DIY wild stone foundation. How to make a foundation from rubble stone. Concreting using rubble stone

At the initial stage of construction of any building structure, it is necessary to select a type.

Many developers do not even imagine that the foundation can be built from natural stone.

It is reliable and environmentally friendly pure material. The material has incorrect geometry.

Due to this structure, it is believed that to work with it you need to have high dexterity and skill.

In fact, to build a stone foundation with your own hands, no special preparation is required.

It is enough to study the rules for constructing such a foundation. Required Tools and materials.

Before starting construction, you should purchase fine crushed stone. In the future, they will backfill the voids. You will also need sand and cement.

These will form a “cushion” for the future concrete base. Rubble material must have sufficient strength and water resistance.

To carry out waterproofing, you should purchase roofing felt. Work on the foundation will be carried out using:

Containers with the required volume for preparing concrete mortar;
Several shovels;
Trowels;
Construction level;
Tape measures and plumb line;
Hammer, chisel and heavy sledgehammer.

Preparatory work

Do-it-yourself stone foundations should be laid at a depth exceeding the level to which the soil freezes.

Before you start digging trenches, it is necessary to mark the construction site in accordance with the previously prepared project.

When excavating soil, it should be taken into account that the dimensions of the trenches must exceed the design values. During excavation work, soil shedding may occur.

In order to prevent this, primitive formwork is made. The material for it can be metal sheets or wooden boards.

Arranging a sand cushion

A “sand cushion” is poured into the dug trenches. It should consist of several layers of sand. Each layer must be thoroughly compacted and moistened.

A waterproofing coating is laid on the upper surface of the “cushion”. It includes several layers of roofing material. The sheets must be laid “overlapping”.

Thus, the concrete coating is protected from moisture loss during the hardening stage.

If you have not previously encountered the installation of such structures, it is better to use a strip structure, which includes rubble stone.

You should not make the pillar bookmark yourself. When using the second option, you will need to balance the monolithic base and calculate the optimal threshold points.

Rules for laying natural stone

Do-it-yourself stone foundations should be built using natural cobblestones that have flat horizontal surfaces.

They will form a support on which the foundation and the structure itself will shrink. Stones with similar geometry are pressed into the sand layer.

They shouldn't wobble. Laying must be done along the trench. Situations may arise when cobblestones with the required geometry are not available.

Then, with the help of a chisel and a hammer, you will have to correct the “natural defects”. When a cobblestone is pressed into a sand layer, small openings and depressions may form.

Look detailed instructions in the video:

To remove them, you will have to tamp again. But in this case, fine filler (crushed stone or pebbles) is used.

The space between the stones is filled with fine-grained crushed stone. Next, these areas are processed using a sledgehammer.

The operation continues until the surface is completely flat. And only then the initial layer is filled with cement mortar.

Security measures

It should be borne in mind that, having decided to use natural cobblestones for the construction of the foundation, you assume full responsibility for the reliability of the future structure.

In this case, it is necessary to be based on existing safety standards when constructing such objects.

For example, if the first layer of the foundation is not at the required height, there is a danger that concrete structure may become deformed.

The height of the first layer, after the initial pouring of the concrete solution, should not be less than 40 cm.

Laying and pouring of subsequent layers of rubble base must be carried out based on the algorithm described above. The sutures should be re-dressed periodically.

She is no different from brickwork. Natural stone is installed directly onto cement mortar.

If the foundation is of significant height, additional stabilization of the structure will be required. To do this, you can use strong wire or reinforcing bars.

Typically, the last rows of the foundation structure are reinforced. During the laying process, the moving mass of natural material should be regularly shaken and compacted.

