The foundation is made of rubble without mortar. DIY rubble stone foundation. Construction technology: preparation of tools

A rubble foundation is a foundation that is built from large uneven pieces of bedded and flagstone stone, various types of cobblestones (granite, basalt, diorite, dolomite, sandstone, shell rock, limestone, etc.). This type of foundation is one of the oldest; the service life of the structure is more than 150 years.

Modern developers choose stone because of its excellent characteristics of strength, resistance to water and freezing, and environmental friendliness. It’s not difficult to create a rubble foundation with your own hands, but you need to carefully study the technology and all the nuances. It is important to choose the right building material, take into account the characteristics of the soil, decide on the type of foundation, and perform the correct calculations.

The standard type is built with a height of 1.6 meters on top with an armored belt. Provided that a high-quality sand cushion and drainage are created or a more durable armored belt is built, the height of the base itself can be reduced.

Typically, a rubble foundation is laid below the soil freezing line, using. The base rises at least 30 centimeters above the ground, and then the base is made.

Types of rubble stone foundations

Before building a rubble stone foundation with your own hands, you need to choose the type of foundation that meets the requirements and will provide the future building with the necessary parameters and properties.

Main types of rubble base:

Belt type - used most often, relevant for buildings with several floors, a basement, built from any building materials (including heavy ones)
Columnar type - more suitable for wooden one-story buildings: usually rubble columns are mounted at the corners of walls, at the joints of external and internal walls

Rubble base: pros and cons

It is worth noting, when considering a rubble strip foundation, that this is the most optimal option for making a foundation for a wide variety of houses. First you need to study the main advantages and disadvantages of the design.

Strip foundation made of cobblestones - advantages:

Excellent strength indicators - any rocks in terms of wear resistance will give odds to other building materials
Resistance to moisture - the stone from which the foundation is built is constantly exposed to moisture and water in nature, but retains its properties and physical characteristics
Environmental friendliness - something that many types of other building materials (especially modern ones) cannot boast of.
Long service life of approximately 150 years

Cobblestone base - disadvantages:

It takes a long time to create a rubble stone base - to lay out a row of masonry, you will have to spend a lot of time
If it is necessary to attract workers, their services will not be cheap, taking into account the type of work
Bute is expensive - about 1,500 rubles/t
Before starting construction work, it is imperative to perform correct calculations

Features of working with rubble base

When creating rubble foundations, you need to remember certain nuances. So, the first layer of rubble is laid out from stone of only the correct shape, the cobblestones are adjusted with a chisel and hammer. The strip base with rubble is mounted with reinforcement at the corners from stones of the correct shape. Therefore, a large number of cobblestones with parallel edges must initially be purchased.

If the base is laid with a mortar of cement and crushed stone, the masonry must be done in layers: each layer of stone is covered with a cement layer, it is advisable to make the steps parallel. When a combined strip foundation is laid (blocks or bricks are used simultaneously with rubble), the need for reinforcement with wire with a cross-section of 12 millimeters cannot be ignored.

In the process of designing a foundation, it is imperative to accurately calculate and think through the location of ventilation ducts and install them correctly.

Rubble strip foundation: design and calculation

The foundation laying depth is calculated taking into account the maximum minus indicators and the terrain features of the territory. The lower the temperature in winter, the stronger and deeper the soil freezes, and, accordingly, the deeper the rubble foundation needs to be laid.

For a one-story house made of light materials (frame, wooden houses), it is enough to lay the foundation to a depth of 50 centimeters, for 2-3-story buildings - up to 1 meter, heavy buildings require a foundation 1.5-2 meters deep.

The strip foundation is made 20 centimeters wider than the outer wall and 50 centimeters wider than the inner wall. In accordance with the perimeter of the future building, the width of the walls, and the depth of the laying, the required volume of stone is calculated. If the foundation is built on dry soil, the clay solution is mixed in a ratio of 1:5; for wet soil, you will need a cement-clay mixture prepared in a ratio of 1:1:9 (cement: clay: sand).

How to make a rubble base with your own hands

Studying a rubble strip foundation (what it is, what it is needed for and how to do it), many doubt that all the work can be done independently, but this is quite possible. The main thing is to study and think through everything.

