The fence for everyone is a protection and a common first impression of the house for each guest. Every good owner wants to build a reliable, high-quality and beautiful fence at the same time, which, in addition to the protective function, would also perform a decorative one. When building a fence, you should carefully approach the choice of material from which it will be made, since its durability and practicality will depend on the strength and reliability during laying. It is not difficult to build a reliable strip foundation for a fence with your own hands, you need to carefully and clearly follow the instructions and rules of the manufacturer.
If you save money and install the fence without installing the foundation just in the ground, then in the end, over time, it can squint and crack, which will lead to its complete replacement. This is especially sad when spending large sums of money on fence building materials.
The choice of tools and materials for pouring the foundation is also important. The use of low-quality raw materials can adversely affect its quality itself (poor clinging of the material, long drying, excessive brittleness).
Every manufacturer that respects its name does not allow the release of low-quality goods and defects. All products must be controlled by higher authorities and receive the necessary certification. Buying such products, you can be sure of its good quality and safety.
What is the foundation like?
Basically, the varieties of the base are divided according to technical features.
They are:
- Tape
- massive
- Made from corrugated board
The pillar foundation for the fence is a kind of tape made of concrete, which has special cushions for mounting support pillars. After attaching these pillows, everything is poured with concrete mixture. Such foundations are mainly used for light fences made of wood or metal mesh, as well as for strengthening concrete base slabs.
To maintain stability, these pillows are necessarily reinforced, which allows them to receive a uniform load on the entire perimeter of the structure. These types of foundations are often used to build brick and wooden houses.
For larger structures, a monolithic and stone type of base is used. Such a foundation is able to withstand tall buildings and very heavy structures.
Subtleties of work
As you know, a high-quality construction of a fence will not be real without a properly laid foundation and a strip foundation. It is on him that the strength and reliability of the structure completely depends.
In most, a tape look is used as the basis for laying the base.
This foundation is a strip of reinforced concrete of a special surface occurrence.
It is cast on a special mold on a special sand cushion and is reinforced with the appropriate material in a diameter of 8 or 10 mm.
The width of the walls for the construction is completely different and will be carefully analyzed, and calculated from the structure itself, as well as other characteristics of the soil. For heavy metal structures, the widest base strips are mainly used.
The construction of the strip foundation for the fence itself may take about 3-4 days due to the climate and air humidity.
Construction technology
To begin with, they dig a trench in a length of 30-80 cm. Its dimensions are calculated from the necessary data on measurements, the mass and area of \u200b\u200bthe future structure.
Then, depending on the type of land, conditions and overall weight, the stowing depth is calculated. The usual standard depth is from 60-80 cm, but with individual calculations, the depth of the strip foundation for the fence can be completely different.
A kind of cushion layer is created with the addition of gravel, which will improve styling. It needs to be watered very heavily.
Reinforcement is created with an area of 10 mm. Its installation takes place on bricks or on other possible supports with the expectation that 5-10 cm remain from the bottom.
The initial twigs are mounted with an accounting and program distance from the walls of the pit of 10 cm, then vertical and transverse racks are tightly fixed with an equal interval of 40 cm. The first two upper rods of reinforcement are fixed on them and tied together with transverse rods.
The form (formwork) of the foundation is being made. To do this, an edged board 25 mm wide is taken, and rectangles of the desired size are knocked out of it (taking into account measurements of the foundation), which should be about 30 cm above ground level. After that, a box is assembled from the prepared rectangles and installed in place of the foundation, put spacer bars and sprinkle the soil.
The finished form is poured with concrete. If support posts were used, they must be mounted and exactly aligned with the level of the concrete pour. This is all done on the basis of calculations and the data obtained.
Material selection
For the future fence, in principle, different materials can be used.
If the foundation has to be laid out on the site of the site ground water, then it is necessary to think about possible drainage channels and lay a special waterproofing.
To reduce the pressure on the brick wall and its base, the width of the foundation should be made wider than the width of the walls.
This is explained by the possible installation on poles and the phenomenon of a kind of solid sailboat under such conditions, and if the foundation is not too deep, then the supports may not withstand the load and pull out. The reinforcement process is carried out using an equipped special hook and steel wire. The reinforced foundation can withstand a heavy load, and the fence installed on it can stand for many years.
Stages of building a foundation
And how to do strip foundation under the fence without spending much time and money, perhaps, one of the most trembling questions at the beginning of the construction of any structure, including the fence.