Professional builders have long been using a certain algorithm of work when constructing a foundation. It speeds up and optimizes construction operations:

If there are gentle slopes in the trenches that will be used when pouring the foundation structure, they can be used to create a working platform into which concrete and stone will be supplied;
If there are steep slopes, wooden scaffolding can be installed;
Containers containing cement-sand mortar are placed in shallow trenches. There will be natural stone between them;
By preparing places for communication openings and ventilation in advance, you will reduce the time for constructing the foundation;
Before pouring begins, you should calculate how much building materials will be needed.

The use of foundations containing rubble stone has found wide application in the construction of individual buildings.

This was influenced by their high load-bearing capacity and long service life. A significant role also belongs to the impeccable appearance natural material.

Rubble foundation is a budget and aesthetic solution for residential or country house, garage and bathhouse. It is strong, durable and environmentally friendly, because the structure is assembled from natural stones. Rubble foundations are not as common as reinforced concrete ones for various reasons, one of which is the lack of awareness among developers. Let's compensate for the lack of information and consider this type of construction from all sides.

general description

The rubble foundation is predominantly a strip structure, sometimes columnar system. The main volume is made up of rubble stones - up to 90%, the rest is cement mortar of a grade not lower than M100, optimally M200-M300, depending on the mass of the future structure.

Large and durable stones are used for masonry. Preference is given to cobblestones of relatively regular shape with parallel edges weighing up to 50 kg. Actually, the larger and stronger the fragments, the faster the installation is carried out and the stronger the foundation.

Unlike other types of structures, rubble foundations are not reinforced for several reasons:

Bandaging the stones during laying creates sufficient strength for the tape/pillars, similar to a brick wall;
Laying straight reinforcement in stones with non-ideal shapes is not an easy task.

However, reinforcement at the plinth level will help avoid the formation of cracks during wall shrinkage and compensate for the unevenness of incoming loads, because the foundation itself does not have elasticity and impeccable rigidity (not to be confused with strength).

Most historical buildings of European architecture stand on rubble foundations, and, it should be noted, they have been preserved almost in their original form for more than 200 years. A striking example is historical St. Petersburg, where the main part is made up of piles wooden bases, the rest are rubble.

Advantages of a rubble foundation

A foundation made of rubble, in comparison with structures made of other materials, has a number of advantages:

Cheapness– the first and most powerful argument in favor of buta. Any stones suitable for strength and size are suitable for it. You can extract them yourself from a block or purchase ready-made ones, but even in this case, rubble will cost less than reinforced concrete (about 600-900 rubles per ton versus 2000-2500 rubles).
Strength The compression ratio is higher, the larger the stones used. As already mentioned, the design does not include reinforcement, because natural rocks cope with the function of distributing the load.
Durability demonstrated by ancient buildings of St. Petersburg and Paris (a striking and famous example is Notre Dame Cathedral).
Aesthetics – the base, made of rubble, does not require finishing and looks natural and complete.
Relatively easy installation: you can handle the design yourself; there is no need to knit complex frames. But by simplicity we mean installation, not speed.

Flaws

What you need to keep in mind when choosing a rubble foundation:

Setting up the tape is labor-intensive: the structure is laid below the freezing level of the soil in a compacted base, the height of the wall is considerable.
Long construction times for self-installation. In addition, some knowledge of stone placement will be required to ensure a good dressing. It will take more time to make stones if you decide to bomb the block yourself.

Preparation of material

From the right choice The durability of the building and its safety depend on the stones.

Rubble is fragments of rocks of different origins: limestone (shell rock), dolomite, granite, marble, etc. Rubble stones are obtained by explosion in quarries for mining or through the natural destruction of rocky blocks.

How to choose a high-quality rubble that can provide strength for the foundation? To do this, you don’t need to push a mountain into the laboratory; use a few life hacks:

Inspection is the first step. The rock should not crumble; the bulk of the batch should contain only large stones of uniform color without obvious signs of destruction and colonization of microflora.
Hit the stone with a hammer as hard as you can. A “good” copy will not crumble or crack, and will make an audible ringing sound. It is especially important to check limestone and shell rock in this way, which are not always distinguished by excellent strength.
Determine the number of voids and total porosity visually - rock that absorbs water is not suitable for construction.