The main stages of laying a rubble foundation:

Digging a trench
Backfilling a cushion at the bottom of the trench from several layers - sand, crushed stone, a layer of waterproofing
Installation of formwork
Laying rubble stone on a pillow followed by filling with mortar

Typically, the rubble base is strengthened with drilled injection piles, which are inserted into pre-drilled holes and then filled with mortar. Wells must be inserted at an angle of 45 degrees.

Choosing cobblestones for the base

The stones for a rubble foundation are chosen to be medium-sized, without dirt and cracks (to ensure good adhesion of the material to the mortar). Before laying, the stones are moistened, which will enhance adhesion and protect the solution from moisture loss.

It is advisable to test the stones for strength by hitting them with a hammer - cobblestones suitable for laying emit a clear and ringing sound.

The following stones are used in the installation of rubble foundations:

Industrial - usually the stone is produced in special complexes for the production of crushed stone, used in the process of strengthening hydraulic structures or railway tracks.
Round - formed naturally.
Layered - irregular in shape, can be used for the foundation or decoration of the base, when implementing landscape design.

Excavation

The area where the foundation will be laid is thoroughly cleared of debris and anything that could interfere with the work. Then the soil is examined to determine the depth of groundwater. The soft soil layer is removed from the site and markings are carefully applied. In accordance with the markings, they dig a trench and lay a cushion of sand, crushed stone, and waterproofing material in it.

Laying the first layer of rubble stone in the trench

After filling the cushion, formwork is installed for the future foundation, a starting solution is poured in, designed to protect the entire structure from squeezing out the rubble and breaking the masonry. The solution is allowed to dry and only after that the first layer of stone is laid.

It is advisable to start laying with a large rubble with parallel edges. The first layer is usually laid along the trench, the distance between the stones should be no more than 5 centimeters. Cement mortar (pressed is required) is poured on top of the first layer, making sure that it reliably fills all the cracks. Depending on the height of the stones, the layer of cement mortar can be 15-25 centimeters.

Laying out new layers

Laying the second layer of rubble foundation is carried out according to the dressing principle. The rows are made parallel and even. The second row is placed across the trench, then the third along it, and so on. To lay out the outer part of the foundation (grillage), only perfectly smooth cobblestones are used. The grillage is laid according to the same principle as the remaining layers with a maximum thickness of 30 centimeters.

If a base made of rubble stone is placed on a strip foundation, the stones are selected beautiful and suitable, since in the future the base will not need to be plastered or finished in any other way - the stone already looks good.

When trying to figure out what a rubble foundation is and how to lay it, it is worth listening to the advice of experienced craftsmen. A few practical recommendations will help you avoid common mistakes and make the whole process much easier.

Things to remember:

Before starting work, you need to carefully calculate and think through everything, purchase materials - which means the rubble strip foundation is installed only when everything is already neatly folded at the site, and does not come from a hardware store.
Thanks to the arrangement of gentle slopes under the foundation, it will be possible to create a more comfortable working area for pouring it, as this will speed up the supply of rock and cement mortar to the object.
If the site has steep slopes and this creates some inconvenience, it is worth installing wooden scaffolding.
Before pouring, you need to calculate and mark in advance the places where you plan to lay the ventilation system and various communications, so that later everything can be made easier and faster.
In the side parts of a shallow trench you need to place containers with a cement-sand composition; between them you can make blanks from cobblestones of the required size.
It is advisable to sort the rubble into fractions in advance - before work begins, in the process of studying the type of foundation “rubble foundation” (what it is, how to do it correctly and from what materials). Longitudinal stones with smooth edges can become the support of the entire foundation and building, so they must be carefully pressed into the bottom of the trench and at the same time controlled so that the cobblestones do not swing and are installed along the trench (not across).

Creating a rubble foundation for a house with your own hands is not at all difficult if you perform the correct calculations and follow the laying technology. The most important thing in the process of making a foundation is to ensure it has the proper strength, so you should not save money on materials or time when working with stone. Careful analysis of cobblestones into fractions, selection of only high-quality ones that can create the correct structure, compliance with all rules is a guarantee that the foundation will last at least 150 years.