For self-installation of a strip foundation, you must:
- accurate calculation of land characteristics
- data on climatic, tectonic and hydraulic data at the site of the future fence
- trench site digging
- reinforcement of the strip foundation for the fence
- box installation
- formwork laying
- drainage and hydraulic channels (if necessary)
- waterproofing (if needed)
- pouring the strip foundation with concrete
- foundation drying out
Any beginning of the installation of the foundation begins with the study of the zone of the future installation: its characteristic ground and underground data, soil type, air humidity. The time of year for filling also plays a significant role.
It is preferable to perform such operations in the warm season, when periods of frost and rain have passed. When laying the foundation in autumn or winter, you can get a bad, cracked foundation and poor support for the fence as a result of this.
Strict observance of the calculations given for digging a trench will allow you to avoid mistakes and get a good result. When using a plywood sheet for formwork, it is possible to paint, which will be clearly visible for pouring concrete.
Outcome
As you can see from the list, making a strip foundation for a fence with your own hands is easy and does not require special knowledge. The only condition is the observance of the phased construction during its construction. Each stage should begin after the completion of the previous one. When installing the foundation, calculations of depth and thickness are very important, and software calculation on a computer helps a lot in this.
Having thus calculated future data, it is possible to significantly reduce the time for unnecessary measurements and unjustified consumption of materials. The choice of materials for installation and manufacturing also plays a significant role. It is worth giving preference to high-quality, certified material and components upon receipt. Usage good material and accurate implementation of the action plan is the key to obtaining a reliable foundation in the future.
It is worth noting that the entire building and its future state will directly depend on the correctness of the foundation pouring, since it is the main support for the future fence and its installation should be taken as seriously as possible. Having established a high-quality foundation, wait for it to dry, and build a reliable fence on it - the dream and reality of a good owner who values \u200b\u200bthe life and reputation of his family.
Do-it-yourself fence is a profitable solution. In this case, there is no need to pay strangers: with the proper level of preparation, the work can be done independently. One of the most important parts of the structure is the foundation. It is from him that strength and reliability will depend.
Currently, there are no special regulatory documents for private construction. When designing and erecting, you can rely on the "Foundations and Foundations". The following sets of rules may also be useful:
- "Foundations of buildings and structures";
- "Loads and impacts";
- "Construction climatology and geophysics" (now canceled, but suitable for quickly determining the depth of soil freezing).
When designing a strip foundation for a fence with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account several factors at once that affect the size of the structure, the depth of the sole and the reinforcement of the strip foundation for the fence.
It is worth remembering that in private construction it is difficult to strictly adhere to regulatory documents. This can lead to waste of materials and forces.
Before you make a strip foundation for a fence, you need to consider the type of fence. There are three main options:
- lungs;
- medium;
- heavy.
Light fences are made of racks and non-massive materials (mesh, reinforcement rods, corrugated board, wooden shields, pickets). Such structures are highly resistant to uneven deformations. Fences with non-continuous filling (mesh, rods, pickets) are also resistant to tipping over under the influence of wind loads.
Medium fences are a combined structure consisting of massive pillars (brick, stone, concrete) and lighter filling (profiled sheet, reinforcement rods, picket fence). This option requires a more reliable foundation, as it is sensitive to displacements.
The third type of fences is heavy. They are completely made of rubble, concrete or brick. Such fences are damaged when the base is deformed, and also exert great pressure on the ground. The most difficult thing is to prepare the tape for just such a design.
The main problems in construction
When designing a fence, it is important to consider the effect of two phenomena:
- windage under the influence of wind loads (overturning);
- uneven deformation of the base.
The latter include:
- shrinkage of the soil (its compaction after the manufacture of foundations, sections of the fence can be lowered);
- frost heaving of the base (fence sections can rise).
To avoid trouble, it is necessary to take measures to combat frost heaving and carefully compact the base under the foundation.
Advice! You can understand whether the soils on the site are prone to heaving by looking at the neighbors' fences. If they were "led" in different directions, most likely it was this property of the soil that was to blame. It is worth looking only at the fences that have stood for several winters.
Classification is carried out according to three main features. According to the manufacturing method:
- Made. Great for mass construction, increases the speed of construction work.
- Monolithic. Most often used in private construction. Eliminates the need to hire expensive lifting equipment.
By depth:
- not buried with low bearing capacity;
- shallowly buried;
- deep laying.
By section type:
- rectangular;
- t-shaped section with broadening at the bottom.
light fences
In this case, it makes no sense to build a deeply buried foundation for a tape fence. This is not cost effective.
Under a fence made of corrugated board with your own hands, a shallowly recessed tape of rectangular section (laying depth - 0.7-1 m) is suitable. During its construction, it is important not to forget about the main problems: heaving and windage.
