils, as well as areas with a difference in height.

Asbestos pipes are a building material based on asbestos fiber and Portland cement. They can be pressurized and non-pressurized. Only pressure modifications are suitable for construction, they are also used in the organization of wells, wells.

Such pipes have a diameter in the range of 5 - 60 cm, withstand pressures up to 9 atmospheres, are characterized by durability and good coefficients of hydraulic resistance.

In general, the technology of their installation is standard - the installation of most of the pile foundations is carried out in a similar way. Wells are prepared for pipes, the location and depth of which corresponds to the design documentation, after which they are lowered into the prepared deepenings and poured with concrete. More details about the installation technology will be discussed in the following chapters.

The popularity of this type of foundation is primarily due to the ability to make a site with "problem" soil suitable for construction. Asbestos-cement pipes can be installed by hand without the involvement of special equipment, which distinguishes them from metal piles. It is clear that this reduces the cost of the object.

The absence of a large amount of land work, as well as the need to fill large areas with a concrete solution, cause a lower laboriousness of the installation process and its higher speed.

Asbestos-cement pipes are several times cheaper than piles, while they demonstrate better moisture resistance. Corrosion does not form on the surface, material degradation and loss of strength do not occur. This allows construction to be carried out in excessively moisture-saturated soils, as well as in flooded areas.

If we compare the cost of a columnar foundation on an asbestos-cement base with the cost of a tape analogue (even a shallow one), then the former will be 25-30% cheaper.

The main disadvantage of asbestos-cement pipes is their low bearing capacity. This makes it impossible to use them for construction in marshy areas and organic soils, and also imposes certain requirements for the construction. The object should be low-rise made of light materials - wood, aerated concrete or a frame-type structure.

Due to the low bearing capacity, it is necessary to increase the number of asbestos-cement pipes and, accordingly, the wells for them.

Unlike metal counterparts, such supports are characterized by the absence of an "anchor" property, and therefore, if the installation technology is not followed or errors in calculations when the soil heaves, the supports will be squeezed out of the ground.

Like most piled houses, asbestos-cement structures are built without a basement. Of course, if you want to, you can equip it, but you will have to dig a pit (on moisture-saturated soils, equip a powerful drainage system), which in most cases is irrational.

The construction of any type of foundation should begin with the preparation of project documentation and drawing up drawings. They, in turn, are based on data obtained during geological surveys. The latter involve laboratory analysis of the soil in different seasons.

Drilling a test well allows obtaining information about the composition of soils and their characteristics, due to which the layering of the soil, its composition, the presence and volume of groundwater become obvious.

The key to a solid foundation is an accurate calculation of its bearing capacity. Supports of pile foundations must reach solid soil layers that lie below the level of its freezing. Accordingly, to carry out such calculations, you need to know the depth of soil freezing. These are constant values ​​that depend on the region, they are freely available in specialized sources (the Internet, official documentation of bodies regulating building rules in a particular region, laboratories that analyze soil, and so on).

Having learned the required coefficient of freezing depth, another 0.3-0.5 m should be added to it, since this is how asbestos-cement pipes protrude above the ground. Usually, this is a height of 0.3 m, but when it comes to flooded regions, the height of the above-ground part of the pipes increases.

The diameter of the pipes is calculated based on the load indicators that will act on the foundation. To do this, you should find out the specific gravity of the materials from which the house is built (they are set out in SNiP). In this case, it is necessary to summarize not only the weight of the wall materials, but also the roof, cladding and heat-insulating coatings, floors.

Weight for 1 asbestos-cement pipe should not exceed 800 kg. Their installation is mandatory along the perimeter of the building, at points of increased load, as well as at the intersection of load-bearing walls. Installation step - 1 m.

On average, for frame buildings, as well as non-residential objects (gazebos, summer kitchens), pipes with a diameter of 100 mm are used. For aerated concrete or log houses - products with a diameter of at least 200-250 mm.

Concrete consumption depends on the diameter of the support. So, about 0.1 cubic meter of solution is required to fill 10 m of a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm. For a similar pouring of a pipe with a diameter of 200 mm, 0.5 cubic meters of concrete is required.

Installation must necessarily be preceded by soil analysis and drawing up a project that contains all the necessary calculations.

Then you can start preparing the site for the foundation. First of all, it is necessary to remove debris from the site.Then remove the top vegetative layer of soil, level and tamp the surface.

The next step will be marking - according to the drawings, pegs are driven in at the corners, as well as at the intersection points of the supporting structures, between which the rope is pulled. Upon completion of the work, you should make sure that the resulting "drawing" corresponds to the design one, and also double-check the perpendicularity of the sides formed by the corners.

After the marking is completed, they begin to drill pipes. For work, a drill is used, and if it is absent, they dig depressions manually. Their diameter is 10-20 cm larger than the diameter of the supports. The depth is 20 cm more than the height of the underground part of the pipes.

This "reserve" is required to fill the sand layer. It is poured into the bottom of the recess by about 20 cm, then compacted, moistened with water and pressed again. The next stage is the primary waterproofing of pipes, which involves lining the bottom of the well (over the compacted sand "cushion") with roofing material.

Now pipes are lowered into the recesses, which are leveled and fixed with temporary supports, usually wooden. When pipes are immersed in soils with an increased level of moisture along the entire length of the underground passage, they are covered with bituminous waterproofing mastic.

Concrete is poured into the pipe to a height of 40-50 cm, and then the pipe is raised 15-20 cm and left until the solution hardens. This technology makes it possible to create a "base" under the pipe, thereby increasing its resistance to soil heaving.

When the concrete solution completely hardens, the pipe walls are waterproofed with roofing material. River sand is poured between the walls of the recess and the side surfaces of the pipe, which is well tamped (the principle is the same as when arranging a "pillow" - sand is poured, tamped, watered, and the actions are repeated).

A string is pulled between the pipes, once again they are convinced of the accuracy of the level and begin to reinforce the pipe. For these purposes, several rods are tied with the help of transverse wire bridges, which are lowered into the pipe.

Now it remains to pour concrete solution into the pipe. To exclude the preservation of air bubbles in the thickness of the solution allows the use of a vibratory pile driver. If it is not there, you should pierce the filled solution in several places with fittings, and then close the resulting holes on the surface of the solution.

When the solution gains strength (about 3 weeks), you can start leveling the aboveground part of the bases, their waterproofing. One of the positive features of these supports is the ability to speed up the process of preparing the foundation. As you know, concrete takes 28 days to fully cure. However, the pipes bordering the concrete act as a permanent formwork. Thanks to this, further work can be started within 14-16 days after pouring.

Beams are mainly used for frame and block houses, as well as small household buildings. For houses made of aerated concrete or wood concrete, a grillage is usually poured, which is additionally reinforced. Regardless of the technology chosen, the reinforcement of the pillars should be connected to the load-bearing element of the base (beams or reinforcement of the grillage).

Consumers using the foundation on asbestos-cement pipes leave mostly positive reviews. Homeowners note the availability and lower cost of the house, as well as the ability to do all the work with their own hands.As in the case of pouring a monolithic or slab base, there is no need to order a concrete mixer.

For clay soils in the northern regions, where the soil swelling is strong, the residents of the built houses recommend increasing the support step, be sure to do them with an extension at the bottom and increase the amount of reinforcement. Otherwise, the soil pushes the pipes.

In the video below, you will learn about the advantages of a foundation made of PVC, asbestos or metal pipes.