The shape is also important when choosing. For laying, the most convenient stones are flat ones with relatively parallel spoons and pokes. Their installation requires less labor, including adjustment. It is also possible to work with free-form stones, but it is more difficult to arrange and create a dressing with them.

Important! Before work, the stones are thoroughly cleaned of dust to increase adhesion to the cement solution, and also thoroughly moistened.

Masonry mortar

The minimum grade of mortar for masonry is M100, this can be used when constructing a light structure, for example, a garage or utility shed. For a house, of course, you need stronger material - M250-M300 and higher, in proportion to the massiveness of the house.

The standard proportions for preparing masonry mortar when constructing a wooden or concrete-block cellular two-story house are 1:3 (M400 cement and medium river sand). The consistency of the mass should be standing - a lump of mortar should stand on the trowel and not spread. Together with mixing water, it is recommended to use plasticizers that increase plasticity without loss of cement strength. If the sand contains clay admixtures (about 15-20%), this will also help make the solution more plastic.

Important Rules

The stones in the masonry must be laid in such a way that vertical seams each subsequent row overlapped;
The distance between the stones should be minimal, and voids should be excluded;
Large stones at the bottom, small ones at the top;
The stones must be laid taking into account the rigidity of the overall structure, so that individual elements did not tend to fall out of the system when exposed to load.

Basic calculation

Due to the lack of reinforcement in the rubble foundation, to ensure the rigidity of the structure, it must be laid below the level of soil freezing in the region, 20-30 cm lower. The masonry is carried out on a compensation cushion of sand and crushed stone with a total thickness of about 20 cm, carefully compacted. The height of the embankment can be taken into account towards the total height of the foundation. Availability is also taken into account groundwater, with their abundance, drainage arrangement is required, but reducing the height of the foundation above the freezing level is prohibited.

The width of the wall is determined as usual - wider than the house walls by 10 centimeters or more or according to more accurate calculations.

Basics of laying a rubble stone foundation

The structure is laid using fresh mortar and general masonry principles.

When the pit is ready, the soil must be thoroughly compacted with vibrating plates. This is necessary to create the most stable and rigid foundation. The bulk sand and gravel cushion is also compacted by vibrocompression. It is recommended to fill it with a layer of concrete preparation 5-10 cm thick with M100 solution.

The first row is laid out from the largest stones. They are placed as close to each other as possible. It is necessary to achieve “solidity” of the stone structure - masonry mortar is needed only to connect the fragments to each other.

The next row is laid in such a way that the vertical seams overlap with stone. In installation, such a quality as intuition is very important - it is difficult to make ideal masonry from irregularly shaped stones, so selection is carried out by eye, taking into account the size of the seams, cobblestones and their shape. “Bricks” of irregular shape must be laid taking into account their rigidity so that they do not tend to fall out of the structure. The result should be a system that supports itself.

Before laying each subsequent row, stones are first selected optimal height up to 30 cm, which will be guided throughout the entire process and laid out in the corners. These are "beacons".

Throughout the entire process, the verticality and horizon of the structure are monitored.

The voids of the laid row are filled with mortar, the stones are first adjusted to dry, then driven into the structure with a hammer, this is especially important when working with irregularly shaped cobblestones. But caution is important in everything.

The top row must be made as even as possible with careful selection of stones. When the process is completed, a reinforcing belt is made - approximately 5 cm thick, into which steel reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm is laid in increments of 15-20 cm. That is, for a wall 30 cm wide, it is optimal to lay 2 rods at a distance of 20 cm from each other. To ensure reliability, they are tied with transverse reinforcement with a diameter of 6 mm (knitting wire). You can make the frame yourself or order a ready-made welded or knitted one.

When working with columnar foundation the masonry is carried out in a similar way, the reinforcement occurs along the floor beams.

