Prepping Your Land for a Container Home: A Focus on Ground Leveling and Foundation Preparation

As a new form of construction, container houses are getting more and more attention because of their fast construction speed, relatively low cost and sustainable development potential. But the size and shape of a container home is not different from a conventional structure, and so the technical integrity is ultimately determined by the strength of the foundation. In container house construction, land preparation is an important first link, where site leveling and foundation treatment directly affect the safety of the house and living comfort. The difference is that this paper will better follow the modern Chinese academic paper style, with a more serious and impersonal attitude, will discuss the key steps and technical points of ground leveling and foundation treatment in container housing land preparation.

Initial site evaluation: geotechnical investigation and regulatory compliance review

The actual preparation of the land must begin with a comprehensive evaluation of the site. Two components of this are geological survey and compliance assessment.

The geological survey aims to assess both the soil type, bearing capacity, and water body in the area, and whether it will be at risk of geological disasters, such as landslides, subsidence, liquefaction and so forth. Detailed geological data is obtained through techniques such as drilling, in-situ testing and other technical approaches, and is used to inform the foundation design. The bearing capacity and stability of various types of soil will directly affect the selection and treatment of foundation types.

La revisión de conformidad debe basarse en la verificación local de regulaciones de construcción y documentos de planificación de uso de suelo en otras cosas: para confirmar que la casa de contenedores cumpla con todas las regulaciones locales, incluido el cumplimiento del norma de altura de la edilicia, la línea roja de la tierra y los requisitos de protección del medio ambiente. One of the first requirements to unlock the legal feasibility of the project is to have the necessary building permits and approval documents.

Ground leveling project — the basis for ensuring structural stability

Next to the land preparation for container housing, ground leveling is a key link. The container itself has structural strength, but the contact surface between the bottom and the ground is relatively small, and the ground may not be flat, resulting in uneven force of the container, which will affect the stability and safety of the structure in the long run.

Goal of ground levelling is surface of the site treat as a near level state Garbha, eliminating obvious uneven. According to preliminary detection, different leveling methods are required according to site conditions, including excavation backfill, mechanical rolling, etc. In sites with larger than usual gradients, step leveling or retaining wall reinforcement work may be needed.

Kill-Tape: During the ground leveling process, the error of flatness should be strictly controlled to spread the force on the bottom of the container evenly. Precise control using the level, total station and other measurement tools. After the land has been leveled, drainage treatment should also be done to avoid the accumulation of rainwater and collapse of foundation.

Choice of foundation types: schemes characteristic of the geological features

The container house is an important factor should be taken into account in the geological conditions of the site, weight and layout of the container and local climate conditions. The most common base types of container homes include:

If the bearing capacity of foundation is good and the site is smooth, monolithic concrete Slab foundation is applicable. The container is directly placed on a simple structure and uniform force reinforced concrete slab. Nevertheless, the price is relatively high and the requirements of the flatness of foundation are high.

Independent pillar pier foundation: vertical pillar (a vertical piece of concrete that can be placed where the load point at the bottom of the container is fixed) Place a container on the pillar pier. It is applicable to the general bearing capacity of the foundation, the cost is low, but the requirement for positioning and the levelness of the column pier.

Strip foundation: The continuous strip foundation is installed for the longitudinal or transverse walls of the container. It is for the scenario where the foundation has a poor bearing capacity; in this case container weights can be spread over a greater area, and thus improve the foundation stability.

For complex geology and poor foundation bearing capacity: pile foundation. The weight of the container is supported by the bearing capacity of the pile driven into the deep stable soil layer. The cost is significant and construction is not simple.

Professional structure engineers maintain the calculation and explication of the foundation type selection, for the container house foundation have to afford their weight safely and reliably, and to withstand the varied loads effects.

Foundation drain design: a key factor in preventing erosion from groundwater

The stability of foundation is influenced by the erosion of both ground water and surface water. Reasonable drainage designed in the foundation can effectively prevent the foundation soil from softening and erosion, prolonging the service life of the foundation and the container house.

In building foundation drainage, a comprehensive analysis of terrain, topography, precipitation and groundwater level should be conducted. Preventive drainage measures include the following:

Surface drainage: Conducting surface water to drains or natural systems through rational relief.

Blind trench drainage: A trench filled with gravel or gravel is laid around the foundation to receive and discharge groundwater.

Drainage pipe: Put saddled drainage pipe with holes for collecting ground water and for draining to an eliminated place.

Humidity Proof Layer: A moisture-proof layer should be installed at the interface of the foundation and containers, as an outward prevention of underground water bypassing.

A reasonable drainage design can effectively reduce the groundwater level, reduce the soil and foundation water, and avoid the foundation settlement, cracking and other issues.

Treatment of soil compaction: increase the bearing capacity of foundation

The large clay soil requires the foundation to adopt the Compaction treatment to improve the bearing capacity, while loose soil or backfill, etc. When soil is compacted, its density may rise, its pores may decrease, and its strength and stability may also increase.

General soil compaction methods such as the manual and mechanical rolling etc. Based on the type of soil and compaction requirements, pick the suitable compaction equipment and a compaction method. Compaction is a multilayer operation, and the thickness of each layer should be less than a certain limit for compaction effect. Test a compacted soil to verify the bearing capacity is adequate for the design

conclusion

Land preparation is a key link related to structural safety and residential comfort, especially ground leveling and foundation treatment. From early site assessment to final soil compaction, every step is critical and must adhere strictly to codes and standards. Hence, it is necessary to carry out scientific and reasonable land preparation for the construction of container houses, which can lay a good foundation for construction to better play its advantages in sustainable construction. So in the process of construction of container houses, it is necessary to pay special attention to land preparation work, and use professional engineering team operation, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the project and ultimately ensure the quality.