Foundation defined: A structure's foundation, as defined by Oxford Dictionaries, is "the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level."
Do you ever worry that people are practically flying through your parking lot when they’re coming or going? When you want to maintain a safer parking area, we’re always happy to help you install concrete speed bumps to help control the speed.
When the foundation to a house is constantly shifting, it can lead to long term damage. Not only will foundation repairs be necessary, but structural repairs to your home may also be needed.
A large part of the strength of the concrete comes from the proper mix of the materials in concrete. A concrete contractor will evaluate the application, then mix the correct ratios of cement, water, air, and aggregate to give the right amount of strength.
What is the difference between pre-cast concrete and standard concrete? Pre-cast, as the name suggests, is poured into a mold in preparation of a build. Standard is almost always poured into forms or casts on a site, with no preparation.
The word concrete has a Latin origin which makes the likelihood that concrete may go back as far as the Roman times. Some structures still stand today in the Mediterranean, which they are great examples of the strength of concrete.
Did you know that the first step in manufacturing concrete is to prepare the cement? Portland cement is almost always used, as it’s considered superior to natural cement in terms of strength, durability, and consistency of quality.
Golf courses save a lot of money by installing golf cart pathways. This eliminates the wear and tear of the tires on the grass, while providing golfers with a safe and level asphalt pathway to drive on.
If your soil has a large amount of clay in it, then a crawlspace foundation is probably going to be your best bet. Here, an accessible space is left between the soil and the bottom of the first floor of the structure.
One of the most important factors that determines the final strength of the concrete is the water-to-cement ratio. A higher ratio means that the concrete will be easier to work with, but a lower ratio means that the concrete will have a lot more strength.
The strength and durability of concrete are two of the biggest factors to use concrete for your swimming pool. Concrete pools last longer and generally require less maintenance than fiberglass or vinyl-lined in-ground pools.
Geomembranes are low permeability liners made of synthetic polymers applied to a man-made structure. Geomembranes can be used as a protection barrier for a house foundation, keeping soil moisture levels constant and preventing entrance of surface water.
Frogged concrete blocks contain a "frog" or a shallow impression on its top (similar to frogged brick). This frog will enable the block to hold mortar, which enables the creation of a strong bond with the above laid brick.
With strip foundations, the trenches are made for the load bearing walls and then deeper trenches are dug to lay the footings. Essentially, the size of the trench will depend on the amount of load the structure will bear.
When we work with you, we can create intriguing designs that will add to the curb appeal of your home using lines that draw people’s eyes toward your house.
Foundation repair is most needed in regions containing expansive soils such as the southern United States. An expansive soil contains minerals formed in a crystal lattice that absorbs water, causing dramatic changes in volume that can damage your home's foundation.
One thing you need to remember to do to prepare for the concrete edging team is to preplan the outline of the bed prior to their arrival. This can be done either with a simple garden hose or marking it with paint.
If you have never worked with premixed concrete before, make sure you have needed protection. Fresh concrete can case chemical burns to the skin and eyes, so be sure to wear gloves, long pants, rubber boots (wellies), goggles, and long-sleeved shirts.
During foundation construction, expansive soils are often removed and replaced with non-expansive fill. However, this may not be practical if the soil runs too deep beneath the surface. Pre-wetting the soil before building is also a common measure.
Care to guess where the oldest synthetic evidence of concrete is located? That would be southern Galilee in Israel, where a 9,000 year old concrete floor was discovered back in 1985.
We recommend sealing the concrete once the curbing is installed to prevent stains and water penetration. In colder months, it protects against damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle.
The secret of concrete was never lost. Projects such as the Canal du Midi were built with concrete in the late 17th century nearly 100 years before John Smeaton “rediscovered” it.
Concrete curbs and gutters are used to direct water runoff toward catch basins. Concrete curbs and gutters can also be designed in the form of a ramp known as a roll curb. Most homebuilders prefer roll curbs because they combine efficiency with cost effectiveness.
Precast concrete can be made into a variety of shapes and products for storm water and waste water needs. The durable concrete lasts a long time without being damaged by the water. The concrete can be used for catch basins, manholes, and storm water detention vaults.
With slab foundations, the concrete is poured directly onto the ground and into the perimeter footings. One of the biggest benefits to these types of foundations is that they are efficient to construct and thus cost effective.
Almost any type of curb can have a gutter or apron section attached to it, thereby making it a combined gutter and curb. In fact, combined gutter and curb designs are appealing in urban areas because the stable concrete gutters create sustainable flow lines.
Today, many foundations are made using systems of either steel pilings or concrete piers. Which will depend up the size of the building, the soil where it will be located, environmental conditions, and more.
