ᐅ What space is needed for earthworks when building a house with a basement?

Created on: 17 Mar 2023 17:02
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moeSzyslak
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moeSzyslak
17 Mar 2023 17:02
Hello,

What amount of space should be accounted for around the excavation pit when building with a basement?
In a construction specification, I read that "the excavation pit requires a clearance of at least 4m (13 feet) all around."
Does this mean there must be at least 4m (13 feet) of space next to the excavation pit?
Or does it refer to 4m (13 feet) from the property line (with adjacent building) to the outer edge of the planned house?

Our current idea is as follows:
Plot width is 20m (66 feet), with boundary buildings on both the right and left sides by neighbors’ garages.
On the right: our garage is also along the property line, about 6m (20 feet) wide.
On the left: there is an easement (for access to the rear property).
In the middle: the house with a maximum width of 11m (36 feet) (20m - 6m - 3m).

Would there be enough space for excavating the basement excavation pit under these conditions?
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WilderSueden
17 Mar 2023 17:26
It depends. In the more affordable option, you use an excavator to dig a larger hole and slope the sides. If necessary, you can also excavate steeply and secure it accordingly. That just gets more expensive.

I assume your garage won’t have a basement? Then you can build it after the excavation is backfilled. Is the right of way actively used? By how many people, and is it possible to arrange a deal so that the access road isn’t used for a few days?
11ant17 Mar 2023 17:32
Part of the excavation pit around the basement is taken up by the slope of the pit, which can be replaced by a sheet pile wall if necessary, and the workers also need space to work. You must leave the right-of-way corridor clear, even later when using scaffolding.
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HoisleBauer22
17 Mar 2023 21:44
First, you need to check the soil report to determine the type of soil. The slope angle will be adjusted accordingly.
There are regulations for excavation pits from BG Bau. If you search for "C 469" and "BG Bau," you will find a related document.
The most helpful resource I found was by searching for "slope angle" and "vdri," which leads to a PowerPoint PDF by "Ch. Wegener." Pages 19 and 20 (see screenshot) were very useful for calculating the excavation size. The calculation from the house wall would be: a working space of at least 60cm (24 inches) — shoulder width; preferably 1m (39 inches) or more — plus the width of the slope (labeled "B" in the images) plus 1m (39 inches) beyond the slope edge (for moving around and also as the minimum distance between vehicles and construction equipment from the slope edges, page 33 in the PDF).
Technical drawing of a trench cross-section with a 60° wall angle in firm soil (loam/marl/clay).

Cross-section of an excavation pit with soft or non-cohesive soil and a 45° slope
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HoisleBauer22
17 Mar 2023 21:50
Addition: With this slope angle information, you can also accurately calculate the amount of soil excavation in cubic meters. However, offers and billing should specifically be based on tonnes (only with a weight ticket).
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moeSzyslak
19 Mar 2023 07:43
Thank you very much for all the information. Some of it is quite helpful!
It seems to be possible, at least if one secures one side with a sheet pile wall, although this may involve additional costs.

Unfortunately, the question regarding the 4m (13 feet) clearance all around (see above) was not answered. Based on the wording, I can’t even tell if this refers to the edge of the excavation pit?! If so, for a 10m (33 feet) wide house, you would need at least the following width:
10m (33 feet) house
+ 2 x 1m (3 feet) work area next to the basement
+ 2 x 2.5m (8 feet) slope
+ 2 x 4m (13 feet) clearance all around?
= 25m (82 feet) total width required??