The foundation for the cellar: types, construction of a tape and monolithic base

Almost every country house or dacha has an in-depth, underground storage called a cellar. This storage serves as a refrigerator at any time of the year and is intended for storing home preserves, vegetables and fruits.

Due to its location, the cellar protects food from excessive heat, moisture and exposure to sunlight, providing a unique microclimate that promotes long-term storage of food at any time of the year.

The cellar, like any other structure, has its own foundation, walls and floors. Such a storage is a chamber that is isolated from living quarters and external natural influences.

For the construction of cellars, mainly 2 types of foundations are used:

tape;
monolithic slab.

The tape type of foundation is used in cases where the soil is solid, and the groundwater is at a great depth and does not threaten the cellar in any way.

A monolithic slab is used when the soil is soft and the groundwater is close to the surface. Also, the monolithic version is used when it is necessary to build a cellar in a house with a strip foundation with an already finished residential building.

Erection of a strip foundation

For the construction of a belt-type foundation, the following building materials will be required:

clean river sand;
cement grade not lower than M300;
ribbed reinforcement with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
wire for binding fittings;
crushed stone of fine or medium fraction.

Before starting construction, you must prepare the necessary tool in advance:

shovel for digging a trench;
yardstick;
water level;
wire strapping pliers;
concrete mixer;
grinder for cutting metal rods.

So, the process of building the foundation:

For a small cellar with dimensions of 3x3 meters, a trench 30-40 cm deep and 20-30 cm wide is pulled out along the perimeter of the finished pit, depending on the material used for the construction of the walls. River sand with a layer thickness of 5-7 cm is poured onto the bottom of the trench and compacted tightly. Next, a 5-7 cm layer of crushed stone is poured and tamped tightly into the sand.

Thus, we create with our own hands a special pillow that will ensure uniform drying of the foundation and will serve as an obstacle to moisture penetration to its lower part.

At the next stage, a reinforced frame from ribbed steel rods is assembled in a trench (photo). The frame is a structure of longitudinal and transverse rods, which are interconnected at a certain distance, so that the result is a square or rectangular figure in cross-section. This frame serves to strengthen the foundation and prevents the possibility of fracture under uneven loading.

After the frame is ready, formwork is constructed from boards or wooden panels, which will give shape to the poured concrete. If the soil is solid and you dug a trench with even walls, then it is not necessary to install the formwork, since it will additionally require boards or wooden panels to make it, due to which the total price of such a foundation will increase slightly.

The metal frame should not lie on the ground, but should be located clearly in the center of the foundation. Use bricks or stones to raise the frame and secure it between the walls of the trench. Once the reinforcement is securely fastened, concrete can be poured. The entire trench must be poured at the same time, preventing the individual layers of concrete from drying out. The solution can be made as liquid as possible, since in this state it will be evenly distributed in the horizontal plane. After pouring, we leave the foundation for 4 weeks, during which time it will harden enough for the construction of brick walls.

Construction of a monolithic foundation

It is a little easier to build a foundation in the form of a monolithic slab than a tape one, however, much more mortar is required for its manufacture and, accordingly, the price rises.

With soft and unstable soil with a high level of groundwater, this is the ideal foundation, since it prevents penetration and serves as a reliable base for the walls of the cellar.

To create a monolithic slab, we need:

concrete mixer;
river sand and cement grade not lower than M100;
ribbed reinforcement for creating a frame;
mounting wire for connecting reinforcement rods;
wood panels to create formwork;
crushed stone of medium or large fraction.

Advice! A concrete slab assumes a deepening of the pit 40-50 cm below the estimated height of the cellar itself. The construction of such a foundation is recommended in the summer season, since it is in the summer that the least precipitation falls and the groundwater is at a low level.

Before creating a monolithic slab, it is necessary to level the bottom of the pit as much as possible, remove construction debris and let the soil dry out.

A layer of sand of 5-8 centimeters is poured at the bottom of the pit, then a layer of gravel 10 cm thick and everything is carefully tamped. This cushion is designed to provide a solid foundation for the concrete slab and to prevent the bottom of the slab from being exposed to ground moisture. If concrete is poured without a protective cushion, then the upper part of the slab will dry out faster than the lower one, which will ultimately lead to cracks that will allow groundwater to flow into the cellar.

The next stage begins the construction of the reinforcing frame. It is important to respect the distance between the reinforcement and the cushion, as the frame must not lie on the ground. Metal rods are laid across the entire area of the foundation cross-to-cross in two rows. Both rows are interconnected with vertical rods, so that the bottom row is 5-7 centimeters above the pillow, and the top row is 5-7 cm below the intended surface of the concrete slab. The mesh between the rods should be no more than 20 cm.
After creating the frame, a formwork of wooden slabs is built along the edges of the pit. Plates can be installed close to the walls of the pit or tied with metal wire to the installed reinforcing frame. The slabs should be 5-10 cm higher than the slab level.

Formwork for walls and stairs.