Remember that you had to dig up earth at your site for the placement of your foundations? Well, once the foundations are in place and the concrete has been rested and treated enough, it’s time to refill the site with gravel. Luckily, you have literally heaps of it from when you dug up the earth.
Backfilling reuses this soil to help strengthen the foundation of your building.
It is important that you give your concrete enough time to strengthen itself as soil, dirt, and moisture put a lot of pressure on the structure. The timing of backfilling is very critical as this affects the structural stability of your building construction.
It’s best that the soil material used should be free of any organic or decomposable materials such as trees, logs, etc. It is important that the soil contains a mixture of stone, rocks, and gravel to ensure optimum strength. If you run out of soil, it’s best to purchase some gravel and stones which will add extra strength. Though it does cost more, stone or gravel is the next best alternative as it compacts easily and allows water to quickly move through it.
Backfilling is usually done in layers to ensure the soil is packed and won’t collapse later. Once your soil has been filled, water (either from your own borewell or a tanker) has to be sprayed to ensure that any loose soil is brought together.
Although backfilling a new home foundation sounds simple, major problems can be created without proper care and precautions. Do take time to ensure that the soil is packed properly before laying the PCC (Plain Cement Concrete) for your plinth beam.
