Today, country houses are being built from block containers, and thanks to the high-quality finishing of such buildings, it is not immediately possible to determine what they are made of. The question is, is it possible to apply a design approach to an apparently unremarkable well shaft? Of course, you can, the main thing is to use your imagination and choose the right finishing materials!
In this article we will look at how and with what materials the construction of wells in the country is carried out. Of course, the decoration of such an object can be entrusted to specialized organizations that will cope with the task quickly and efficiently. But, unfortunately, the price of such an order will be high, and therefore it will be better to do this work yourself.
Types of design solutions
Methods and materials that make it possible to design a well in a dacha are selected and applied in accordance with the type of water intake shaft.
Let's look at examples of design solutions that are relevant today.
- A well in the Russian style is a traditional utilitarian design with a minimum number of decorative elements.
As a rule, the structure is the top of a shaft, lined with wood and equipped with a roof covered with wooden shingles or sheet metal.
Carved decorations or artistic painting with paints and varnishes are used as decorative elements. A manual winch with a drum for winding a chain or cable is used as a lifting mechanism.
- Shaduf is a technically outdated option for arranging a water intake shaft. Nevertheless, this solution looks more than attractive.
The mine is designed using any available materials (wood, brick, stone, etc.). A distinctive feature of the structure is the lifting mechanism - the crane.
The mechanism is a beam fixed between two transverse posts. A pole is loosely attached to one end of the inclined beam, at the end of which, in turn, a bucket is fixed. A weight is attached to the back of the beam, which will make it easy to lift a full bucket from the shaft.
Important: Due to the structural features of the shaduf, it will not be possible to install a full roof, therefore, to prevent debris from entering the water intake shaft, it is necessary to provide for the use of a hinged or sliding wooden cover.
- The construction of wells in a dacha in the oriental style is a traditional design from the head of a well shaft, equipped with a manual gate and a drum on which a chain or cable is wound.
The roof, made in the form of a pagoda, will give the building an oriental flavor. In addition, you can use a decorative waterfall in the place where the remaining water from the bucket will drain.
The bucket, as well as all the decoration, must be made of natural wood, since products made of galvanized steel will not fit into the aesthetics of the East.
- Decorative wells for dachas in the form of houses, mills and other miniature buildings are becoming increasingly widespread.
The advantage of such designs is that the design element will cover the well head from debris getting into it.
Important: All of the solutions listed above must, to one degree or another, overlap with.
Finishing materials
After we have looked at examples of how a well can be designed in a dacha, we will decide what materials can be used to construct a water intake shaft.
- Ceramic brick- a universal material with which you can either line an existing concrete head or build a completely brick shaft head.
The advantage of ceramic brick is its high strength and resistance to mechanical loads. But you need to remember about the high degree of hygroscopicity of brickwork.
Ceramics absorb water, and therefore the surface of the head should be coated with a hydrophobic varnish. If this is not done in a timely manner, frequent contact of the brick with water will lead to its rapid destruction.
Important: Considering the considerable cost of good ceramic bricks, a silicate analogue can be used as an alternative, especially since this material is today manufactured in different colors.
- Ceramic tile– an excellent solution for decorating a nondescript concrete head of a water intake shaft. Decorating a well in a dacha with ceramic tiles is characterized by the ease of performing the planned work and the durability of the finished result.
First of all, the tiles, regardless of modification, are resistant to water, and therefore this finish will last a long time without the need for repairs. In order to ensure maximum resistance of the ceramic cladding to the effects of excess moisture, it is advisable to use grout diluted with liquid glass as a joint filler.
Important: If the budget allocated for finishing work is limited, instead of ceramic tiles, you can use broken tiles, which are several times cheaper and can be used to lay out mosaics.
- Lumber is a good solution for decorating a water intake shaft in a rustic style.
The instructions for decorating the head of a shaft with wood involve the use of a rounded log or timber, from which a kind of log house with a “claw” corner joint is laid out. The roof can also be completely assembled from wood.
The use of lumber is supported by their low price and ease of machining. But there is a significant drawback, namely, wood is afraid of excess moisture. Therefore, unusual lumber is needed.
For example, aspen can be used for finishing, since this species rots less from long-term contact with water. Again, wood can be impregnated with special agents.