Waterproofing is laid over the reinforcing belt and subsequent construction occurs.

Rubble stone has been used for the construction of foundations and plinths, and in some cases walls, from time immemorial. This was due to its strength, as well as availability on a par with such building materials natural origin such as clay and wood. Booth is synonymous not only with reliability, but also with aesthetics. This article will talk about how to make a rubble stone foundation with your own hands.

environmental cleanliness;
high moisture resistance;
durability (structures made of rubble will last for several centuries);
resistance to sudden temperature fluctuations, as well as resistance to vertical and horizontal loads;
resistance to destruction by fungus, mold and insects;
small financial investments, but taking into account the close location to the stone quarry;
wonderful appearance.

Rubble stone photo

Well, among the negative aspects it should be noted:

difficulty in adjusting stones for denser placement;
high time costs, including selecting the optimal shape of rubble, mixing and pouring the concrete solution.

Rubble stone

Bute is a stone with uneven edges. It can be obtained both through the natural destruction of rocks and through blasting in quarry areas. The type of stone can be absolutely any: dolomite, shell rock, sandstone, etc.
The most convenient stone for arranging the foundation and plinth is rubble flagstone. This material is flat in shape and has relatively smooth planes on opposite sides. The bedded type of rubble reduces labor costs by reducing the adjustment of the masonry element.
When choosing a stone, you should conduct a visual inspection: it should not show cracks, delamination or other defects. Quality can be determined by hitting the surface of the rubble hard with a hammer - a ringing sound, as well as the absence of any damage, indicate the strength of the material.

How to make a foundation from rubble stone

Mortar for laying rubble stone

The solution is mixed with M300, M400 or M500 cement. Using such brands the mixture will have a denser consistency. The sand must be clean with a minimum content of foreign impurities; their presence will reduce the strength of concrete even when using high-quality Portland cement.
For 1 part cement take 3 parts sand. If a rubble concrete foundation is being built, then it makes sense to add 3 parts of crushed stone of a fraction no larger than 5x20 mm. A portion of water should ensure the fluidity of the solution so that it can fill the voids between the stones.
When mixing, it is important to maintain proportions. The mixture should not be too thick, otherwise air bubbles may form during pouring, which over time will lead to the destruction of the supporting structure. But at the same time, the solution should not spread between the masonry elements without any residue.

For work, you can use ready-mixed concrete. However, it is supplied in concrete mixers in rather large quantities, which is not entirely convenient. After all, it takes a lot of time to select stones of a suitable configuration and it is very doubtful that the equipment will wait until the next row of rubble masonry is ready.

Basic moments

The maximum strength of a rubble strip foundation is achieved through careful selection of material and adherence to masonry technology.
To increase adhesion between the mortar and rubble, the stone is cleaned and moistened immediately before laying.
The voids between the stones are minimized. In addition to the solution, they are additionally filled with small stones or crushed stone of various fractions (mainly 40x70 mm).
The thickness of the mortar layer should not exceed 15 mm; with a larger value, there is a possibility of subsidence of the structure with subsequent destruction.
For the initial and final layers, a large bed of rubble with the most even planes is used. In the first case, the bottom row will serve as a reliable support for the entire masonry, and a grillage will subsequently be installed on the top row.
When laying, dressing must be observed, as when using blocks or bricks.
Particular attention is paid to the corners of the foundation. The material must be free of cracks and heterogeneous inclusions, since they will be subject to a high load-bearing load.

During work, take care in advance of all technological openings (ventilation, vents, sewerage, etc.). Otherwise, after hardening, making them will be very problematic.

For work you will need:

a sledgehammer, which is necessary for plinting large stones weighing up to 30 kg;
hammer. With its help, sharp corners are chipped, as well as rubble sediment during the masonry process;
shovel for mixing the solution;
Master OK;
building level for measuring operations;
string, plumb line and tape measure.

