Building your first house when you are young

« Back to Home

2 Pile Foundations You Can Consider for Your New Home Build

Posted on

Although there is a slew of decisions that you need to make when embarking on new home construction, undeniably the most important one will be selecting the best foundation for the structure. And while the main function of a foundation is to provide your house with stability, not all foundations function the same. When it comes to ensuring your property has enhanced support in the face of poor soil conditions, considerable vertical load from your newly constructed house, constructing in a flood-prone location and so on, a pile foundation would be the best option for your project.

Admittedly, piles are usually associated with strengthening weakened foundations but this does not mean that a piling contractor will not be a valuable asset for your custom home build Below are a couple of pile foundations that you can consider for your new home build.

Bored foundations

Characterised by their cylindrical shape, bored piles are created by pouring concrete into the foundation. To do this, the piling contractor will drill holes into the foundation and place rebar inside them before the concrete is poured. The rebar functions to increase the robustness of the bored concrete piles. Bored foundations tend to be the go-to pile alternative in urban spaces due to the range of advantages that they offer.

Not only are they ideal on properties that provide minimal headroom but they do not run the risk of causing soil heaving on the site. Additionally, the piles can vary in length depending on your project's individual needs. The main drawbacks to be wary of is that you will have to engage in the disposal of the soil that will be disturbed during the boring process, which could inflate your new home build's costs.

Micro-pile foundations

Also commonly referred to as mini-pile foundations, this piling system is the go-to solution when a project requires deep support. A major selling point of the micro-pile variety is their versatility, as they can be employed on both brand new as well as pre-existing foundations to enhance the overall stability of the structure. Moreover, this type of foundation offers a range of benefits. To begin with, it can be employed alongside other piling techniques, making it a flexible solution for homeowners that want to make their foundation as robust as possible.

Secondly, since the piles are smaller than other options available, they are an ideal choice when working on a foundation with limited accessibility. Mini-piles are also a better alternative to their bored pile counterparts when installing a foundation in sub-optimal soil conditions. Nonetheless, the main disadvantage of note is their high initial cost in comparison to other solutions available.

For more information, contact a piling contractor.


Share