If you don’t have a lot of money, you can use purified waste as such a special tool. If possible, cover the finished structure with a layer of antiseptic, and after complete drying, apply several layers of varnish.
- Metal is a very good finishing material, if, of course, you have the skills to process it.
Finishing wells in a country house using forged elements is not so popular, but with a competent approach to the matter, you can forge and weld a frame for a water intake shaft from a metal rod, which turns into gate and drum holders. Again, a roof frame can be assembled from metal, which can be finished with polycarbonate.
Of course, the metal finishing of the well must be additionally processed, for example, coated with special paints and varnishes that will prevent rust.
Important: If the dacha is not electrified, then certain difficulties may arise when working with metal. This problem can be solved by purchasing or renting a diesel generator for a summer residence.
Conclusion
Now that you know the instructions for selecting and using finishing materials, you can decide what exactly is suitable for.
When doing the finishing yourself, you can apply one of the previously listed design solutions. Or you can not use ready-made solutions and use your imagination and complete the finishing in your own way.
If you have any questions, you can find more useful information by watching the video in this article.
Even if the house has a centralized water supply, a well will not be superfluous: it is too expensive to water the garden or flower beds with tap water, and in case of a power outage it will be very useful. At the dacha, this is generally the main and only source of life-giving moisture. So its value is difficult to overestimate. Building a well with your own hands is not easy, but it is possible. Even if you decide to hire a crew (physically difficult), you will need to supervise them. Not everyone does it the right way. More often, as it is easier and faster. So you need to know how it should be.
How to choose a place
The most reliable way is to order hydrogeological studies. You will get the exact location where you need to dig with an analysis of the water that will be there. But this service is not cheap and is worth it if you plan to use the water for drinking, that is, near your permanent residence. At the dacha, you need it mostly for technical needs, and before drinking water, you can only clean the part that goes into the house.
If you do not order research, be guided by several signs at once:
- position of wells in neighboring areas;
- analysis of growing plants;
- observations of insects and animals;
- traditional methods.
All these methods are only ways to roughly determine where aquifers may lie. None of them gives guarantees, but if as a result of several methods you get a more or less specific place, it makes sense to try to dig a well here.
Wells in neighboring areas
You probably know that rock layers are completely uneven, just like aquifers. If your neighbors have water at a distance of 6 meters, this does not mean that you will have it exactly there. It may be higher or lower, or it may go sharply somewhere to the side. So this is only an approximate “sighting” on the ground.
The aquifer can lie at different levels
Plants
This method is suitable if the area has not yet been plowed. You examine the “local” vegetation, identifying islands of characteristic grass. Not single plants (they can be accidentally introduced), but islands, clearings, etc.
Plants indicating the depth of the aquifer
Observations of animals and nature
The best predictors are small midges. In the warm season, in calm weather, in the evening, before sunset, look at the site. If there are places where midges “hang” in columns, most likely there is water in this place, and quite close.
Midges hover in places where the water comes closest
To verify this, you can observe this place in the morning. If the water is really close, there will be fog swirling around here.
By the “concentration” of fog you can determine where the water is closest
Traditional methods
We find a clay vessel. Preferably not glazed. But it’s hard to find one now, so any jug or pot will do. Not even this? You can also use a regular pan, just a wide one.
Oven-dried silica gel is poured into the dishes. You don’t have it, don’t know where to get it? Take ceramic bricks, break them into fine crumbs (not flour, but crumbs), and dry them in the oven for a couple of hours. Fill the container to the top, tie it with a dry cotton rag. Just so that it doesn't come undone. Weigh and write down the result.
In the expected location/locations of water, dig a hole 1-1.5 meters deep, place a pan in it and cover it with earth. Leave it for a day. Then you dig it up and weigh it again. The more the mass has changed, the more water there is in a given place (or closer to the surface it is located).
Best time
There are two periods when it is best to dig a well: the second half of August and the middle of winter - after two weeks of frost. At this time, the groundwater level is at its lowest and there is almost no high water. So it will be easy to work and you will not miss the determination of the flow rate - at this time it is minimal and you will not have to suffer from a lack of water in detail.