The main component of a rubble foundation is rock fragments of various sizes. Individual specimens intended for construction can reach sizes up to half a meter on the largest side and weight up to 50 kg. More bulky stones cannot be used without the use of special equipment, so the average dimensions of the stones used for the construction of the foundation range from 30-50 cm.

An example of a finished rubble stone foundation

Rubble stone is widely used not only in the construction of various structures, but also as a decorative element.

They are used to decorate walls and perform other structures in landscape design.

The characteristics of rubble stone are quite varied and each of them has its own impact on its cost.

First of all, the stone is divided into types - it can be sandstone, limestone or dolomite. In addition, there are also classes of rocks:

Sedimentary, formed under the influence of the external environment;
Metamorphic, formed due to changes in the structure of minerals under the influence of pressure or temperature;
Igneous, created as a result of crystallization or solidification of magma.

But for construction, what is most important is not so much the composition and reason for the appearance of rubble stone, but rather its shape.

Existing types of natural stone

There is also a classification based on the origin of the material:

The most commonly used industrial rubble is produced in crushed stone mines. Actually, the stone itself is the raw material for this material;
A rounded rubble is formed due to natural reasons, and takes on a smoothed shape due to the influence of external factors such as water or wind. Most often used in the construction of large industrial facilities due to its irregular shape;
The bedded rubble is ideal for private construction, including the construction of foundations. The main feature of this type is at least two parallel edges, which make it quite easy to lay the stone on the mortar.

The location where the stone is mined also matters, since in different areas the composition of the material has its own characteristics.

Pros and cons of a rubble foundation

The main advantage of this type of foundation is its very high strength and reliability, regardless of the rock from which it is created. In turn, this guarantees the durability of the use of such a base. Moreover, in case of poor-quality installation, if the mortar has crumbled in some places, the defect can be eliminated without any problems, and the quality of the base will not be affected.

Rocks are less susceptible than others to the influence of the external environment, including moisture, due to which the foundation, and with proper waterproofing and the house, flooding is completely harmless.

Rubble is not subject to freezing, so it is quite possible to save money on thermal insulation of the house.

In addition, the foundation, made of rubble stone, looks more than presentable even without finishing.

The process of building a rubble foundation

The rubble stone itself is an inexpensive material; the increase in cost, and a significant one, occurs due to the delivery of the material to the construction site. Therefore, in areas located near the mine, its price is low. In these areas, rubble stone is the most budget option for construction.

You will incur additional expenses during construction if you plan to hire employees. Laying rubble stone is carried out only by hand, which increases the labor intensity of the work by an order of magnitude, and, accordingly, its cost.

In what cases can a rubble stone foundation be used?

For all its attractiveness, a rubble foundation cannot be used for all types of buildings. The problem is that a rubble foundation is quite mobile compared to other types of foundation.
It is ideal for very heavy buildings of 2-3 floors, which crush it with their mass. They also stand well on it, which are quite resistant to tensile loads. But if the building has concrete or brick walls, and their weight is not enough, then such a house will not last long and will soon become covered with quite extensive cracks.

The soil on which the foundation is planned to be built also has its own requirements:

In order to determine the characteristics of the soil on the site and the location of groundwater, it makes sense to order geological surveys. Based on the results obtained, you can decide whether a rubble stone foundation is suitable for you, and also calculate its parameters, such as the depth and width of the base.

The procedure for pouring concrete into a rubble stone foundation

Production of rubble foundation

It is worth mentioning right away that strip foundations are mainly made from rubble. The fact is that creating a columnar base is a rather complex and time-consuming process, so such a base is used quite rarely.

In some cases, they are used when the soil under construction has complex characteristics. The main difficulty in making these two types of foundations is that in order to select a suitable stone, sometimes you have to sort through dozens of specimens, the weight of which is quite noticeable.

Rubble stone strip foundation

The manufacture of this type of base is very similar to, however, it has its own characteristics:

First of all, a system of trenches is broken under the foundation with a depth below the freezing depth of the soil. In this case, the width of the ditch near the bottom should be 20 cm greater than along the upper edge, that is, in cross section the trench should have a trapezoidal cross-section.

If necessary, the soil at the bottom of the pit is carefully compacted, after which sand is poured to a height of 15-20 cm.