The width of the foundation is recommended to be at least 350 mm. At the same time, reinforcing meshes made of rods with a diameter of 3-4 mm and a cell size of 50x50 mm should be laid in the upper part at the places of rigid connection of the tape and fence posts. The protective layer of concrete for galvanized meshes is 30 mm, for "black" - 60-70 mm. Such a mesh will prevent damage to the fence under the action of the wind (relevant for structures made of corrugated board and wooden shields).
Fence posts are usually supported below the sole of the tape and concreted. This allows the fence to more effectively resist overturning and ground movements.
Lightweight fencing.
When laying the sole of the foundation above the freezing depth, it is necessary to prevent heaving. The step-by-step instruction in this case is as follows:
- Backfilling of a sand cushion with a thickness of 30 to 50 cm. Replacing heaving soil with non-heaving soil at the sole level avoids pushing the structure out of the ground. The sand becomes a damping layer. It should be large or medium fraction. The material is laid with layer-by-layer compaction.
- Backfilling the sinuses with sand avoids the effect of heaving on the side surface of the foundation. Backfill requirements are the same as in the previous case.
- Laying drainage pipe at the level of the sole (20-30 cm below). It is important to observe the correct slope of the pipeline. The maximum distance from the drain to the side surface of the tape is 1 m.
- A storm sewer device for the organized removal of excess moisture from the site.
- Insulation and waterproofing of the structure with extruded polystyrene foam.
Important! The supporting structure for the fence differs from that for the house in that there is no point in making an insulated blind area.
A fence made of corrugated board on a strip foundation can be built without fear of frost heaving, if non-rocky soils lie on the site: medium and coarse sand, coarse-grained rocks without dusty inclusions.
Medium fences
Fences of this type do not respond well to uneven ground movements. To prevent destruction, it will be necessary to pay great attention to the fight against heaving. On firm, non-rocky soils, a shallow tape can be used.
In other cases, it is reasonable to combine a strip shallow foundation with concrete pillars or bored piles. Additional supports are placed under massive pillars. The depth is set so that it is greater than the depth of freezing of the soil. The methods of dealing with heaving and windage are used the same as in the case of light fences.
Another option: a columnar or pile foundation with a strip grillage. At the same time, a gap of about 10-15 cm is left between the concrete tape and the ground, which will prevent damage to the tape when the soil buckles. The gap is made in two ways:
- A layer of low-strength foam is laid between the ground and the tape, which plays the role of a damping layer.
- Before pouring the structure, a layer of sand 10-15 cm thick is laid on the ground, after the concrete has hardened, the sand is removed. At the same time, the gap is closed with sheets of asbestos (slate), which will prevent soil shedding.
A corrugated fence on a strip foundation in the presence of concrete pillars requires more attention than a lightweight structure.
heavy fences
Most of the financial and labor costs will be required for the construction of a massive structure made of brick, stone or concrete. The design has the following disadvantages:
- large mass and high ground pressure;
- sensitivity to deformations;
- windage, the need to take into account wind loads.
In this case, it is necessary to rest the fence on a reliable foundation:
- With good soil strength, a shallowly buried T-section tape can be used. The option is suitable for non-porous bases. Clay soils will require additional measures to combat heaving.
- In other cases, a recessed tape is used with support 20-30 cm below the freezing depth.
Every 30 meters in the tape it is necessary to provide a vertical expansion joint. A waterproofing layer must be provided between the foundation concrete and the fence material (brick, rubble). For this you can use roll materials. The side surface for protection against moisture is coated with bitumen in two layers.
Foundation width selection
The width of the tape is selected by calculation. To do this, use the same methodology as when calculating the parameters of the foundation for the house. But it is important to remember about wind loads. The building has a higher rigidity, so it resists tipping over well.
In private construction, you can use approximate values. In most cases, having built a structure with a width of 30-35 cm, you don’t have to worry about reliability and durability.
Advice! If you need contractors, there is a very convenient service for their selection. Just send a detailed description of the work to be done in the form below and you will receive offers with prices from construction teams and firms. You can see reviews of each of them and photos with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.
The base for the fence must be reliable and durable.
When choosing a foundation for a fence, it is necessary to take into account many factors, among which the fundamental ones are the determination of the level of groundwater occurrence and the calculation of typical soil features.
Types of foundation for fencing
To date, the construction of several options for the foundation base is practiced to obtain a high-quality and reliable fence:
- fence post base, made of light construction and finishing materials, including chain-link mesh. In this case, the supporting pillars serve as the basis of the fence and are most often concreted taking into account the depth of soil freezing. A three-meter distance between the supports is considered optimal.
