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Thomas198021 Dec 2016 07:44Hello everyone,
We originally planned to build without a basement, but we are reconsidering because the soil report recommends replacing the soil about 1.50 meters (5 feet) deep due to depressions that negatively affect load-bearing capacity. Otherwise, the soil is sandy and well-draining.
The groundwater starts at about 1.70 to 2 meters (5.5 to 6.5 feet). (The plot slopes down about 30 cm (12 inches) from the street, so we would also need to raise it by about 15 cm (6 inches) to ensure the top of the foundation slab is above street level.) According to the soil report, no perched water was found.
We are now considering whether it might be more cost-effective to not refill the excavation for the soil replacement in layers with compactable material, but instead build a raised basement. Here, a raised basement is allowed to extend 1.39 meters (4.5 feet) above ground level.
We would definitely waterproof it as a “white tank” (watertight concrete structure). What we want to avoid is lowering the groundwater during construction (pumping water out of the excavation), as that is too expensive.
What would be nice is having an additional view from the living room due to the height, and possibly more natural light coming into the living room.
Using the basement as a garage is probably not an option due to the groundwater situation – I would only plan for openings in the basement wall above ground level.
Would this be a cost-effective alternative for us? We would have to provide stairs and so on, and the terrace could become problematic – we don’t want to fill in the excavation because we are planning windows in the basement on the south side.
There are different options: insulating the basement and installing underfloor heating → full living space / or just insulating without heating, etc.
Thanks for your thoughts to help us decide.
PS: Building footprint: about 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)
We originally planned to build without a basement, but we are reconsidering because the soil report recommends replacing the soil about 1.50 meters (5 feet) deep due to depressions that negatively affect load-bearing capacity. Otherwise, the soil is sandy and well-draining.
The groundwater starts at about 1.70 to 2 meters (5.5 to 6.5 feet). (The plot slopes down about 30 cm (12 inches) from the street, so we would also need to raise it by about 15 cm (6 inches) to ensure the top of the foundation slab is above street level.) According to the soil report, no perched water was found.
We are now considering whether it might be more cost-effective to not refill the excavation for the soil replacement in layers with compactable material, but instead build a raised basement. Here, a raised basement is allowed to extend 1.39 meters (4.5 feet) above ground level.
We would definitely waterproof it as a “white tank” (watertight concrete structure). What we want to avoid is lowering the groundwater during construction (pumping water out of the excavation), as that is too expensive.
What would be nice is having an additional view from the living room due to the height, and possibly more natural light coming into the living room.
Using the basement as a garage is probably not an option due to the groundwater situation – I would only plan for openings in the basement wall above ground level.
Would this be a cost-effective alternative for us? We would have to provide stairs and so on, and the terrace could become problematic – we don’t want to fill in the excavation because we are planning windows in the basement on the south side.
There are different options: insulating the basement and installing underfloor heating → full living space / or just insulating without heating, etc.
Thanks for your thoughts to help us decide.
PS: Building footprint: about 100 m² (1,076 sq ft)
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