If the soil is highly saturated with water, the first layer is laid with medium-fraction crushed stone, which will act as a drainage system. Sand is also poured on top with mandatory pouring to create a dense base.

Often, a reinforced concrete layer of 30 cm is poured on top of the pillow for reliability.

Ready strip foundation made of rubble stone

In this case, additional waterproofing is laid between the cement and sand cushion to prevent concrete destruction.

Rubble foundations have been known to mankind for a very long time. Today, such a foundation for construction is affordable and beautiful. Its service life reaches 150 years; even fortresses were once built from this stone.

In addition, such a foundation is the most resistant to groundwater and soil freezing among other foundations. Developers also choose it because of its environmental friendliness. It’s quite simple to build such a structure yourself, and you don’t have to use any special construction equipment.

Description

If we consider a standard rubble foundation, we can note that its strip variety usually has a height of about 1.6 m. A reinforced belt is laid on top. If the base is prepared with sand and drainage, then the height can be reduced, as in the case of a reinforced belt.

The laying is carried out below the soil freezing line, using concrete grade M100 or higher. The base should be about 30 cm above the ground level, then comes the base. When dismantling buildings of the last century, it became clear that the described type of foundation was then laid to a depth of 2 m, no reinforcement was used, and fastening was carried out with a simple mortar.

There was no waterproofing or brick placed between the wall and the foundation. Despite this, the buildings continued to stand. This suggests that rubble stone in such a foundation replaces a metal frame. The main role in this case is played by rubble, the content of which can reach 90% of the total volume. There are no requirements for the size and shape of the stones.

Peculiarities

The material can be chipped or tiled, with the main condition being the strength of the material. It is better to use bedded or tiled rock during the work. It has smooth edges, which allows you to get an advantage when laying, because smooth stones lay easier than those that have irregular edges.

The masonry technology of this material is often compared with the technique that describes the construction of brick walls. The principle here remains the same. The elements are stacked on top of each other and bonded with mortar. The only difference is the building blocks and the composition of the solution. Brick is laid on a cement-sand mortar with a large volume of sand, while rubble stone is mounted on more durable concrete.

Positive reviews

Before building a rubble foundation, you should familiarize yourself with its advantages and disadvantages. You can find out about them by reading reviews. Among the advantages, consumers highlight:

environmental cleanliness;
durability;
aesthetic indicators;
high moisture resistance.

Consumers especially emphasize another useful property: the construction process can be reduced in cost by adding other building materials. For example, the recessed part that will be in the ground can be formed from pure rubble, while the surface in this case is laid out from brick.

Negative reviews

If you plan to lay a rubble foundation yourself, you should read the negative reviews. Thus, home craftsmen note that there is no point in harboring illusions about the speed and ease of erecting such a foundation, because these assumptions do not correspond to reality. So, to construct the described foundation, a deep trench is required. And the bottom is buried 20 cm below the freezing point of the soil. In some regions this figure reaches 2 m, but most often it ranges from 150 to 180 cm.

In addition, digging a trench and taking measurements requires a lot of time. Consumers emphasize that in this case even heavy earth-moving equipment may be required. Developers advise choosing stones very carefully, because after that they will have to be laid out throughout the entire volume of the foundation as evenly as possible. If you plan to build a rubble stone foundation with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the disadvantages of the building material. Among them, home craftsmen distinguish:

high cost of materials;
the need to carry out complex calculations;
difficulties associated with the delivery of material to the construction site;
there is a high probability that specialists will have to be involved in the work.

Construction technology: preparation of tools

Before starting work, you need to stock up on tools and materials, among them the following should be highlighted:

fine crushed stone;
sand;
cement;
rubble stone;
bayonet shovels;
a spacious container for the solution;
trowels;
roulette;
building level;
plumb line;
tamper

Crushed stone will be needed to fill the voids that are formed during the laying process. But the sand will be used to prepare the solution and make the pillow. When purchasing cement, you should choose one that has the M400 grade. The volume of rubble stone will be less compared to the volume of the trench. The smaller the stone, the more it will be needed. It also depends on the evenness of the edges.