Winter and late summer are the best times to dig wells
If a team works, they can do it in a few days: two or three, sometimes more. If you plan to work alone, you may not have enough time in August. This is the “border” zone - before the rains. Then we need to start work earlier. Maybe since the beginning of August. At this time, there is already little high water, and by the middle of the month (even if you work alone in the evenings) you will already be near the aquifer. In general, try to time it so that the exit to the aquifer occurs at the most “waterless” time. It is also advisable to complete the waterproofing of the walls.
Type and structure
If you have decided on the location, all that remains is to choose what kind of mine you will make your mine. You can only dig a mine well, and you can drill an Abyssinian well. The technology here is completely different, so what follows will be about the mine well.
Well shaft type
The most common one today is a well made of concrete rings. Common - because it's the easiest way. But it has serious drawbacks: the joints are not at all airtight and through them rain and melt water enters the water, and with it what is dissolved in it and what has drowned.
Disadvantage of a well made of rings and logs
Of course, they try to seal the joints of the rings, but the methods that will be effective cannot be used: the water must be suitable at least for irrigation. But simply covering the connections with a solution is very short-lived and ineffective. The cracks are constantly increasing, and then through them not only rain or melt water enters, but also animals, insects, worms, etc.
There are rings with a lock. Between them, they say, you can lay rubber gaskets that will ensure tightness. There are rings with locks, but they are more expensive. But gaskets are practically never found, as are wells with them.
The log mine also suffers from the same “disease,” only there are even more cracks. Yes, that's what our grandfathers did. But, firstly, they had no other way, and secondly, they didn’t use so much chemicals in the fields.
From this point of view, a mine made of monolithic concrete is better. It is cast right on site using removable formwork. They poured out the ring, buried it, put up the formwork again, stuck in reinforcement, and poured another one. We waited until the concrete “set”, removed the formwork again, and started digging.
Removable formwork for a monolithic concrete well
The process is going very slowly. This is the main drawback. Otherwise there are only positives. Firstly, it turns out very cheap. The costs are only for two galvanized sheets, and then for cement, sand, water (proportions 1: 3: 0.6). It's much cheaper than rings. Secondly, it is hermetically sealed. No seams. Filling occurs approximately once a day and due to the uneven upper edge the result is almost a monolith. Just before pouring the next ring, scrape off the surface of the raised and almost set cement laitance (a gray dense film).
How to identify an aquifer
According to the technology, the soil is removed inside the ring and under it. As a result, under its own weight, it settles. This is the soil that you take out and will serve as a guide.
As a rule, water lies between two waterproof layers. Most often it is clay or limestone. The aquifer is usually sand. It can be small, like seaweed, or large interspersed with small pebbles. Often there are several such layers. As the sand goes, it means water will appear soon. Once it appears at the bottom, you need to dig for some more time, removing the already wet soil. If the water is coming actively, you can stop there. The aquifer may not be very large, so there is a risk of going through it. Then you'll have to dig until the next one. The deeper the water will be cleaner, but how much deeper is unknown.
Next, the well is pumped - a submersible pump is inserted and the water is pumped out. This cleans it, deepening it a little, and also determines its flow rate. If the rate at which the water rises suits you, you can stop there. If it’s not enough, you need to quickly go through this layer. With the pump running, they continue to remove soil until they pass through this layer. Then they dig until the next water carrier.
Bottom filter in a well
Bottom filter device for a well
If you are satisfied with the speed of incoming water and its quality, you can make a bottom filter. These are three layers of cameos of different fractions, which are laid on the bottom. They are needed to ensure that as little silt and sand gets into the water as possible. In order for the bottom filter for a well to work, the stones must be laid out correctly:
- Large stones are placed at the very bottom. These should be quite large cobblestones. But in order not to greatly reduce the height of the water column, use a flatter shape. Lay them out in at least two rows, and do not try to have them stand close together, but with gaps.
- The middle fraction is poured in a layer of 10-20 cm. The dimensions are such that stones or pebbles do not fall into the gaps between the lower layer.
- The top, smallest layer. Pebbles or small stones in a layer of 10-15 cm. Sand will settle in them.
With this arrangement of fractions, the water will be cleaner: first, the largest inclusions settle on large stones, then, as you move up, smaller and smaller ones.
Digging methods
There are two technologies used to dig a well. Both methods are used, just at different depths. And both have their drawbacks.
