ANTI HEAVE SOLUTIONS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS*
Building a house or adding an extension in the United Kingdom can be tough. You'll face architects, strict rules, and lots of expenses. When you start extending your home and hire a construction company, your first big cost will probably be ordering concrete for the foundations. But here's a surprise: before that, you'll need anti-heave protection.
In this short article, we'll talk about the products architects often pick to protect your foundations from clay and where you can buy them nearby.
WHEN IS HEAVE PROTECTION REQUIRED?
The whole of the United Kingdom is mostly on clay soil. You might notice this when you see a JCB digger breaking up chunks of tough clay while driving. Basically, if you're building your home or extension in the southeastern parts of the UK, you'll probably need anti-heave protection for your foundations.
In the UK, ground heave mostly happens because clay or shale soils soak up water and expand. It can also happen when there's digging deep in the ground, mining, or lots of trees around. Clay is a big issue in the South East and a few other places, but ground heave can pop up anywhere due to different reasons.
The solution is to create a space between ground and foundation which soils can expand into.
HEAVE PROTECTION TO FOUNDATIONS. WHAT IS IT?
Heave protection for foundations is like a cushion that stops clay from expanding and shrinking around or under the foundations.
These days, it's a big no-no to build without heave protection. Foundations are the first and most important part of building. If they're not done right, it could end in a building disaster or a massive loss of money.
Heave protection isn't overly complicated, and it essentially consists of just three main products that should be used:
1. Under beam designed for use beneath reinforced concrete ground beams and pile caps (such as Cellcore HX B, Max-frank Pecavoid® Plus+, Max-frank Pecavoid® RD, Max-frank Pecavoid® C).
2. Under slab designed for use beneath reinforced concrete floor slabs to protect against the potential effects of ground heave (such as Cordek Cellcore HX S, Cellcore HX Plus, Cellcore HG, Filcor - grade 20/45/70/90/100/120/140/160/190, Dufaylite Residential & Commercial Clayboard, Whiterock Heave Stopper, Jablite Fillmaster, Kore Void Former).
3. Side protection boards used for vertical installation against the sides of ground beams, piled foundations and deep trench fill foundations (up to 2m deep) to prevent problems in foundations where the soil has a high clay content and is liable to heave (such as like Claymaster, Heaveguard, Claylite, Clayfill).
ANTI HEAVE PROTECTION NEAR ME
In the UK, there are several leading void former manufacturers. All their products aim for the same thing - protecting foundations from the effects of clay.
When you search 'anti heave protection near me' in Google, you're likely looking for suppliers closest to your postcode. It's a common thing to do as everyone wants their products delivered quickly and to have the option to purchase any missing items in a short time frame.
That's why when you type 'anti heave protection near me', you'll receive information about leading manufacturers like Cordek, Whiterock, Dufaylite, Jablite, Max Frank, and Kore. In our store, we offer nearly all of their products. If you're interested but unsure about which product to buy, feel free to call us at 02081910776. We're here to help!
ANTI HEAVE PROTECTION COST UK
When purchasing a set of void formers to protect your foundations from the effects of clay, the determining factor in your choice might be the price. However, you may not be aware of the general costs associated with it. That's why we've prepared a very brief and concise overview of the costs you should consider.
- UNDER BEAM
To determine the required height of the under-beam protection board, you need to know the soil plasticity index. There are three potential soil plasticity indexes:
10-20: Low
20-40: Medium
40-60: High
Let's assume you're building in London, which likely means you're dealing with a high soil plasticity index. Therefore, you'd need the tallest boards to protect your foundations, around 220mm in height.
Moreover, the "grade" of such a board indicates the thickness of concrete you can pour onto it. The commonly chosen grade is 9/13, allowing for a concrete thickness of up to 300mm.
The approximate cost of such a board is around £115 for 2.88m². Thus, when purchasing under-beam anti-heave protection, you should budget around £40 per square meter.
- UNDER SLAB
Similarly, for protecting concrete floor slabs, you'd use under-slab anti-heave protection boards. Assuming the same scenario where you're building in London and dealing with high soil plasticity, you'll need the highest possible board height, around 225mm (HX S), with the most common grade being 7/10, allowing for a concrete height of up to 220mm.
Typically, concrete floor slabs are not poured thicker than this, so grade 7/10 is commonly chosen by architects. Therefore, for protecting reinforced concrete floor slabs, you should budget around £120 for 2.88m² for a full-size board. The cost of using anti-heave protection under the concrete slab would then be approximately £42 per square meter
- CLAYMASTER/HEAVEGUARD
The final cost you'll encounter when using anti-heave protection is safeguarding the foundations around their perimeter—this involves vertical installation against the sides of ground beams, piled foundations, and deep trench fill foundations.
Costs here are relatively low and straightforward to calculate. You need to know the number of linear metres around the foundations and the height of the foundations. When using side anti-heave protection boards around deep fill foundations, anticipate costs around £30 for a 50mm thickness. However, the more commonly chosen thickness is 75mm, which is slightly pricier by approximately £5, totaling around £35 for 2.88m².
Prices mentioned here may vary significantly based on distance from the manufacturer, time of purchase, and Insulationgo LTD does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided here, which is solely for general informational purposes.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, anti-heave protection plays a crucial role in construction, particularly in regions where clay soils pose potential threats to building foundations. In the United Kingdom, especially in areas with higher soil plasticity indexes, employing various types of protective materials and systems is essential to prevent the adverse effects of soil expansion and contraction.
During construction, selecting appropriate products such as under-beam protection, under-slab boards, or side protection is pivotal for ensuring the durability and stability of foundations. The costs associated with these solutions can vary depending on the type of material chosen, its thickness, and the construction location.
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*Insulationgo LTD strives to keep the content accurate and up-to-date, but we cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or exclusions.
The information in this blog isn't expert advice and shouldn't replace talking to the right specialists. Before buying or deciding anything based on this info, it's best to contact the product manufacturer directly to double-check if it's right for what you need.
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