The construction of rubble foundations involves the use of rubble with high frost and water resistance. The stone must be durable. It is also important to take care of the presence of roofing material or other waterproofing material.

Construction of the first layer

The foundation is laid at a depth below freezing of the soil. Much also depends on the looseness and composition of the soil. A trench is laid out on the ground using rope and pegs. The width must be planned so that it is 15 cm larger than the walls.

If the soil crumbles during the digging process, then it is necessary to construct formwork from boards and other materials. They are usually removed after concrete has been poured and hardened. A sand cushion is placed in the trench. It is done in several stages. Each subsequent layer of sand is compacted and moistened.

At the final stage of excavation work, it is necessary to lay waterproofing on top of the cushion. For this purpose, roofing material or its analogue is used. It is necessary to lay the sheets overlapping so that moisture is not lost from the concrete.

Having chosen the most even and flat cobblestones with a horizontal surface, they are laid on the bottom - this will create a base for the rubble. Smooth stones are pressed into the sand. In order to get rid of recesses and openings, you should use a tamper. The voids are filled with pebbles and small crushed stone. The layer is compacted and then pressed with a sledgehammer. This layer can be filled with concrete mortar, which is prepared in classic proportions: one to three.

Laying the remaining rows and reinforcement

So, you have chosen a rubble stone foundation as the base. The first steps have been taken, then you can begin laying the next rows. The first layer can be poured at a height of 40 cm from the bottom. The laying and filling of the remaining rows follows the same principle. The only difference is in the bandaging of the seams, as in conventional brickwork.

The stones of subsequent rows are placed in uncured mortar. Strengthening the rubble foundation is required if the foundation is planned to be high enough. Additional stabilization is expressed in the laying of reinforcement or wire. The last four layers of the structure should also be formed. It is important to systematically compact the moving mass in the new layer, which will guarantee the strength of the future foundation.

Work methodology

In order to speed up the flow of stones and mortar into a deep trench, gentle slopes should be made in the walls. This will allow you to create a convenient platform between the bottom and the walls. The problem of steep slopes can be solved with the help of wooden scaffolding.

If the trench is quite shallow and narrow, then the container for the solution can be installed on the sides, and stones can be placed between them. Openings for ventilation and communication should be planned and laid immediately. This will shorten the construction period and reduce labor costs.

Before laying, the material is wetted to ensure better adhesion to the concrete. The stones are laid with a gap ranging from 3 to 5 cm. The long side of the rubble is called a spoon, the short side is called a poke. In each row, the poke should alternate with the spoon.

For masonry it is convenient to use a hammer-cam and similar tools. The thickness of the masonry is approximately 70 cm. For plasticity, clay is often added to the solution, but do not be zealous.

Rubble stone under the foundation can be laid using one of two technologies:

under the shoulder blade;
under the bay.

In the first case, we are talking about a technology that involves preparing the base, as well as laying a dry bonded row on it. The stone is well compacted, and the voids are filled with small stones. At the next stage, you can begin to fill the space with liquid solution.

The next step will be laying the spoon row. The thickness of the first and second rows should not exceed 30 cm. The stones are selected in such a way that the height of the row is almost the same. To check, you can use beacons with a cord. It is important to ensure that the stones do not touch each other without mortar.

A rubble strip foundation can ultimately turn out to be perfectly smooth; for this, formwork is usually installed. In this case, the walls are subsequently finished with one of the many materials that are available on the market.

The construction of buildings of any purpose and complexity is not complete without laying the foundation. Various methods and materials are used for this. Among this list, it is worth highlighting the rubble foundation, which has been popular for a long time.

What it is?

It is the construction of the foundation that is the fundamental stage that precedes all other construction work in the construction of houses or other structures. Despite the fact that the construction market offers a wide range of different materials, natural raw materials are still in demand. One of the natural construction raw materials used to lay the foundation is rubble stone, which is a high-quality and environmentally friendly rock that has found its application in construction.

Some people mistakenly believe that using stone is impossible when laying a foundation due to its irregular shape, however, even with minimal experience in construction, you can competently arrange the stone foundation of a building even with your own hands.

This is exactly the kind of foundation that most builders preferred to build in the recent past.