Alternate installation of rings
The first ring is placed on the ground, which is gradually removed from the inside and under the side. Gradually the ring lowers. There is a very important point here: you need to make sure that it goes straight down, without distortions. Otherwise, the shaft will turn out to be inclined and, sooner or later, the settlement of the rings will stop.
To avoid skewing, it is necessary to control the verticality of the walls. This is done by tying a plumb line to a block and placing it on a ring. Additionally, you can control it at the top level.
Tools needed for digging a well
When the upper edge of the ring is level with the ground level, roll the next one. It is placed strictly on top. The work continues. If on the first ring the soil can be thrown over the side with a shovel with a shortened handle, then on the next ones you have to remove it using a gate or a tripod and a block. In this way, at least two people must work, and at least three, or even four, are needed to move the rings. So it is impossible to dig a well yourself, with one hand. Unless you can adapt a winch.
So, gradually, the depth of the well increases. When the ring is lowered to the ground level, a new one is placed on it. To descend, use driven brackets or ladders (more correctly, brackets).
The advantages of this method of digging a well:
- You can check how tight and even the ring has become.
- You can lay the same rubber gaskets that will ensure tightness or place them on the solution.
- The walls do not crumble.
These are all advantages. Now about the cons. Working inside the ring is inconvenient and physically difficult. Therefore, using this method, they dig mainly to a shallow depth - 7-8 meters. Moreover, they work in the mine in turns.
The structure of the “knife” for easier penetration of soil when digging wells
One more point: when digging a log with rings, you can speed up the subsidence process and facilitate the passage of soil using a knife. It is made of concrete and is poured into the ground at the very beginning. To form it, dig a groove in a circle. In cross-section it has a triangular shape (see picture). Its inner diameter coincides with the inner diameter of the rings used, the outer diameter is slightly larger. After the concrete has gained strength, a “standard” one is placed on this ring and work begins.
Installation of rings after reaching the aquifer
First, a shaft without rings is dug. At the same time, they watch the walls. At the first signs of shedding, they place rings inside and continue to deepen using the first method.
If the soil does not crumble along its entire length, when it reaches the aquifer, they stop. Using a crane or manipulator, rings are placed into the shaft. Then, they deepen it a couple more rings using the first method, increasing the flow rate.
First they dig a mine down to the aquifer, then they put rings in it
The technique for excavating soil is the same here: as long as the depth allows, it is simply thrown out with a shovel. Then they put up a tripod and a gate and lift it in buckets. After installing the rings, the gap between the walls of the shaft and the ring is filled up and compacted. The top few rings can be sealed from the outside (with bitumen impregnation, for example, or other coating waterproofing).
When working, control of the verticality of the walls is also necessary, but it can be adjusted within certain limits. The control method is similar - a plumb line tied to a block and lowered into the shaft.
Advantages of this method:
- The shaft is wider, it is more convenient to work in it, which allows you to make deeper wells.
- Several upper rings can be sealed externally, which minimizes the possibility of the most contaminated water entering.
There are more disadvantages:
- It is difficult to check the tightness of the joint of the rings: it is prohibited to be in the shaft during installation. It is impossible to move an already installed ring in it. It weighs hundreds of kilograms.
- You can miss a moment, and the mine will crumble.
- The filling density of the gap between the shaft wall and the rings remains less than the “native” soil. As a result, melt and rainwater will seep deeper, where they will get inside through the cracks. To avoid this, make a protective circle around the well made of waterproof material (waterproofing membrane) with a slope away from the walls of the well.
Commissioning
If you think you dug a well and that's the end of it, not at all. You still have a series of daily exercises to do. You can do them yourself, without any help. First you need to waterproof the walls from the outside, then clean and wash the walls from the inside and pump out the water - clean the well.
After the well is dug, it takes a couple of days for the rings to settle and take their places. At this time, nothing needs to be done inside, but you can do external waterproofing.
Waterproofing
If the well was made using the second method - first they dug a shaft, then installed the rings - this stage is a little simpler. You will need to widen the gap slightly to make a waterproof seal. If the rings were installed right away, you will have to dig a decent ditch around. At least until the middle of the second ring. When the soil has been removed, we proceed to waterproofing.
It is best to use a coating. You can use bitumen mastic, you can use other compounds. In principle, you can fuse or glue roll waterproofing, or in the worst case scenario, wrap it in film. Film is the cheapest, but it will last no more than two years, and only if you buy it expensive and reinforced.
