ᐅ Filling a Basement – Compaction of Gravel Without Drainage? Yes or No?

Our basement is scheduled to be backfilled the week after next.
I have already received all kinds of advice on what would be best.

Starting point: The soil it was built in is very clayey and located on a slope, so water also comes from above.

The construction manager suggests compacting with gravel without drainage.
The earthworks contractor recommends using soil from the neighboring property, which he would freshly excavate, combined with drainage as the best option.

What would you recommend, or how have you handled this in your experience?

66 views, 0 replies. I guess the question is considered difficult to understand. If I squint and look deep into the crystal ball, I further assume: You don’t want to fill in the basement, but the excavation around the basement. When it comes to soil or gravel, I would consult a third party (a geologist) where the two options conflict. Without drainage, it sounds odd to me if the basement is subject to water infiltration.

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We also had clayey soil, and the workspace of our basement was filled with gravel in which a drainage system is installed.

Have you had a soil profile created? Usually, you will receive recommendations from the geologist anyway.
Without any further information, I would generally say: with clayey soil (which retains water well or even causes waterlogging), always use drainage; otherwise, water will accumulate around the house, which certainly isn't good for it.