- rubble base, as a rule, is installed under forged metal fences and should protrude half a meter above the surface. The stone foundation assumes the presence of a conventional crushed stone base, followed by the laying of several rows of stone, connected with cement mortar.
- pile foundation ideal for use on swampy soils. This type is based on the installation of special pipes, which, together with their blades, are screwed strictly horizontally to a sufficient depth into the ground, followed by concreting.
The most common and popular option in our country, which compares favorably minimal cost for the purchase of fittings and materials, as well as the construction of formwork.
Properly made reinforced concrete tape is perfect for building heavy and too high fences.
Choosing the type of foundation
The foundation for the fence must be made in strict observance of the rules that are implied by the features of the structure being erected. Foundation presented various types, the choice of which is based on the maximum mass of the fence, the typical features used for the manufacture of materials and characteristics such as the structure and density of the soil.
Typical features of fences depending on the materials used:
- most often established to delimit plots and zoning the territory;
- chain-link fences contribute to good light transmission, therefore they are in demand in small areas;
- is one of the most popular options on supporting pillars with gates and gates made of the same material.
Foundation construction
And reinforced concrete segments, fixed on columnar supports, are distinguished by the most significant weight, therefore they need a worthy and most durable foundation.
For each type of fencing, an appropriate type of foundation is selected:
- strip foundation differs in durability and durability. Such a base is not destroyed as a result of negative external atmospheric and mechanical influences. The average service life of this option is calculated in decades, but structures reinforced with reinforced concrete have maximum stability;
- columnar the foundation has a lot of advantages, but the most basic advantages include the low cost and unpretentious simplicity of self-erecting such a structure compared to any other types;
- combined strip-columnar the foundation has the best mechanical properties and is a monolithic concrete belt with load-bearing supports and full reinforcement that increases strength characteristics;
- pile or screw the foundation will last for many years, is durable and wear-resistant structure, quickly erected and can be installed regardless of weather conditions, soil type and season.
Foundation pouring
The rubble foundation is today a fairly rare type of base for fencing, the distinctive feature of which is represented by the use of natural or artificial stone and concrete mortar.
When choosing the type of foundation, you need to remember that a professionally made rubble foundation is 90% stone, which affects the total price of the entire structure being built.
Choice by type of soil
In addition to the size of the fence, the level of groundwater and the degree of winter heaving, it is very important to take into account the typical features of the soil. All existing types of soil are represented by several groups, which include rocky and stony, clay and cartilaginous, sandy and loamy, swampy and peaty soils, as well as sandy loam.
For normal soil
The most common types of foundation include a strip foundation, the construction technology of which has already been tested by time and worked out to the smallest detail.
If there are swampy and moving areas, then it is advisable to equip them with piles with standard dressing.
In this embodiment, the transfer of the main load to deeper and more stable layers is carried out by means of support elements.
If light fences are erected under normal soil conditions, then the best option will be the use of bases of screw and pile-grillage type. The bearing part can be partially buried in the ground on the site, and the main advantage of such a supporting structure is the complete absence of the need to carry out too complex or expensive waterproofing measures.
For heaving soil
Heaving soils are soil massifs that expand in winter and provoke increased pressure on the foundation, which can cause the destruction of the structure and its subsequent “pushing out” of the pit. Columnar bases are most often used in conditions of heaving soils when they freeze within half a meter. The basis of this type of foundation are piles with helical blades, and increased rigidity is provided by the support-anchor ligament.
Fence on heaving soil
For the construction of fences on heaving soils, it is also possible to use a shallow and columnar base, as well as slab foundation in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab with a large sole area.
The choice of the type of construction directly depends on the ability to use construction equipment, the size of the fence and its configuration, as well as the material security of the developer.
For loose soil
Arrangement pile screw foundation on loose soils, it requires compliance with several mandatory conditions, including the presence of dense loam at a depth of up to a couple of meters, the absence of large stones or construction debris, and a powerful root system in a dug pit. When choosing a flood and pile-screw base, it is very important to take into account all the features of the project and the estimated time frame for the construction of the fence.
Screw piles for fence
It should be remembered that the pile-screw type foundation is somewhat cheaper than the poured foundation, and does not require shrinkage time. However, tape structures are devoid of all the disadvantages of screw structures, and proper design allows it to be used on almost any type of soil, including loose soils with sand, which removes all moisture well and serves as reliable protection against freezing.
Foundation for a heavy fence
For the heaviest types of fences, especially those erected on heaving type soils, it is recommended to use a strip foundation. A monolithic concrete tape, the width of which depends on the size of the fence, should be erected along the entire perimeter of the fence using concrete grade M200 or M300.