Waterproofing, on top of which insulation is laid (foam shell)
Since you dug a well anyway, insulate it. You may not be at your dacha in winter for now, but maybe later the cold weather will come. So make sure you have water in advance.
Cleaning walls and internal sealing of seams
A couple of days after the well has been dug and the glass has sunk, you go down inside with a broom and sweep the walls. Then you wash the walls: you pour them on them and sweep them with a clean broom. Douse it again, then with a broom. The water was pumped out and drained away. The next day the procedure was repeated. So - five, seven, ten days. Until the inside and water become clean.
One more thing. Not all teams immediately coat the joints of the rings. Then after the first cleaning you need to coat the joints with a solution (cement:sand in a ratio of 1:3). To improve the effect, you can add PVA or liquid glass (instead of some of the water, or dilute the PVA with water). It is also advisable to ensure against horizontal shifts of the rings. Especially if they don't have locks. To do this, adjacent rings are fastened with metal plates, which are attached to anchors. This measure is strictly necessary on unstable loose or highly heaving soils.
Connecting rings with metal (preferably stainless steel) plates
After the walls are washed, the water is pumped several times, you can use the water. But to prevent anything from attacking inside, it is necessary to close it. Read about how to make a house for a well here.
For some of the features of digging wells and cleaning them, watch the video.
Safety at work
Digging a well (with your own hands or with a team) is hard and dangerous work, especially after the first three rings have been dug. The buckets have to be pulled out with a winch, a winch or a block, but it is heavy. It may break - or the rope or handle may not hold up. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with safety rules:
Believe me, precautions are not unnecessary. Better to play it safe.
How they dug a well: photo report
We dug using the first method - immediately put rings. Three people worked, taking turns: no one stayed inside longer than “one ring.” This is all the details in a nutshell. The rest is as we go along.
First, they brought the rings and laid them out on the site. A knife was assembled from specially shaped wooden planks.
Rings for a well on the site
This is what knife boards look like
It turned out to be a ring, according to the size of which they began to dig around the chosen place.
In the background lies a wooden knife for digging a well with rings
They dig strictly according to the size of the knife
The first concrete ring is laid on this ring. At first, the soil was only discarded - as long as the depth allowed.
The first one is ready
We installed the second one, sealed the seams inside and outside, and went on digging.
Second ring installed
When the second one went level with the ground, we set up a tripod with a winch and a block. So they lifted and lowered the digger and buckets of rock.
The tripod is placed before installing the third ring
Now: one is digging, the second is “twisting” on the winch, the third is dumping the soil. The same winch was used to lower the well into the shaft.
Go))
They buried the sixth ring and after that water appeared. If you look at the soil, it looks like this: black soil, sand, clay, aquifer. This means that the layer where water flows is separated by clay that is poorly conductive. This is very good - the water should be good, as it turned out later.
Glimpses of water are visible
After this, three more rings are installed. One is left for the end of August, when the water is lower, we will lower the well another meter. Then the procedure is standard - wash the walls, pump out the water. So six times - seven times. Afterwards, we saddled the head on the well and installed all the stuffing - the gate, pulled out the cable from the house, and installed the socket. The plans are to bring water into the house.
This is what a well looks like “in a house”
Hello!
I decided to build a new house next to the old one, followed by demolition of the latter. It turns out that on the site of the future house there were wells, which are located 0.5-1 m from each other (Both collapsed at one time and two holes remained). The water, according to the “old people,” is deep (the wells were 10-12 m long, and wells in the area are now being drilled 20-30 m deep). The house is supposed to be 10 by 10 m, one-story. The pits are located in the center of the proposed house. The house will be reinforced concrete monolithic with insulation, the ceilings will be wooden. But most likely you need an internal load-bearing wall in the middle of the house (right in the place of the wells). I would not want to change the position of the future house. Please tell me:
1. What to do with the wells (maybe they should be filled and compacted in a special way)?
2. Is it even possible to build on such a place? What are the consequences?
3. In what cases is an additional “fifth” wall necessary?
Thank you in advance!
Hello. Let's start answering from the end:
- 3. A “fifth” load-bearing wall is needed if the width of the building is too large to cover it with a single structure.
