New blog series on building a house or a multi-apartment building that will guide you through the sequence of tasks and what to pay attention to at each stage.
So, you’ve got the plot, you like it, you’ve obtained the construction permit, and you’re starting the reconstruction!
First Stage – Excavation
After completing any necessary demolitions of existing buildings on the site, we will begin excavation to lay the foundation of the structure. The depth and area to be excavated have been determined by the construction permit through an ‘Excavation Diagram.’
The earthworks contractors who perform these tasks are typically paid per cubic meter. So, what we need to do is calculate the cubic meters and multiply them by the price provided by the earthworks contractor.
If we have excavated an area of 15 meters in length by 12 meters in width to a depth of 3 meters, the calculation of the cubic meters is:
15 meters length * 12 meters width * 3 meters depth = 540 cubic meters
So, if we multiply the 540 cubic meters by the price per cubic meter, we’ll get the final excavation cost.
Image 1: Example of Excavation
What to pay attention to at this stage
1. What happens if we reach the desired depth but the soil is loose?
In this case, the supervising engineer will address the issue. Usually, we dig until we find stable ground and then backfill with gravel.
Image 2: Backfill with gravel
2. What happens if the ground is very hard and cannot be dug?
As mentioned before, you have arranged a price per cubic meter with the excavator. The price includes the removal of the soil with a simple excavator. If the excavator cannot remove the soil because the ground is too hard, you will need to rent another machine called a hammer excavator. The hammer excavator will break up the hard ground so that the excavator can then remove it. Typically, the hammer excavator is rented by the day. Unfortunately, there is no other solution here, and you will have to pay for the hammer excavator as long as needed.
Image 3: Excavation machine
Image 4: Hammer excavator
3. What happens if we find water?
It is quite likely to encounter water even at relatively shallow depths. In this case, we deepen a part of the excavation so that the water collects there, and then place a pump to remove it from the excavation. Again, in cooperation with the supervising engineer, you will need to find a permanent solution to maintain after the construction is complete, aside from the temporary solution we described before.
Image 5: Finding water in an excavation pit
4. What happens if ancient artifacts are found?
This is the most difficult situation. At the begging of the excavations, if the location requires it, an archaeology representative will come to oversee the excavations. If ancient artifacts are found, all work stops, and the archaeological excavation process begins. The time required to complete the excavation depends on the significance of the artifacts and can even last for years. Generally, finding ancient artifacts on the site is a serious matter that can postpone the entire project.
Image 6: Finding antiquities in an excavation pit
5. What happens if damages occur to neighboring buildings?
This is another challenging issue you will need to address. During excavations, it is possible that a neighboring wall or even a neighboring building could be affected. All safety measures should be foreseen before excavations to avoid such situations. If the crews you hired are not careful, temporary cessation of work may occur until the problem is resolved.
Image 7: Damage to neighboring buildings during excavation
6. Where is the excavated soil transported?
The soil and construction debris are taken to waste management systems with which you have a special contract. This contract must be arranged before the start of the project.
Image 8: Excavation waste management facilities
7. What should i do when the excavations are finished?
When you finish the excavation work, and also during it, you must ensure that the excavation area is fenced to prevent accidents from possible falls.
Image 9: Fencing the plot
The next stage is concreting, commonly referred to as “beta”. Read the next blog here.
The above are not technical texts and are intended to simply inform the reader. The MECHA Engineering team has experienced engineers who will guide you accurately and scientifically in your technical projects.