Monolithic strip foundation for a fence
The inner part of the concrete mass is reinforced with metal bars, which reliably prevents the destruction of the monolith even under conditions of uneven loads.
Price
The correct foundation for the fence must not only fully comply with the weight and design of the fence, as well as the materials used, the terrain and the type of soil, but also the budget allocated for the construction of the fence:
- tape type of concrete M300, with a depth of 20 / 30 / 40 cm with a reinforced three-row frame, with a sand cushion and removable formwork - from 2500 rubles per linear meter;
- screw type with piles with a diameter of 5.7 / 7.6 / 8.9 / 10.8 cm, a height of one and a half to four meters - from 2400 rubles apiece;
- columnar with concreting M300, with an auger diameter of 9.0 / 20.0 cm and a depth of up to one and a half meters, with the possibility of supplementing with reinforced piles and jibs - from 1000 rubles;
- rubble type with an auger diameter of 9.0 / 20.0 cm and a depth of up to one and a half meters, with crushed stone and the possibility of adding jibs - from 300 rubles apiece.
When choosing, preference should be given to time-tested materials from leading domestic and foreign manufacturers.
Conclusion
Any fence without a reliable foundation loses its basic protective characteristics and may pose a danger to others.
Therefore, it is very important to competently approach the issues of choosing load-bearing and distributing elements, as well as correctly determine the type of structure and materials for its construction.
Related video
The construction of the fence begins with the solution of a difficult task: it is necessary to choose a foundation for the fence. On the one hand, it is necessary that it not be mowed down in the spring, during heaving, on the other hand, it is reluctant to bury extra money. So you have to solve the puzzle, choosing which of the bases is necessary - just put up poles, pour tape tape, or stop at an intermediate option - columnar with a grillage.
What can be the foundation for the fence
No matter how many fence designs there are, they all stand on several types of foundations. The depth of occurrence, the diameter or cross-section of pipes, the width and depth of the base may differ. These parameters depend on the climatic zone and the material from which the fence spans are made. And there are not very many designs and ways to implement them:
The designs are arranged in order of increasing cost: the least expensive is the first method, the most expensive is the fourth. The choice of foundation for the fence depends primarily on the type of soil and the level of groundwater. If the soils drain water well, and the GWL is low - below the freezing depth - you can put it on any structure. If groundwater is located high, you want a “serious fence” made of brick or rubble, for example, and even soil - clay or loam - you will have to make a more serious foundation, which costs a lot.
If you don’t know how deep they fit in a section of water, dig a pit near the planned fence. Its depth is 50-70 cm below the freezing depth for the region. If you dug to this level, but there is no water, then you are lucky and you can make a fence with a base of any design.
Installation of poles for easy fence
A light fence is one whose spans are closed with relatively materials with a relatively small mass: chain-link mesh, wooden of any design, from corrugated board, metal picket fence, metal boiled or forged mesh. Under them most often put pillars without plinths.
Poles for a mesh fence or picket fence
The cheapest and most versatile way is into a wide hole with crushed stone filling the gap. It works great on heaving soils with high level groundwater, is many times better than poured into concrete. Properly installed using this method, a light fence will never push out in the spring.
The cheapest, and yet the most reliable way to install a fence - posts in compacted backfill
Holes for pillars of this type are obviously drilled much wider than the diameter of the pipe. Crushed stone or sand was poured at the bottom, it was tamped down (with a long pole or crowbar), a pole was placed, covered with rubble around, the pole was set up vertically and fixed with temporary struts. Pour crushed stone around in layers - 10 cm each, carefully tamp, to the maximum possible density. Everything, the installation is completed.
On normal soils
It is worth explaining why it is more stable and how such a pillar works on soils with normal drainage capacity. Water in any amount through the rubble well goes deep into, where it diverges in a natural way. When freezing, its amount around the post is not enough to have a tangible effect. The soil freezing around the post presses on the rubble, which, due to its mobility, almost completely compensates for it.
It is better to make a foundation for a fence from a profiled sheet with pouring the upper part with concrete, otherwise wind loads will loosen the posts over time (see the next paragraph)
On such soils, crushed stone can be replaced with coarse sand. The coarser the grain, the better, and dusty or fine-grained sands will not work. Lay the sand in layers, spill thoroughly. The rest of the system works the same.
The key point here is the depth to which it is necessary to bury the post. If the windage is small, and the soil is well draining, it is enough to bury it at 1/3 of its height or a little more. At the same time, the hole needs to be made a little deeper: so that there is a pillow under the pipe of the order of 10-15 cm. Water will go into it and the column will remain almost dry. This is good for both its durability and stability.
