How to build a foundation of concrete: the project, marking,
During the construction of any building, a foundation is erected in the first place. This is probably one of the most critical construction processes, since the strength and durability of the entire structure is curled from it. Since the foundation material must be as strong and reliable as possible, concrete is most often used for these purposes. that meets all these requirements.
Next, we consider in detail the process of building a foundation of concrete.

Preparatory work
Project
It is necessary to begin construction with the project, regardless of whether you are building a garage, a shed or a capitious house. Of course, if you plan to build a garage, then you can do it yourself to “sketch out” the project on paper.
When building more complex structures, it is necessary to have a project with clear calculations. It is at this stage that the dimensions of the future structure are set.

Markup
After all the basic parameters of the structure are indicated, the site is marked. For these purposes, as a rule, use twine and wooden stakes.
All dimensions must comply with the drawings. If the structure is square or rectangular, the correct markings can be checked with diagonals, the length of which should be the same.

Trench preparation
The next step is to prepare the trenches for the foundation.
This operation is performed in the following order:
- First of all, trenches are excavated to the design depth, which depends on the type of soil and the level of soil freezing. As a rule, perform a deep foundation, which is located below the level of soil freezing. The trench width depends on the thickness of the future walls.
- Next, the foundation cushion is laid; for this, the bottom of the trenches is filled with a layer of sand at least 15 cm thick and carefully tamped.
- If you plan to build a foundation of concrete slabs, then the preparation of the trenches ends there. If the structure is monolithic, then formwork must be installed. There are two options for its installation - from the surface of the earth and from the bottom of the trench. Experts recommend using the second option, as it allows you to control the consumption of concrete. For concrete formwork use chipboard boards or boards. The design must be strong, so it must be reinforced with spacers.

- To increase the strength of the base reinforcement is necessary. For this purpose, a metal frame is made of reinforcement inside the formwork. The rods can be welded together or bonded with wire. Most often, the frame consists of four longitudinal rods that are fastened together by a thick wire. Extension rods carried overlap.
Tip! Recently, the foundation of barrels filled with concrete has become a common alternative to a strip foundation. It is often used in the construction of country houses and baths. This method resembles a columnar foundation, but instead of pillars in this case, metal barrels are used, which are filled with concrete.
Preparation of the solution
Material selection
The preparation of concrete must be approached especially responsibly, since this will depend on the reliability of the whole structure. The composition of the solution and its brand depend on the type of construction. For example, for smaller structures made of lightweight materials, you can use lightweight concrete, which will save and at the same time make the structure warmer.
However, not all materials are suitable even for light structures, for example, it is impossible to build a foundation of foam concrete because of its low strength and hygroscopicity. Such material will absorb moisture and will simply crack when freezing.
Also, do not try to make the foundation of polystyrene concrete, as its strength will also not be enough, however, this material can be used for the construction of the basement. Most often this option is common when building houses from aerated concrete.

But the foundation of lightweight aggregate for light construction is quite acceptable, since the expanded clay itself is a fairly durable material. When the temperature changes, the claydite does not expand and does not taper, which gives the constancy of the form. In addition, keramsit has good wear resistance.
But, of course, the most durable is traditional concrete, which can be used for any buildings made of any materials. The only thing is that it must be properly prepared, since all the basic characteristics of concrete depend on it. Therefore, we consider this process in more detail.

Concrete preparation
For the preparation of concrete will need the following materials:
Cement | Most often, cement M400 or M500 is used for the construction of a concrete foundation. Of course, the price of the M500 is somewhat higher, but for the sake of such cement allows you to create more durable concrete. |
Sand | For the construction of the foundation should be used purified sand. The size of the fractions should be in the range of 1.2-3.5 mm. |
Rubble | Coarse aggregate must also be cleared of clay or other contaminants. The particle size of crushed stone or gravel should be in the range of 1-8 cm. |
Water | Like all other ingredients, the water must be clean. |
The most optimal concrete for the foundation - M350. To obtain it, use the components in the following proportions:
Cement grade M500 | One part |
Sand | Two parts |
Rubble or gravel | 4 parts |
Water | ? parts |

The instruction is as follows:
- First of all it is necessary to mix dry components - cement and sand..
- Then water is added to the composition, and the solution is thoroughly mixed.. You can also add a plasticizer to improve material performance or other additives as needed.
- After obtaining a homogeneous solution, crushed stone pre-moistened with water is added to it and mixed thoroughly..
This completes the process of making concrete. I must say that sometimes they build a foundation of sand concrete. In this case, no crushed stone is added to the composition. Ready-made dry sand mixture can be purchased at hardware stores.
Fill
It is desirable to perform a fill at one time, or at least fill in new layers before the old ones solidify. Otherwise, you can continue to pour the foundation only a few days after pouring the previous layers.
In the process of pouring the foundation, you need to use a deep vibrator, or at least perform tamping solution to remove air bubbles. In this case, after pouring each layer of concrete with a thickness of about 20 cm, it is necessary to tamp the solution with a metal rod or a wooden stick.
Note! When pouring metal structure should not change its position.

It must be said that when filling the foundation it is advisable to immediately provide openings for communications and ventilation. Otherwise, diamond drilling of holes in the concrete will have to be carried out after the mortar has hardened, which requires additional time and effort.
After pouring the solution, it is necessary to ensure its even hardening. If the work is done in the summer, then you need to cover the freshly grounded foundation with a wet sacking and periodically moisten with water for the first 10 days.
After a few days you can remove the formwork, however, further work will be allowed to proceed only after the concrete has completely set. Novice builders are usually interested in how much the mortar dries? Under favorable environmental conditions, it takes 28 days.
After the concrete has set, before proceeding with further construction, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing material. Most often for these purposes use roofing material. If the surface of the foundation turned out uneven, then all the flaws must first be repaired.
Tip! Diamond tools should be used for machining concrete surfaces, as it is the most efficient. For example, in the course of work, it may be necessary to cut reinforced concrete with diamond circles or grinding with diamond crowns.
That's all the main points of the construction of the foundation of concrete.
Conclusion
Concrete foundation является наиболее прочным основанием, которое можно использовать для любых построек. При частном строительстве его вполне возможно выполнить самостоятельно, не имея подобного опыта работы. Самое главное – строго придерживаться технологии заливки, которая описана выше.
From the video in this article, you can get more information on this topic.