Now the rubble concrete foundation for buildings increases their visual appeal, and most importantly, it allows you to carry out construction work at minimal cost, using a fairly simple technology for implementing the construction project.

As practice shows, the service life of a rubble foundation reaches about 150 years; there are even fortresses in the construction of which this natural material was used. The main feature of rubble stone foundations is their resistance to groundwater and soil freezing.

Experts use several varieties of this raw material in their work:

Industrial stone. Its production is carried out in special complexes in which crushed stone is produced. This type is in demand during work to strengthen railway tracks or hydraulic structures.
Round stone. The process of forming such a breed occurs naturally.
Postleafy. It is characterized by irregular geometry, due to which rubble is in demand for laying the foundation, and also acts as a decorative material used in landscaping work.

There are no strict requirements for the rubble rock used to lay the foundation of the building, the main thing is that the raw material does not crumble.

It is best to use tiled or pastel rock. This material has smooth edges, which makes installation easier, since it will be much easier to place samples of the correct shape as closely as possible to each other.

Analyzing the technology for constructing a foundation from rubble rock, we can say that the principle of its implementation is similar to the work on the construction of brick walls - the components are placed on top of each other during laying, and the connection of all elements occurs using a mortar. The only difference is in the materials and the composition used to provide the bond - for a stone base it is necessary to use a durable concrete mortar.

A standard strip rubble foundation usually has a height of about 1.6 m with the base located on a special bed of sand and drainage.

The foundation is laid above the freezing level of the soil, usually at a distance of about 30 centimeters, then the base of the building and the ground floor are located.

pros

Among the features of the rubble foundation It is worth highlighting its main advantages:

The use of this rock allows the construction of foundations that will differ in height and strength. This is relevant for the construction of private houses with a large area.
The raw materials consist of natural components, therefore they belong to the group of materials that do not pose a danger to human health. In addition, the material does not harm the environment.

Rubble stone foundations are distinguished by their durability and reliability, since the rock has excellent strength indicators.
Such designs are wear-resistant.
The material can be used to build the foundation of any house, with different shapes and areas.
Reinforcement for such foundations is rarely required.
The stone is resistant to moisture, so the base is not destroyed by melt or groundwater.

Cobblestones in cross-section are a very attractive material.
The rock can be combined with other construction materials. In some cases, the part of the base that protrudes to the surface is built from brick, and the remaining part, which is located in the ground, is built using rubble stone. This method, according to expert reviews, makes it possible to save on construction work.
The rock base has high resistance to negative temperatures.
It is noteworthy that a rubble foundation practically does not require repair work, since defects do not form on it over time.

Minuses

Foundations made from this material also have disadvantages.

These include the following points:

Since stone is a natural raw material, its cost is quite high.
To carry out preparatory work prior to the construction of the foundation, it is necessary to calculate the amount of material required, which requires certain qualifications and experience. All technology for arranging the foundation must be carried out in accordance with SNiP; in addition, it is necessary to measure the level of groundwater in the given area.
The entire process of laying stones is done manually.

Irregularly shaped rock is quite difficult to lay out into an even structure.
Erosion of bonds may occur in a rubble stone base - when water penetrates into the cement mortar and further freezes, the concrete is destroyed, and the wind blows the destroyed grains of sand out of the base, which leads to destruction.
In case of violations in the calculations of the strength of the foundation and the weight of the structure, it may be necessary to strengthen the foundation. It is also necessary in areas where there are signs of soil movement.

Device

Laying work is preceded by preparatory measures for arranging trenches, as well as sorting the rubble - it must be divided based on size. To reduce the time for laying rock, wooden formwork is installed in the trench opposite each other, which can be adjusted in height.

The construction of a stone foundation can be done in two ways:

direct method - which involves pouring concrete into a trench with a layer thickness in which half of the rock will be buried in it;
the opposite option - in this case, the first layer of rubble is filled with cement mortar, which hides it as much as possible, after which subsequent layers of stone are laid.

Before backfilling, most builders advise spreading a layer of high-strength polyethylene on a sand bed.

It will preserve the properties of the solution without releasing cement laitance. The rock is laid in two parallel lines with a gap for mortar between the elements of about 5 centimeters. The top row should be laid in such a way that the stones overlap the seams of the bottom row.