Depth of holes for poles in heaving soils
If the soils are clayey, it is necessary to dig in below the freezing depth by 10-15 cm. Water will collect in this crushed stone cushion, since they do not always have time to leave on clay soils. If the pillow is below the freezing depth of the soil, there will be no heaving problems: there is still no water around the column, it has accumulated below and is in a liquid state.
If the freezing depth is very large - 2 meters or more, even such an "economy" option will be very expensive. Then you can do drainage system around the fence to lower the water table. The solution is correct, but the implementation is even more expensive.
Another option is to use screw piles. They can be drilled 2 meters much faster. But the piles themselves, and the services for their installation, are not the cheapest. You can, of course, first try manually, if it doesn’t work, call the technician.
Most a budget option in such a situation - bury the pillars to the depth that is more or less acceptable, make the hole wider - about 50 cm in diameter or a square with the same side, that is, increase the damper layer. In winters with average temperatures, the fence will stand normally; in abnormally cold or little snow, some pillars may lead. But in most cases, light fences react normally to this, in the spring everything “sits down” in place. It is necessary to correct the situation only if the post has squinted.
Poles for a light, but "sailing" fence
If the spans have a continuous or almost continuous surface, a decent load is created on the pillars of the fence foundation with wind. But if the filling weight is still small - professional sheet, wooden panels - you can still get by with low costs. In this case, to compensate for the wind load, the upper part of the backfill must be concreted. The depth of the concrete block is about 30 cm.
To concrete block did not collapse during gusts of wind, a reinforcing mesh is laid. You can use a ready-made mesh with a step of 5 cm, you can make it from a 6-8 mm rod. If the mesh is galvanized, it is laid so that it is buried in concrete by at least 30 mm (track the distance from the sides). When using ferrous metal, the concrete layer at the edges of the bars increases: at least 70 mm. In total, the dimensions of the concreted area with a ferrous metal mesh are obtained: depth 30 cm, sides - at least 34 cm, with a galvanized mesh, the side of the square around the column is 30 cm.
Foundation for fences on loose soils
If the bearing capacity of the soil is very low - these are peat bogs, dusty, loose sands - in addition to backfilling with crushed stone, the hole must be concreted to the full depth. In this case, the measure is necessary. Concrete creates a much larger bearing surface, and this is important for these soils: the load from the fence is distributed over the entire surface and it stands normally.
Cheaper in this case, drilled piles: a hole is drilled, a sleeve is inserted into it from a roofing material rolled into a tube of a suitable diameter, preferably 2 or 3 layers.
If at the same time the groundwater level is high, but the inflow rate is low, you can try to pump it out of the hole and then pour it with concrete. If the water comes quickly, take a plastic bag of suitable length. It is lowered inside the formwork, the edges are fixed around the protruding sleeve. A pole is carefully placed in the bag, concrete is poured. Concrete gradually displaces water, filling the entire form.
The second method is suitable if below, under a peat bog or sand, there is a layer of soil with a normal bearing capacity. In this case, you can make a foundation for a fence on screw piles. They are twisted to the required depth - deepening 20-25 cm into the carrier layer. Fence posts are attached to protruding heads, or use the remaining length of the pile.
If you want to make a fence on brick pillars, the work and costs will be more significant. Even if at the same time the weight of the span remains small - profiled sheet, wood, forging with some kind of material that comes in pairs or without it - it does not matter. You will have to make a serious foundation for the pillars themselves, because they themselves create a serious load.
Such fences do not respond well to uneven shrinkage. A mortgage is usually placed in brick pillars, which is then connected to the crossbars of the entire fence. The connection turns out to be rigid, and with uneven shrinkage, cracks appear in the places where the mortgage is fastened, and the destruction of the masonry begins. Therefore, the minimum allowable level of foundation for a fence with brick pillars is below the depth of soil freezing. This approach will ensure stability.
Normally draining, medium-heaving soils
Even if the water leaves well, in order for the fence to stand for a long time, you have to dig in below the freezing depth. But still, significant forces act on that part of the pile body that falls into the freezing zone. When freezing, the soil and concrete freeze into a single mass, and then the heaving forces are able to break the pile and squeeze out a piece of the fence.
To avoid such a situation, the foundation for the fence is made in fixed formwork. In this case, the soil cannot freeze with concrete and “works” on its own. As a formwork, you can use rolled roofing material, polystyrene or expanded polystyrene in several layers (even packaging from household appliances will do), plastic or asbestos-cement pipes suitable diameter.