In this case, in addition to the outer walls, a central one is erected, which will serve as an additional support point for the ceiling or roof. In your case, with the dimensions of the house being 10x10 m, the presence of a central load-bearing wall seems justified. This is too long a distance for wooden beams. Finding a ten-meter beam of a suitable cross-section is not easy and the deflection will be large.
You can build wooden trusses, but they will take up a lot of space and be more expensive. Prefabricated reinforced concrete floors, although they can cover spans of up to 12 meters, are very expensive with a length of more than 7.2 m. In addition, if the house is made of stone, it will be convenient to place ventilation ducts and chimneys in the central wall: they will exit onto the roof close to the ridge, which will ensure optimal draft.
- 2. You can build. There is no risk if everything is done correctly.
The soil needs to be compacted as much as possible; more on this below, in point 1. It is unlikely that this can be done perfectly. The possibility of a drawdown, albeit small, will still remain. Therefore, the foundation structure on which the wall will rest in the area above the wells should be a beam.
We do not know the possible loads from the wall, nor the length of the section above the fill soil. Let us give extremely general advice: the foundation strip in this place should be at least 60 cm high, cast from strong concrete and reinforced. For a width of 40 cm, we recommend placing four rods in one row, for a total of three rows. The minimum cross-section of the reinforcement for the top row is 10 mm, the middle and bottom is at least 12 mm. The reinforcement should be placed above the filled-in wells and placed on stronger soil, at least 60 cm in each direction. We repeat, this is the minimum for a one-story house, a wall made of hollow bricks and a span of approximately 2.5 m long. You should make a decision on the site, taking into account the specific situation.
- 1. Fall asleep, of course.
But, since your wells have already collapsed, there is no point in digging them back up and, as expected, compacting the soil layer by layer. The easiest and most affordable way to compact bulk soil is to pour water. The soil should be shed with a large amount of water - the longer, the better. It would be good to lower hoses into the holes for a couple of weeks and pour soil around the clock, gradually adding it. We recommend filling the upper 20-30 cm with crushed stone and compacting it with a tamper, mechanical or manual.
By the way, it is unlikely that you will build a house from monolithic reinforced concrete. Probably just the foundation. Perhaps by the expression “the house will be reinforced concrete monolithic with insulation” you meant the construction of walls in foam formwork, the so-called “Warm House” system. Not the best option, by the way, for your own home. Although not very expensive.
Conditions for construction are rarely ideal. Many developers have to deal with groundwater levels close to the soil surface. And if the situation is complicated by a large amount of clay in the soil, then you can’t even dream of a dry basement: it will have to withstand significant pressure from the forces of inevitable heaving. The foundation with high groundwater is built according to rules that minimize this unfavorable factor.
The most difficult conditions are those when groundwater is located at the freezing point of the soil. In this case, the base of the base cannot be deepened properly and is located directly above the groundwater level. But even in this case, there is a way out: they arrange it, the cushion of which is a shock absorber of soil movements during its seasonal heaving. The type of foundation is chosen depending on the weight of the building and other parameters. “Floating” you can build a monolithic slab, a strip, or a columnar base. But the best option for marshy soils is a foundation on screw piles.
How does a high groundwater level affect the foundation?
For concrete, the most destructive thing is not so much the groundwater itself, but the various salt solutions and other chemical compounds present in its composition. The complex of these components provokes the destruction of concrete through a certain substance, in the language of builders its name sounds like “cement bacillus”.
Its effect can be detected visually: the foundation delaminates and a light, loose coating resembling gypsum appears on it. In addition, mold and mildew, yellowish blurry spots, and a damp smell may occur in the immediate vicinity of the concrete monolith.
If the groundwater level is high, difficulties begin to arise at the stage of pit construction. Its bottom erodes and loses density, the bearing capacity of the soil becomes extremely low. If the base is installed directly on it, subsidence and destruction of concrete are inevitable. Therefore, in conditions of groundwater lying close to the soil surface, it is also necessary to divert water to the nearest reservoir, storage well or city communications.
The main danger when building a house on a site with a high groundwater level is ascending suffusion - the washing out of the mineral components of the soil.
As a result, it loses stability and its load-bearing capacity decreases. Therefore, without the complex of soil drainage work required under these conditions, the construction of even a light building becomes impossible.