In order for the solution to be suitable in strength, it is worth using M 500 cement for its preparation. The density of the composition should allow it to freely penetrate into the seams between the rubble cobblestones. It is recommended to moisten the stone a little before laying it to remove dust, which will have a positive effect on the adhesion to the mortar.

How to do it?

When performing work on the construction of a rubble foundation, you should follow the step-by-step instructions, as well as purchase all necessary materials and tools:

sand and crushed stone;
cement;
rock;
solution container;
bayonet shovel, trowel;
building level;
plumb and tamper.

Crushed stone will be used to fill the voids that arise during the laying of stones, sand is needed to prepare the solution, as well as to arrange the cushion below, even if the foundation is not laid deeply. The smaller the bottle, the more it will be needed for the base. In addition, the work will require waterproofing. Roofing felt or any other product can be used as such material.

The technology for laying a rubble foundation includes the following work:

Construction of a trench. It is worth paying attention that its width should be no less than 2.5 meters. This need is due to the large size of the breed. The base tape will be about 0.5-0.6 m.
An indent of about 0.7 m is left on the inside of the tape, and 1.2 m on the outside. This feature will help in moving the formwork. The external gap is filled with sand.
For concreting with laying rock, the formwork must be made in dimensions corresponding to the height of the building’s base.
The inner surface of the boards is covered with a film that will prevent concrete mortar from leaking through the existing gaps between the planks. In addition, it will prevent the wood from absorbing moisture from the composition.

Rubble stone is laid according to the following scheme:

after laying the film on the bottom, the solution is poured;
two rows of stones are placed on it; elements of similar size should be selected;
Next, a layer of mortar is poured in, which needs to be leveled;
ligation of the outer or inner side is performed with a butt row;
after this, the masonry is carried out in longitudinal layers;
the corners of the structure are tied with rock.

During work with the solution, you should monitor the filling of all existing voids.

To ensure that there are no untreated areas left, it is important to prepare a plastic mixture for work.

To increase this indicator, various additives are used, for example, plasticizers for concrete or detergent compositions.

The initial stage of construction of almost any engineering structure is the construction of the foundation. And natural stone, also known as rubble, is ideally suited for the role of a reliable and environmentally friendly filler for a sand-cement mixture. Due to the irregular geometry of the material, many believe that working with stone, the creator of which was Mother Nature, requires a certain skill and skill. In reality, this is not entirely true, and you can competently arrange a rubble stone foundation with your own hands even in the complete absence of special training: a simple desire and a moral and psychological attitude towards physical labor will be quite enough.

The process of starting the personal “sculpting” of the foundation should be preceded by the purchase of fine crushed stone (it will be needed for filling voids), the purchase of sand and cement (to form a “cushion” for the future concrete foundation and the possibility of preparing a working mixture), as well as the delivery of rubble stone to the site ( the latter must meet the stated criteria of strength, frost resistance and water resistance). It is also worth taking care of the availability of waterproofing material (roofing felt).

Pouring a good foundation with rubble stone, and then building a house on top of it, without having the appropriate tools at hand, is an unsolvable task. So, inventory. Among other things, you will need:

several shovels and bayonet shovels;
a durable and sufficiently spacious container for mixing the solution;
trowels with different working surface areas;
rule-level and its water analogue;
construction tape and plumb line;
a manual or mechanical rammer, a heavy sledgehammer, a stone hammer (pick), and a chisel.

Armed with the tools and having prepared all the consumables in the required volume, you can finally begin to find the answer to the question of how to make a rubble stone foundation without the involvement of specialists.

Technological features of constructing a rubble stone foundation: installation of the bottom layer

The foundation, the main filler of which is natural stone (rubble), is laid at a certain depth (depending on the reliability of the soil foundation). Moreover, the installation depth must necessarily exceed the maximum level of soil freezing. The actual digging of trenches is preceded by the breakdown of the area according to the development plan. Digging of the soil is carried out on the basis that the width of the excavation will make it possible to build a foundation “with a margin”, that is, the distance from the edge of the load-bearing walls of the future structure to the border of the concrete foundation will be at least 10-15 cm. Often during excavation work “embarrassments” arise "caused by uncontrolled shedding of soil into the trenches. A solution to the problem can be primitive formwork, made from improvised boards or sheets of metal, which is removed immediately after the pouring process is completed.