In any case, there must be reinforcement inside the pile. This is a construction of 4 bars of reinforcement 8 mm, connected by crossbars of 4-6 mm bars. It goes to the entire depth of the pile, with a release into the post. Further, if desired, you can increase the reinforcement, and fill the gap between the bricks in the column with concrete. The second option - a pipe is attached to the reinforcement, around which a column is placed. Recently, this is a more common way to build a brick pillar.
TISE piles are more reliable in such a situation. They have a cylindrical extension at the end, which greatly increases the resistance to buoyancy. Such foundations for a fence can be made on weakly and medium heaving soils.
For the manufacture of this type of pile, a drill with a folding blade is used, which leans back after reaching the required depth. In order for such a foundation to work normally, it is desirable to expand below the freezing depth.
But it is not always possible to drill with a hand drill. On very dense clays, soils with crushed stone, it is unrealistic to drill a hole. And if there is also a freezing depth of the order of 2 meters or more, then it can be unrealistic to cope with such a task. In such cases, there are several solutions:
After pouring the piles on normal soils, they backfill from the “native” soil; on those prone to heaving, it is better to fill it with crushed stone. Thus, a damping backfill will be created around the pile, compensating for the lateral pressure of the soil on the pile. And the pillow will resist vertical extrusion.
Heavily heaving soils
If the freezing depth is too great or the soil is very puffy, another solution is required. It is necessary to tie the foundation pillars to distribute the resulting loads. For fences with stone pillars, but easy filling, this is done using a grillage - a reinforced concrete tape. In order to prevent it from being bent by heaving forces, an air cushion about 10 cm thick is arranged under it.
Such a foundation for the fence is built as follows: after pouring the piles, a trench is dug, which is larger in size than the required grillage: it will be necessary to install the formwork. A low-density foam plastic, 10 cm thick, is laid at the bottom of the trench and around the piles. A reinforcing frame is made: four bars 10 mm in diameter, connected by a 4-6 mm bar. Pile protrusions are combined with grillage reinforcement. Everything is filled with concrete. After setting, the formwork is removed, the foam remains under the grillage. It provides the required air gap: at low density, it is 90% air. After the winter, of course, it will be compressed, but this is not scary: the air will remain. But in order to prevent sand or debris from falling into the crack, it is necessary to bury flat slate on both sides, which will block this gap, preventing it from silting.
The same grillage can be made on screw piles. If they suit you more, everything remains in force - their cutting parts are deepened below the freezing level, and then, everything is like with a grillage, ditch, formwork, foam plastic, reinforcement, pouring.
Why is it not worth pouring sand or gravel under the grillage? Because in this case it will be wet and most likely, when freezing, it will not help much. As a result, the grillage will burst.
Foundation for a heavy fence
In principle, the same foundation is suitable as for a medium-weight fence. Only thicker reinforcement is required: 12 mm. When reinforcing, it is necessary to position the bars so that they are in the thickness of the concrete by at least 70 mm. Based on this, and the requirement that the minimum distance between the reinforcement bars should be at least 2 filling diameters, we obtain minimum width grillage - 250 mm. This is if the concrete is filled with crushed stone of a fraction of 20-40 mm.
In addition to the usual reinforcement of the grillage, it is desirable to lay a layer of metal mesh on the upper longitudinal bars with a step of 5 cm. It will give greater strength to the upper zone of the tape. And you will be able to start masonry filling in 2 weeks after pouring, and not in 4.
The grillage is done in exactly the same way: with the formation of a damper layer of foam under it. After the concrete has gained most of its strength, it is advisable to coat it with bituminous mastic. This is necessary not so much for waterproofing, but to reduce adhesion to the soil. Since the grillage under a heavy fence is most often in the ground, tangential heaving forces also act on it. To reduce them, coating is necessary.
Do not forget also about the sheet that blocks access to the damper zone under the grillage. Without it, after some time, the gap will silt up, which will lead to heaving under the tape, and this will lead to cracks in the fence.
Is it possible to make a foundation for a stone or brick fence strip foundation? Can. If you make it below freezing, it will stand great, but it costs a lot more.
The fence at first glance is not a tricky structure. However, this is the element of your real estate by which the owner will be judged. This is the first thing you will see when you come home every day.
With a careless approach to construction, you can get a rickety fence next spring, or at best a crack. In order not to pay twice, it is important to choose the right type, depth and thickness of the future foundation.
