Choose what brand of concrete is needed on the foundation

In this article we will talk about what brand of concrete is needed for the foundation of certain buildings and what are the features of the preparation of mortars. The topic of the article is relevant, since the foundation is the foundation of any house, and therefore the correct selection of building material in accordance with its performance characteristics is the key to the strength and durability of finished buildings or structures.

Classification of concrete suitable for casting foundations of building objects

Currently, the market offers a wide range of cement-containing solutions that can be used in construction. Sometimes to understand this variety of materials is not easy and that is why the question of which concrete grade for foundation is optimal is not unfounded.

We list the main types of mortar, suburban for pouring the base objects and structures:

• M100 - this type of concrete can be applied at the initial stages of construction work. Foundations cast with the use of such material are suitable for the construction of barrier structures, light household objects (garages, sheds, barns) and wooden country houses. (See also the article Concrete for a blind area: features.)
• M150 - this brand is a good solution for the construction of light tape bases, with the additional processing of which diamond drilling of holes in concrete can be used. Modification of cement-containing solution B7.5 can be used in the construction of low-rise residential buildings with load-bearing walls of cinder blocks and foam blocks.
• M200 is a building material suitable for casting the base of one- and two-storey residential buildings with light floors. In addition, this brand of solutions is most often used in the industrial production of concrete products.
• M250 and M300 is a universal brand of solutions, equally suitable for the construction of bases for large medium and small-sized residential buildings. In addition, materials with the mark M300 can be used in the manufacture of monolithic floors.
• M400 is the price of such cement-containing mixtures is high, but they are used in the construction of multi-storey buildings up to 20 floors in height. Also, these concretes are widely used in laying the foundations of industrial facilities, the processing of which can be used to cut reinforced concrete with diamond circles.

So, we looked at the scope of the ubiquitous types of cement-containing mixtures, and now you can certainly answer the question of what brand of concrete is needed for the foundation of the house.

Important: If the house is to be built by own hands according to the available project documentation, the choice of the base parameters is determined in accordance with these documents. Properly developed project documentation takes into account the mechanical loads that fall on the foundation, and has a specific indication of the brand of the solution, which is advisable to apply.

After we talked about the basic classification of cement-containing mortars, we will answer the question of which brand of concrete is needed for a foundation of a belt type and in accordance with which criteria the choice is made. (See also the article Hardening of concrete: how to do.)

Criteria determining the choice of building materials

To begin, let us decide where to get the mortar?

Cement mixtures can be obtained in two ways:

• make your own hands in accordance with the technological requirements;
• order in specialized organizations engaged in the industrial preparation of such mixtures.

The second method is more preferable, since in this case the solution is made in strict accordance with the technology.

When deciding which brand of concrete to use for the foundation, we must take into account the following parameters of the erected structure:

• The degree of mechanical load on the base (determined by the weight and height of the building, as well as the presence or absence of the basement).
• Geological features of the land - are determined in the course of a special study with an assessment of the properties of the soil, the level of groundwater, etc.
• Type of foundation to be laid: tape, columnar, pile, other.

Each of the listed items in varying degrees affects the characteristics of the choice of brand solution for laying the foundation. Consider each of these criteria in more detail.

The degree of mechanical load on the base

Prediction of mechanical loads on the foundation of a construction object is the most important parameter that should be considered when choosing a mixture.

If we take into account only the mechanical load, then in most cases, concrete of the M200 type B15 will be suitable for the construction of low-rise residential buildings. In order to save money, M200 solutions are replaced by solutions of M150 type B12.5.

If it is planned to build a house using brick or expanded clay concrete blocks, it is advisable to lay foundations of concrete of class B20 as masonry materials for brick.

Geological features of the land

If construction is carried out on rocky or sandy soils, the instruction of laying the strip foundations allows the use of low grades of concrete not higher than M200. But such soils are not common, and mostly have to build on soils with a predominance of clay.

Important: The problem of clay soils is a high heaving. Because it is so important to conduct a study of the soil, taking into account the degree of freezing and other equally important parameters and take them into account when choosing concrete.

Type of foundation to be laid

As a rule, the bases of the tape type can be built using low grade concrete, while pile structures imply the use of high grade solutions. If during the construction of tape bases, the selection of cement-containing mortar can be determined by the decision of the builders, then laying the foundations of the pile type is carried out only with the use of concrete of grade not less than P4 B25.

Conclusion

Now that you know which brand of concrete is best used for the foundation, you can choose the material that will provide the optimum quality of the finished result. You can find more useful and informative information by watching the video in this article.