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I’m a contractor near Toronto, Ontario. As usual the client has bought the lot before we see it. In this case it is a low lying piece of farmland due north from Erie PA in Canada. I haven’t noticed any way of naturally draining this site. It sits in a long trough of land surrounded by a low rise. Material taken out of the (now) pond area shows the gravel base,and percolation tests found ground water at 18″. The client wants a 2200sq.’ one storey house with full basement. I’m thinking their are only ? two logical ways to do this:
1)pourng footings on the gravel base 12″ down and backfilling at least 4’for frost. And pump my ground water into a ditch, maybe.
2)same as above but drop some piles to stabilize the foundation.
*I would appreciate the feedback, economics is a factor and their are no seismic problems.
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Clive.... gravel @ 12"....watertable @ 18"..
..i assume this is going to have an ISDS.. don't do ANYTHING until you have an approved septic system plan and price it out.... if your septic system requirements are anything like ours, you either can't build on that site or it will be cost prohibitive for the system..
then you've got to figure how to get the house out of the ground....can he take fill from his own site?
if you pour your footings on the gravel base, you are now back to original grade.. fill the footing area with 3/4" to 1.5" crushed stone and install a 4" inside the foundation drainage system leading to a sump..and pump thta to your ditch...
... now you've got to bring in a minimum of 6' of fill.. and you've still got 2 feet to the first floor.... you do the numbers..
sounds like a slab on a raised pad with an expensive ISDS system... let the owner know how much money he's going to spend before the carpenters arrive and maybe he'll put the land back on the market....
if he's got the bucks , do the fill ... but if he's got the bucks, why not sell the land and get something better?
the only solution for building in a hollow is fill, fill , fill.... and then some more fill....and some drainage.. and some more fill...
b but hey , whadda i know..i'm not there
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I'm a contractor near Toronto, Ontario. As usual the client has bought the lot before we see it. In this case it is a low lying piece of farmland due north from Erie PA in Canada. I haven't noticed any way of naturally draining this site. It sits in a long trough of land surrounded by a low rise. Material taken out of the (now) pond area shows the gravel base,and percolation tests found ground water at 18". The client wants a 2200sq.' one storey house with full basement. I'm thinking their are only ? two logical ways to do this:
1)pourng footings on the gravel base 12" down and backfilling at least 4'for frost. And pump my ground water into a ditch, maybe.
2)same as above but drop some piles to stabilize the foundation.
*I would appreciate the feedback, economics is a factor and their are no seismic problems.