In the dug trenches, a so-called “sand cushion” is created. This is done in several stages, with each layer of sand being thoroughly compacted and moistened. At the final stage of “trench work”, the waterproofing layer is installed on an already prepared “cushion” at the bottom of the excavation: sheets of roofing felt, or its equivalent, are evenly laid “overlapping” (thereby minimizing unexpected moisture loss during the hardening of the concrete-stone belt) . It is worth noting that, without having experience in the installation of such structures, it is preferable to build a strip foundation from rubble stone rather than try to master the technique of pillar laying “at once.” The second option involves the need to look for answers to complex questions, such as balancing a monolithic base, calculating optimal “threshold” points, and the like.

Natural cobblestones with the most even (flat) horizontal surfaces will serve as the “support” on which both the foundation itself and the structure being constructed (house) will subsequently “sit”. Stones with this geometry should be pressed into the sandy base at the bottom of the trench, and at the same time controlled so that they do not swing and are directed along the excavation, and not across. It is quite likely that the purchased batch of rubble will not contain such “suitable cobblestones” for laying in the first row of the base.

There is no need to panic: you will have to arm yourself with a chisel and a hammer-pick and independently “correct the defects” of the natural material.

As the rubble is pressed into the sand “pillow”, small depressions and openings will certainly begin to form. To get rid of them, you will have to resort to tamping again. However, this time compaction involves the additional use of finer filler (crushed stone or pebbles). It looks like this: the voids between the rubble are filled with fine-grained crushed stone, after which these zones are methodically processed with a sledgehammer until the surface is completely leveled. And only after this is the first layer of the base filled with cement-sand mortar (at a ratio of 1:3).

It is important to understand that when making a rubble stone foundation with your own hands, you take full responsibility for compliance with construction safety standards. So, say, if the height of the same first layer in the base is not maintained, then there will be a high probability of critical deformation of the concrete structure. (It is recommended to lay rubble at the bottom of the trench in such a way that after the initial pouring, the height of the layer fluctuates between 30-40 cm.)

Laying and, accordingly, pouring the second and subsequent rows of rubble foundations is carried out according to the algorithm described above. The only difference is that the seams are periodically bandaged, as in standard brickwork, and the natural stone itself is mounted directly on the uncured mortar.

A separate topic is reinforcement. A high foundation needs additional stabilization using strong wire or reinforcement. As a rule, the last 3-4 layers of the structure are reinforced. Regular tamping and shaking of the moving mass of each new level will guarantee that the construction of a rubble stone foundation will take place without technological deviations.

Practical recommendations for arranging a rubble foundation: optimization of the work process

Professional builders have long developed algorithms for optimizing certain processes, and no one can prevent amateur beginners from arming themselves with this knowledge, who, say, set out to learn from their own experience how to lay a rubble stone foundation. So, here are some practical tips that can significantly reduce physical stress when installing a concrete base yourself:

the presence of gentle slopes in the trenches dug for pouring the rubble foundation makes it possible to equip a comfortable working platform between the bottom of the excavation and its walls (accordingly, the supply of mortar and stone is accelerated);
the problem of steep slopes is solved by installing wooden scaffolding;

It is advisable to place containers for cement-sand mortar on the sides of narrow and shallow trenches, and pile rubble in the spaces between them;
advance “reservation” of space for openings for laying communications and ventilation reduces the construction time of the foundation by several days;
the required volume of all consumables must be calculated before pouring begins, so as not to disrupt the installation technology.

The relevance and demand for foundations based on rubble stone is largely due to their high load-bearing capacity and durability, but its impeccable aesthetic appearance also plays an important role in the popularization of the natural material. Designs made using natural cobblestones often eliminate the need for additional finishing work. In addition, the rock is very “friendly” towards other facing products, which certainly plays into the hands of supporters of economical construction. And most importantly: in order to make a foundation from rubble stone yourself, you don’t need to be a world-famous architect or have seven spans in your forehead! Armed with patience and following simple rules and recommendations, almost any person is able to master a technology whose history dates back centuries...