Concrete Foundations

[query_me2001]

I have just taken down an old garage due to wall instability. I reckon it was 20 years old.

Having cleared the site to ground level, I want to know how much further I should clear the site. The current foundations are brick to about 2-3 feet below ground.

My short term plan I hope fill the area with concrete and level it off. My longer term plan, when I get some money, is to build perhaps a shed, garage or a summer house/living area.

Now I have a few questions:

1. Can I use a concrete foundation as a basis for any future building?
2. Should I use the existing brick as the perimiter for the conrete to be filled in.
3. What sort of depth of concrete should I be thinking about?
4. The area is 6metres by 4 metres. I intent to get a concrete mixer to deliver a ready-mix. How much would it cost for this sort of volume? For the life of me I can't find a price ont he internet.

Thanks, ME

[meow2222]

outbuildings dont usually need foundations, so whatever's there or whatever you pour is just fine.

NT

[robgraham]

OK we've got to do so translating here as you've confused the post by talking of a brick foundation in one place and a concrete one in another !

And it is not clear why you are wanting to pour more concrete as my working out of what you have is the 2-3 ft of brickwork on an underground concrete foundation - the garage floor I take is concrete that either used this brickwork as the shuttering or sits on it as a concrete raft. If this is what you have and it has been used as a garage without the floor breaking up due to the weight of a car, then I can't see what your problem is.

Try reposting remembering that you can see what you have and have to make us see it. I'm afraid you've fallen into the trap of too many posters of failing to think whether your post is understandable to others.

Rob

[sm_jamieson]

Concrete companies do not have much of an internet presence. I was thinking what you said, and then I looked in yellow pages and phoned. Its easy to make the mistake that the internet *is* the world. Simon.

[query_me2001]

OK I did not descriibed it too well. So I have decided to take a few photos.

have dug 3 test holes to see the depth of the bricks to the foundations. They are actually about 20-24 inches. When I get down to the base foundation it looks as though ot is on concrete.

Like I say I want to have the complete area for future development. So my plan was to concrete it all in the hope that this would take any structure. Although it is a garage or some sort of living room I do think good foundations woudl be need - but NT may be correct.

I hope the pictures help to give an idea of the areas an what it currently looks like. Should I keep the sand/soil middle area and teh brick perimeter adn pour concrete over it - or do I need to clear the site up a bit and dig out the soil and remove the old brick?

Thanks, Mark E

[query_me2001]

Simon,

I hope the world does not around the internet. It was a Sunday when I posted this and I thought that some friendly DIYer might have a cost for a ready mix concrete.

BTW what price were you quoted?

Thanks, ME

[robgraham]

Thanks Mark, the pictures do help considerably! You will have to decide now what you want the concrete base for - the reason being that for some purposes you could just fill it with concrete (at least 4" if you going to use it for a car, 3" otherwise) using the brickwork as a perimeter - but for others you going to have to put a damp proof membrane.

I would suggest that you tidy up the centre a bit with some sort of in fill - 20mm chips or the likes, then blind that with whatever you can find that is cheap to give a reasonable flat bed for the concrete.

If you go the dpm route, I would put 3"/4" high wooden shuttering round the brickwork, in-fill and blind as above, lay the dpm with it running up the shuttering a bit, and heave in the concrete such that it is a raft on top of the bricks. You could go the dpm way inside the the bricks as a perimeter, but

Most DIY Manuals will show you how to lay the concrete, tamping it, etc.

Rob