Preparation

Before work, geological surveys are carried out, on the basis of which the type of soil is determined. It is not recommended to use rubble for foundations built on heaving, clayey, peat and sandy soils.
First, the area is cleared: debris is removed and stumps are uprooted. To build light buildings, it is enough to remove the soft layer of soil (approximately at a depth of 5-10 cm). Using driven pegs and stretched twine, lines for the future foundation are marked.
When preparing, it is important to pay attention to the horizontality of the relief. If the height difference is minimal, then leveling is carried out by unevenly removing the soil layer. In case of significant unevenness, the body of the foundation is adjusted to the horizon during construction by “raising” it at the necessary points.

If you plan to build a solid house made of wood or brick, then the depth of the trench can be from 50 to 100 cm, this indicator depends largely on the type of soil. Availability weak soils implies a greater depth of the ditch. If necessary, formwork is installed to prevent the earthen walls from collapsing. As for the width, it should exceed the actual width of the walls by 10-15 cm on each side, but the minimum is 35 cm.
Compacted sand acts as a compacting layer; the height of the cushion should be at least 15 cm. It would be useful to have waterproofing; here you can take ordinary sheets of roofing felt, which are laid overlapping. This material prevents moisture leakage from the poured concrete mixture.

Laying rubble stone

Rubble material is laid in rows of the same height, while the presence of large stones in the masonry overlapping 2 rows in height is allowed. The work is carried out according to the principle of brickwork, that is, dressing must be observed. Of course, it is impossible to achieve the ideal, but, nevertheless, the width and height of the stones must be selected with special care.
It is allowed to lay the rubble alternately with the short and long sides (with a poke and a spoon). Then, subsequently, spoon rows are laid on the bonded rows and vice versa. If necessary, crushed stones are used to fill the resulting irregular shapes void stones. Pebbles can be used as a kind of wedges; they are knocked down with a hammer at the desired point.

The laying of each row begins with the installation of lighthouse and corner stones, which will set the height of the entire strip. Twine strings are stretched along them, serving as a guide and maintaining straightness during masonry work.
The bottom row is made from bedded rubble. Large and relatively flat stones are laid dry. The flattest side should be facing down. The voids are filled with crushed stone or torn stones.
The adjustment of stones for a stable position in the masonry is first done dry, taking into account standard height row (25-30 cm). After pinning, the bottle is raised and part of the solution is supplied. The material is pressed into place with a sledgehammer or hammer. There should be enough sand-cement mixture so that, when pressing on the material, it can fill the vertical seams. Thus, the foundation will gradually acquire the desired height.
You can make the foundation stronger and more reliable using a “stepped” design. To do this, the trench is made 2 times wider than the load-bearing wall. The rubble stone is laid using the previous technology. The difference lies in the gradual narrowing of the supporting base. Concessions are performed at least every 2 rows. Two or three steps are enough to increase the load-bearing capacity several times.
Masonry work must be accompanied by regular horizontal and vertical measurements using a level or laser. While the solution has not hardened, the arrangement of individual elements is adjusted.

Upon completion of the work, the upper part of the foundation is waterproofed and a blind area is constructed, which will protect the structure from the adverse effects of rain, dew and melt water flowing from the roof. It is mandatory to install a drainage system that will ensure the removal of excess moisture from the structure.

Rubble concrete masonry

This technology can significantly reduce both the time and effort required to build a foundation. It is worth noting that the “fill in” method is only suitable for non-subsidence soils for buildings erected no higher than 2 floors. It is better to build the foundation in one go, that is, without allowing interruptions.
In this case, the depth of the trench must be increased with the calculation of laying a sand cushion (10-15 cm) and a layer of crushed stone fraction 20x40 mm (10-15 cm) on the bottom. Permanent formwork is required, the walls of which must be carefully strengthened and provided with spacers, especially in the corners.
This technology allows the additional use of broken bricks, gravel and coarse crushed stone. A distance of approximately 5 cm is left between the stones and the walls of the formwork. This is necessary so that the material is covered with the concrete mixture, forming a monolithic structure.

