With any building, the most important thing is its foundation, or pad. It’s critical that the soil a structure sits on is stable.

A lot of the soil around Houston has a high content of clay, which is sensitive to moisture fluctuations. When water is added to clay it causes the soil to expand and heave upward, subjecting foundations to pressures from underneath. As opposed to if water is withdrawn, clay soils will contract, sometimes creating voids that leave portions of the foundations unsupported.

It's important to know the type of soil you will be building on. Soils have a significant impact on the performance of a building's foundation.		A pad has to be properly prepared to prevent problems caused by uneven settling, erosion and flooding.
Roller-type compactors increase the density of soil to improve load support and stablization.

Depending on the type of soil and the surrounding elevation, there are several considerations to ensure a solid foundation. Sometimes it’s acceptable to remove the top 6 inches of soil because this is the organic soil that decomposes and causes voids in soil. Sometimes engineers require that 2-6 feet of soil is removed and back filled with compacted select fill. Sometimes it’s necessary to import lime or fly ash and mix it into soil to harden the soil.

Let Daniel Dean evaluate your requirements and organize a plan that's suited to your situation.

Daniel Dean has prepared both residential and commercial properties for construction including: home and building pads, culverts, detentions ponds and lakes, drainage, driveways and roads, final grading, site layout, parking lots, riding areas and more.