Construction projects require a lot of planning due to the impact that they have on the surrounding areas. Whether it is the case of a residential construction of a commercial building, everything comes down to the foundation. The foundation is the center-most important structure in any building. A weak foundation can be detrimental to the construction that requires a massive financial investment. Based on the importance of the foundation, this is the reason why soil analysis is important in order to ensure that this vital structure is rock solid. Before you even begin constructing a building, it is important that thorough soil analysis is undertaken in order to avert the possibility of foundation failure. The process of soil analysis can be conducted by a qualified soil expert to ascertain just how well the soil can support an entire structure. Before commencing construction, thorough soil analysis will ensure that you don’t have to then again contract a foundation repair company after a foundation failure.
Why is Soil Analysis Important?
During any construction process, soil analysis is important. Unfortunately, this is one of the most ignored activities during the entire construction project. This could explain why the number of homeowners needing foundation repair has been increasing by the day. One of the common mistakes that people make is by assuming that simply because the adjacent construction projects carried out soil analysis, then the nature of soil is uniform and extends to the surrounding areas. This misconception is the reason why you will need a foundation repair contractor in the course of your project or after the building has been completed. This implies spending even more from your original budget. Soil characteristic can vary regardless of the distance between two areas. This variance is what will cause instability to your foundation. There are certain types of soils that are known to support foundations firmly and that is clay-rich soils. If a soil analysis is done and it turns out that soil configurations might not offer the support needed for the foundation, engineers are then required to adjust the original plan and increase the depth of the foundation for additional support. In the long run, soil analysis provides you with some form of predictability making it possible for you to be more accurate in terms of construction expenses. However if there are some doubts on the soil properties and stability of the foundation, then you should factor in possible expenses for foundation repair services.
How to Conduct Soil Analysis
There are different steps and methods that go into analyzing the soil. The first procedure is soil inspection where the soil is examined at the site of construction. The other activity during soil analysis is to dig pits and collect samples. The aim of this step is so as to be able to understand the structure capability of the underlying soil. In the case of commercial buildings, you need to dig a little deeper for enhance data analysis. This analysis takes into consideration soil properties, soil strata and ground waters. If possible, you can hire a drilling service to ensure that you get a more accurate analysis as possible. Ground water has also been a major factor in soil stability which is why it plays a vital role on where you decide to put up a construction project. This discrete monitoring should be continuous for a period of time just to make sure that there are no external factors affecting soil composition. By carrying out a thorough soil analysis, you can then be able to plan your construction based on real-time data as well as be able to anticipate possible foundation failure.