The main goal of the foundation for the fence is to ensure the reliable stability of the fence for many decades. The type of foundation depends on the design of the fence
Today, there are a number of fence options. Depending on the price of the issue, you can choose from the following options:
- Rabitz
- slate
- wooden spans
- corrugated board
- brickwork
- forged gratings
- stone fence
The properties of different types of foundations for a fence can vary significantly. The main criterion for choosing a foundation is the weight, as well as the windage of the fence you have chosen.
So, for example, the foundation for a corrugated fence (although visually the corrugated material does not create a massive impression) will practically be the same as the foundation for other heavy fence options (due to its high windage). In order to withstand gusts of wind and not to roll, such a fence also needs a reliable foundation.
Which option will stop?
In addition to the above-ground features of your future fence, when choosing a foundation, you should also take into account the type of soil, the level of groundwater.
The types of foundations for the fence are conditionally divided into the following:
- tape
- pile
- columnar
- combined
- rubble
What is the best foundation for a fence?
The properties that ready-made bases have will help you make the right choice.
Tape
Very often, this foundation is used for heavy brick or stone fences. With a properly calculated depth of the strip foundation, the foundation can provide durability and stability to the entire structure. A strip foundation will be a good option for installing brick bases or pillars to which heavy concrete spans will be attached. When installing voluminous and high forged fences, you can also use the tape version of the foundation.
For the manufacture of the strip base of the foundation, two hundredth concrete or higher is used. Reinforcement of the foundation is made with reinforcement of 8-10 mm.
However, when choosing lightweight fencing options, the tape option may turn out to be unreasonably expensive both in terms of money and physical resources.
pile
The pile foundation is well suited for lightweight fence structures. Such a foundation is able to provide long-term and reliable stability of the entire fence. Also, this option is preferable for those areas where the upper layers of the soil are not stable.
The design principle of pile supports is to install metal piles with subsequent pouring into concrete. Due to the special design, the support is screwed into the soil. The blades of the piles must be lowered below the freezing level of the soil, so that when the ground freezes, the foundation is not squeezed out of the soil.
Columnar
In terms of costs - the most cost-effective. It is perfect for light wooden or metal spans fixed in brick or metal columns. The columnar version is perfect for installing a chain-link fence. Even if you do not have special skills, you can make such a foundation yourself.
How to make a columnar foundation for a fence with your own hands?
With the help of a drill, holes are drilled in the soil under the future foundations of the fence. The diameter of the wells should exceed the diameter of the pillars by 20 cm. The distance between the bases depends on the fence material used, but it is better to adhere to a step of no more than 2 meters.
Wells must be drilled and concrete poured into them.
Combined
According to its name, the foundation for the fence is poured in a combined way. The strip and column versions are combined for a particularly secure base.
This option is designed for the heaviest and sailing fences. This choice of base achieves a number of advantages. The pillars or columns on which the spans of the fence will be placed will be securely fixed in the soil, and thanks to the strip foundation, their vertical axis will be securely held by the common foundation frame.
To achieve a high-quality result, reinforcement of the entire foundation for the fence is mandatory. Reinforced as columnar supports, and tape spans. The step of installation of support columns can be used from 1 to 2.5 m.
Rubble
The rubble foundation is strikingly distinguished from others by its beauty and decorativeness. In addition to its attractive appearance it has special reliability and durability. In the completed version, it does not require additional plastering or cladding. This type of foundation is especially often used when installing a wrought iron fence.
For laying rubble foundation stones of different sizes are used. If you are building a foundation yourself, follow two basic rules. The mortar that holds the stones together should account for 15% of the total volume of the base. To achieve sufficient harmony, continue to raise the laying of stones to at least half a meter from the ground.
As you can see in the photo of the rubble foundation for the fence, forged massive gratings look very beneficial and noble on natural stone.
Foundation depth calculation
To achieve the desired result, you must adhere to the main rule. Sufficient stability and durability of the entire fence directly depends on the correct calculated depth and thickness of the foundation.
From the practice of arranging light fences, it has been established that the optimal depth of the foundation from the soil horizon is a depth of half a meter. The depth of such a foundation for non-heavy types of fence is quite capable of coping with the tasks assigned to it. To install heavier fences, it is necessary to build on some indicators. Firstly, how frozen is the ground on your site. Secondly, what layers does the soil consist of. Physical properties of each of the discovered soil layers.
The base of the foundation must be installed below the freezing point by at least 0.4 meters. If you are at a loss with an accurate indicator of soil freezing, it can be found in reference materials for the climatic zone in which construction is planned.
So, for the construction of the fence, the most different foundations. The most popular are columnar, tape or combined. All these types of foundation arrangement are within the power of even a novice master. Subject to the basic rules and technologies, you can install a fence that will delight your eye for more than one year.
Photo of the foundation for the fence