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Foundation with high groundwater levels: common mistakes
Foundation wall drainage diagram.
A strip or slab of concrete begins to be laid in a semi-liquid mud composition, having first pumped out the main amount of water. Such a foundation has a low load-bearing capacity, the reasons for which are:
- The base of the base is loose, consisting of lumps of earth and concrete mixed together. This is at a time when it should form a strong, flat surface.
- During continuous pumping of groundwater, the cement component is washed out and the monolith becomes porous. Such a foundation is not reliable and may not support the planned weight of the building.
- When the groundwater level is high, many people see a solution in laying dry concrete mixture into the formwork. But such a decision is wrong, since under these conditions it is impossible to fully mix the composition and the monolith will soon begin to exfoliate.
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Open water depression at high groundwater level
This is one of the most convenient ways for a private developer to drain pits and. This is done using a pump that pumps out excess groundwater. But ignorance of the technology of this process can lead to unacceptable consequences. The rules of work are as follows:
- it is necessary to achieve such a soil condition that the groundwater level is 0.2-0.4 m below the level of the construction site;
- in the process of forming a pit, perforated pipes should be laid - drains, through which water will be drained outside the site;
- as drains, it is easiest to use inexpensive pipes with a diameter of 110 mm made of gray or orange plastic, intended for the installation of sewer systems;
- the soil is removed in such a way that the direction of groundwater flow goes towards the shovel or excavator bucket. If you do the opposite, then its erosion is inevitable;
- open water reduction is carried out before the first signs of suffusion appear. Continuing to pump out groundwater will render it unsuitable for a foundation to be placed on it;
- It is advisable to use pumps equipped with automation. In contrast to visual monitoring of the state of groundwater, open dewatering is more efficient.
Important: trickles of water breaking through from the depths, carrying particles of soil to the surface and depositing influxes like lava at a volcano crater, are the first signs of ascending suffusion. Moreover, the mass of removed soil particles should continuously increase. The soil acquires the ability to slide at the most unexpected times. Therefore, water drainage is immediately stopped, and its level must be increased until signs of suffusion disappear. For more complex problems, recommendations from a soil drainage professional are required.
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Construction of a drainage system at high groundwater level
If the soil at a construction site is clayey, during excavation work it behaves like quicksand. This makes it difficult to prepare the hole in which the foundation will be installed. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen the drains and arrange storage and receiving wells. That is, make a drainage system that should include not only a set of pipes that drain groundwater from the foundation and buildings, but also from the site.
To do this, reclamation ditches are dug around it. A well-built network of such trenches perfectly reduces groundwater level. The principle of its operation is as follows: the liquid begins to accumulate in it, since it does not encounter soil resistance along its path. The walls of the trenches are reinforced with wooden or metal shields, thereby preventing landslides. But you can also fill ditches with gravel or crushed stone. However, such a system in some cases of too high groundwater level is irrational and requires drains to be laid in trenches.
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Drainage of the site using perforated pipes
The construction of a foundation on groundwater requires preliminary drainage of the site. Unlike a stormwater system, the depth of the pipes here is much greater. The work rules are as follows:
- The drains are laid at the same level with the base of the slab (tape) or 20-30 cm below it.
- When the groundwater level is high, not a wall one is required, but.
- The estimated depth of drains depends on many factors, the most important of which is the type of soil at the construction site.
- The foundation must be located from the pipes at a distance, which is calculated depending on the internal friction of the rocks.
Determine the type of soil:
- the soil should be taken from a depth of 15-20 cm and 90-100 cm. Then the sample should be slightly moistened and rubbed between the palms, as if rolling. At high GWL, samples taken from depth should first be dried to a semi-moisture level;
- if you get a fairly elastic “sausage”, the soil is clayey;
- if in the process of rubbing between the palms it cracks and breaks, it is loam;
- when rolling is impossible due to scattering into small balls, then it is sandy loam;
- soils with a high sand content do not slide.
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Stages of work on constructing a ring drainage system
- Determining the pipe layout.
- Formation of trenches up to 40 cm wide to the required depth. If the groundwater level is high, it is recommended to carry out work gradually, digging no more than 20 m, installing the pipeline and starting to develop the next 20 m, filling the previous trench with the excavated soil.
