Digging a hole for a basement is not as simple as taking a shovel to put in place of a backhoe and dig some dirt. Basements are parts of houses and buildings that are fully integrated into the structure of the building. As such, the basement must be built well enough to help keep the rest of the building above. The techniques for digging holes in a basement vary and can be adapted to the particular situation of the builder.
Soil problems
When it comes to selecting the technique suitable to dig a hole to the basement, one of the main considerations is the type of soil in which the basement is built. A sliding floor is a common problem that must be addressed for the excavation of the basement. Planning and adequate supervision is required. Toppling is another common problem that occurs when stress fractures appear on the walls, causing the ground to tip into the hole.
Support systems protection
Because of the potential problems associated with a sliding floor and other forms of collapse, any kind of technique of digging a basement excavation must have some sort of support system of protection in place. These usually involve the creation of embankments or benching the sides to avoid collapse. It may also involve the creation of some form of protection around the area where workers are performing their duties. Another common technique that relates directly to the excavation involves tilt hold the sides so as not to form an angle to a horizontal greater vertical ratio 1.5 to 1.0.
Method Island
One way to safely dig a hole for an excavation of a basement is to use the method of island. This implies a partial excavation in which the central core of the first basement is built in the center. From there, the exterior walls are slanted basement until they can be properly reinforced and fully built. The outer walls are optionally reinforced by the structure internal completed until the entire basement is complete.
Top Down
The top-down method of construction for the excavation of the basement is often used in large cities or congested areas. In the top-down method, the bearing walls are built basement and slab poured soil layer above where is the basement. The building can even be completely built before the end of the own cellar. The basement is not until later completely excavated, when the building and its foundation are fully operational. This method basically involves careful excavation of a portion of the land under the building.