Despite the simplicity of the process, you cannot throw stones into a trench and then fill it with a sand-cement mixture. A chaotic arrangement will reduce the strength of the structure, and therefore its load-bearing capacity.
As in conventional masonry, rubble is used only in a clean and moistened form. A layer of solution is poured onto the bottom of the trench, after it dries, a layer of material is laid out, forming an almost flat and stable base. The bottom layer is covered with a sand-cement mixture, into which the next row of stones is pressed. The material to be laid must be “sunk” by at least 2/3 of its height.
Ideally, each layer is processed with vibration equipment. Pressing not only allows you to compact the rubble, but also prevents the formation of air bubbles. If it is not possible to use technology, then the work is done manually. To do this, the largest stones are slightly lifted with a bayonet shovel or crowbar. Each row is laid with wire, metal rods or reinforcing mesh.
Although this method involves the use of stones of arbitrary shape, their width (diagonal) should not be more than 2/3 of the width of the structure being built.
If for any reason it is necessary to interrupt construction works, then it is recommended to fill only the vertical joints with mortar. When pouring the entire row after resuming work, large notches are made in the frozen mass; fragments and dust should be removed.

Rubble stone foundation video

The masonry is covered with wooden flooring or any roll materials to protect against premature drying. This method is especially relevant in windy or sunny weather. If possible, the unfinished foundation is moistened with water for the first few days.

It is preferable to use a stone foundation in areas rich in this material due to the natural characteristics of the soil. The fact is that stone is one of the cheapest materials for construction, but its delivery can be quite expensive.

This is what a finished stone foundation looks like

For the construction of foundations, rubble stone is mainly used, which can be found even under your feet. In this case, building a foundation done by yourself will cost mere pennies.

The easiest way to make a foundation for a house is to make a trench from crushed stone. Such a foundation is suitable, of course, not for every type of soil and not for every building, but for wooden house, garage or bathhouse is quite applicable. In addition, you should not use such a support in case of large floods or increased soil flowability.

Work order

The production of such a base is carried out manually, without the use of special equipment; it is possible to perform the work even alone:

Summarizing all of the above, if you plan to build a structure in an area with a large content of stones and dense soil (and most often the presence of stone inclusions guarantees sufficient soil hardness), then a crushed stone trench is your option.

Rubble stone foundation

In the case when you are unlucky and there is not enough stones on the territory for construction, and the soil has complex characteristics, the most rational option would be to build from imported rubble stone.

You can buy this material from suppliers of construction raw materials, and it will cost you less the closer your region is to production.

When using this foundation, there are more possibilities for construction, so it is also possible to erect larger buildings with substantial weight.

Natural stone foundation option

Moreover, this is a mandatory condition, since the weight of the building presses the foundation to the ground, due to which the latter stops “walking” under the influence of soil deformations.

Features of the construction of a rubble foundation

The technology for making a rubble foundation requires a more thorough approach to its construction:

A rubble stone foundation can be used on a wide variety of soils, with the exception of very heaving soils. This type of base is resistant to moisture, so it is used in areas with a high risk of flooding.

It is possible to make a strip-column foundation from rubble, however, the last two types are extremely labor-intensive due to the need to select suitable stones for laying.

Other types of stone foundation

Stone foundations can also include brick foundations, but the use of this material is unprofitable due to its high cost.

One type of stone foundation

Although if you have the opportunity to purchase high-quality material at a low price, the use is quite justified.

In addition, you can give the base the appearance of a stone foundation by using plinth cladding. In this case, you will not only get an attractive appearance of the structure, but also add rigidity to the structure as a whole, and also provide additional protection for the foundation.

You can use more expensive materials such as marble or granite, but a more affordable option with a budget price has gained the most popularity. In this case, rubble stone is used, followed by treatment with a special compound.