- Water that fills the bottom of the ditch in large quantities must be pumped out with a drainage pump or pump.
- The trench is filled with sand to a height of 20 cm. The backfill is compacted.
- A gravel bed is made from medium-fraction stones in a similar way (crushed stone can be used).
- It is advisable to lay geotextiles between the sand and gravel, which will prevent the crumbling of fine soil and silting of the drainage system.
- Geotextiles are laid on the layer of crushed stone with an overlap of pieces of fabric of at least 15 cm.
- Drains are being prepared. If they are factory-made and the perforation is on only one side, then it should face the bottom of the ditch. Next, the pipes are laid and connected.
- The pipeline is covered with geotextile.
- Backfilling begins with sand, which should form a layer at least 20 cm thick.
- Next, the trench is filled with crushed stone or gravel to a height of 15-20 cm.
- After this, the ditch is filled to the top with previously removed soil.
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Selection and installation of a foundation for a house with a high groundwater level
One of the dangers with high groundwater level is the high content of sulfates dissolved in water. They are capable of destroying concrete, loosening it. Therefore, in such construction conditions, it is recommended to use sulfate-resistant Portland cement to prepare the cement-sand mortar. This is necessary regardless of which foundation is chosen. This component of the concrete mixture does not contain substances that can react chemically with the salts and other aggressive components contained in the liquid.
If the groundwater level is below the freezing point of the soil, but this distance is less than 1.5 m, then laying the foundation on sandy loam and sandy soils is carried out at a depth of 0.7-1 m. If the site has loam, then at the calculated freezing point or below it by 20-30 cm. The latter is also true for cases where the GWL and TPG (soil freezing point) coincide. In conditions of heavy soil (wet clay), you need to do the following: make the base thicker than the foundation itself, and make its walls with a slight slope. This design has significantly better resistance to lateral soil pressure that occurs during soil heaving.
There are many folk ways of choosing a place for wells: walking with a frame, with a wooden vine, barefoot, a swarm of insects hovering above the ground, placing chicken eggs under a frying pan - if they sweat, then water is close. They even take off their pants and sit on the ground with their bare bottoms. Who cares! All this is done in order to captivate the customer and show the seriousness of their project. As a rule, all knowledge is limited to this.
They say that there are people who, with the help of a “vine”, can determine where the water vein is, what it is like, and at what depth. I have met such people. After each conversation, analyzing the conversation that took place, I realized that they had no knowledge. But, admittedly, soothsayers with iron frames are popular with many customers.
This is not practiced at the School of Well Masters. We consider this to be fraud.
There are rules for choosing the right location for a well:
1. The well should not interfere with travel, paths, buildings, future buildings, gardens, or neighbors.
2. The highest place according to the topography of your site is selected for the well. A high place in the natural landscape means that the well can avoid quicksand and stagnant holes, and this is very important for a drinking well.
3. Please make sure that the neighbor’s toilet is not higher in the terrain than the location you have chosen. Most likely this is a psychological moment, since I have never encountered wells affected by the contents of toilets or even heard of such wells.
4. The lowest place on your site is planned for the construction of a settling pit, septic tanks, and mini-treatment facilities.
5. Mostly the well is built closer to the house, because supplying water to the house in winter is an expensive pleasure. And in winter, if the lights are turned off, you will have to spend less effort clearing the path to the well.
Try not to build a well very close to your house. If you have a solid foundation, then there is a danger that rainwater penetrating under the foundation may fall into the well. Try not to build a well close to the house, at least 8 meters.
All the wells that we build look like this: closer to the house, 1.5 m from the fence. Try not to place the well in the middle of the site. Don't forget that you won't be able to move it.
Attention! Do not trust the choice of location for a well to anyone! Only the owner can choose the right place. No matter how good the craftsmen are, they are just hard workers and, by and large, they don’t care where the well will be located. Craftsmen choose a place where it is convenient to dig.
A bit of mysticism: there is some subtle connection between the owner and the well. A well is a member of the family and must be treated with respect. It should be closer to the entrance to the house. The well should be clearly visible from the porch. Each member of your family has their own responsibilities and duty. The well is a family amulet; it takes upon itself the evil eye and damage. Try to hide it from public view by masking it with bushes, fruit trees, building a gazebo or a solid fence...