Another option for making an imaginary stone foundation is to use slabs made of natural stone. Finishing technology with these two types facing material has a difference due to the different weight of raw materials.

Original foundation made of red natural stone

Cladding the base with rubble

Before you begin finishing the building with any decorative material, you need to wait until the house settles; this also applies to facing with rubble stone. For old houses, the main preparation for finishing is removing the old coating and thoroughly grouting the surface.

If necessary, at this stage you can perform additional insulation of the base:

A layer of plaster is applied to the base to level the surface and wait until it dries completely;
After which it makes sense to prime the surface in 2-3 layers to strengthen it finishing material. The best option will apply an antiseptic primer against mold and fungi, this will extend the service life of the finish;
On top of the primed plaster, sheets of insulation are fixed to special dowels, which are also treated with a special primer;
A reinforcing mesh is placed over the insulation, which will be the basis for attaching the decorative element;
If there is no special need for insulation, the surface is covered only with concrete contact with a coarse fraction.

Rubble stone laying technology

First of all, it is better to select stones that are suitable in size, shape and color; later this will save you from sorting during the work process.

In principle, cladding with natural stone is very similar to laying conventional tiles, with adjustments for non-standard shapes of stones.

After applying such cladding, only a professional builder will guess that the foundation is not made of stone.

Any home craftsman can lay a rubble foundation with his own hands. And he will not need any special equipment or any specific knowledge. It is enough to understand the simple technology of constructing rubble stone foundations.

Experts say that rubble foundations for various buildings have been erected for more than 4 thousand years. In the Middle Ages, durable and aesthetically attractive rubble was used to make reliable strip foundations not only for houses, but also for powerful fortresses and defensive structures. Structures made from this stone last 150–500 years, demonstrating unique performance properties.

Rubble foundations for houses are absolutely environmentally friendly. They perfectly resist the effects of soil water and do not lose their characteristics when frozen.

Reliable foundation made of rubble

A rubble base is understood as a strip structure built from natural large-sized stones, which are filled with cement-based mortar.

This natural material is not divided into separate categories based on its size. For this reason, it may contain fractions with different geometric parameters - from 15 to 50 cm.

To build a foundation for a house, it is recommended to use stones with relatively wide and even upper and lower edges. Such material is usually called bedded. But it is also possible to use stones that are less correct in terms of geometry. Their shape does not affect the strength of the constructed foundation in any way.

Nowadays, rubble is most often used to build foundations for 1–2-story houses, as well as for various commercial buildings. The technology for constructing standard five-story residential buildings from rubble stone has existed for more than 60 years. A minimum of financial resources are spent on the construction of such buildings, due to the low cost of natural materials.

It is impossible not to separately note the natural beauty of natural stones. You can use them both to build a solid foundation for your house and to furnish the basement of your home. In the latter case, you will not have to spend money on finishing measures. The rubble base does not need to be plastered or tiled. It will look truly luxurious anyway.

On clay soils, high-density loams and sandy soils, rubble foundations last up to 150 years without any repairs. If such a foundation is being built on heaving ground that is prone to subsidence, the structure should be strengthened with reinforcing elements. And it will serve you for the same 150–200 years.

The quality of rubble for laying foundations for residential buildings is determined very simply. You just need to hit the stone well with a regular hammer. If the bottle does not break from a strong blow and at the same time produces a clear and ringing sound, it means that you have excellent material in front of you.

Stones are also checked for quality by splitting them. If you break the rubble, and it does not generate dust and does not break into small fractions, feel free to use it to build a foundation. Believe me, a foundation made of such stone will last for many decades.

Rubble house foundation

The rubble must be washed before laying. This procedure, let’s say right away, is labor-intensive. Please be patient and have some free time. You have to thoroughly wash every stone. If this is not done, the concrete mixture will not bond with the stones at the proper level, which will significantly worsen the strength of the foundation.

Large pieces of rubble for laying the foundation of a house require additional preparation - breaking them into smaller stones weighing no more than 30 kg. This procedure is called plinting. It is done with your own hands using the following technology:

Using a soft pencil, draw a line on the stone along which you plan to break the rubble.
Stretch the nylon rope and forcefully press it into a piece of pre-prepared chalk.
Pull the cord marked with chalk over the line marked on the stone and suddenly release the rope. As a result, you will get a clearly visible chalk mark on the rubble. This is where the material needs to be split.
Use a hammer to drive a steel chisel into the cut line on the rubble. You are splitting a stone. The hammer blow should be performed quite firmly. Do not be afraid. A high-quality stone, as we said, will not crumble, but will clearly separate into separate fractions along the split line.

Now that the material has been prepared, you can proceed directly to laying the foundation for the house.

The laying of the structure we require is carried out in several stages:

Clearing the land.
Dig a trench of the required size. The ditch must be made with a small margin. Maintain a distance between the boundary of the future foundation and the edges of the walls (load-bearing) of the house being built at a level of 15–20 cm. The depth of the trench is below the freezing mark of the ground in your area.
You do. It will protect the ditch from soil falling into it. The formwork structure is dismantled immediately after pouring and setting of the concrete mixture.
Place a 30-centimeter sand cushion at the bottom of the pit. Sand must be poured into separate layers, tamping each of them.
Lay sheets of roofing felt over the made pie. They will be an excellent waterproofing material for the foundation.

Creating a rubble stone foundation

After this, start laying the rubble. It must be moistened with water before starting work. Then the stones will adhere well to the cement mixture. Note! Stones cannot be placed back to back in the trench. Leave a small gap between individual pieces of rubble.

The masonry technology itself is simple. You need to remember that the short side of rubble stones is called a poke, and the long side is called a spoon. In one row of spoons should alternate when laying with a poke. The total thickness of the masonry is usually taken at 0.6–0.7 m. For a residential building, this is quite enough. Installation of stones is carried out using a small sledgehammer or a massive hammer.

The construction of a rubble foundation is carried out according to three different schemes. The operation can be performed “under the bay”, “under the scapula” and “under the bracket”. If you plan to make formwork, it is recommended to implement the “flooded” scheme. It is given below:

Place the butt row in the prepared ditch (on a sand bed). Pour fine gravel or crushed stone into the gaps. Compact the layer.
Pouring stones liquid concrete(3 parts sand plus 1 cement).
Lay the spoon row. Repeat all the described procedures.

The topmost row is filled with thicker concrete (add less water to the mixture). The layer of mortar should have a thickness of about 0.5–0.6 m. Then, using a vibrator, compact the concrete until the mixture no longer penetrates into the gaps between the rubble stones.

Creating a foundation from rubble

Important point. If the foundation is developed according to the “bay” scheme, only light buildings (for example, a small or outbuilding) are allowed to be erected on it. Structures with a large mass are not installed on such a foundation.

For loaded houses, the foundations are usually built according to the “shovel” and “bracket” schemes. In the first case, you are allowed not to choose a bottle by size. But the “under the bracket” option involves careful selection of stones in height (it should be the same for all pieces used).

Laying according to these two options is done as follows:

Place the bonded row dry on a bed of compacted sand.
Compact the stones, pour small stones into the gaps between them.
Pour liquid concrete.
You install a row of spoons, tamp it, pour the concrete mixture.
Next, lay the bond row again, then the spoon row, and so on.

Note! It is imperative to tie the seams between all mounted rows of reinforcing bars and steel wire. You need to ensure that the rubble in the masonry does not wobble, but stands really firmly.

And one last point. When installing rubble in rows, you must constantly monitor the horizontal and vertical positions of the corners of the masonry and the surfaces of the stones themselves. Then you will have an impeccably reliable foundation.