BUILDING FOUNDATION IN SWAMPY AREAS

Swamp is a wetland that is dominated by shrubs or trees, they are often near rivers or streams. They may have water in them for a whole year or part of the year.

Foundation is the heart of any building and much attention should be given to it to avoid collapsing of the building and other accidents during and after completion of the project.
A wet building could bring you problems for the longest time possible if the foundation is not properly laid. Constructing on a wet ground can raise moisture levels in your house which can cause the growth of mold and mildew. A wet grounded site can cause problems to the slab foundation, because the excess moisture in the soil can pass via the concrete into your house.

-You can build a house safely on a wet grounded area but you need a special drainage system around your house and foundation. An effective barrier  below the foundation will be required.
The type of foundation to be used in swampy areas depends on certain factors ,one of the factors is soil type, you need to have a professional to conduct a soil test and that may determine the type of foundation to use. In return, a structural engineer will use the results to come up with recommended designs of which that depends on the type of house you are planning to build.

Others factors that determine type of foundation to be used includes

1.Depth of the swamp.

2.Type of building

3.Type of the swamp

4.Cost of available resources

5.Availability of resources

Before laying your foundation proper investigations should be done on the above factors to determine the most suitable type of foundation to be used.
Commonly used foundation in swampy  grounded areas are pile foundation and raft foundation.

Pile foundation - this are deep foundations and they are formed by long, slender column elements made from steel or reinforced concrete.

Raft foundation- its a continuous slab resting on the soil that extends over the entire footprint of the building.

pile foundation is used for deeper swamps.

Constructing a firm foundation in swampy areas mainly constitute two stages

1.Excavation- excavating in logged water areas a minimum depth of five feet  in the ground is recommended. its advisable after the excavation is done a layer of hardcore stones of big sizes are laid and compaction is done . This is to avoid penetration of water from underground.

After laying and compacting hardcore, small stones [gravel] should follow and then heavy heap of soil should follow and they should be compacted to fill the gaps which may have been left by the stones. Make sure no spaces are left to prevent penetration of water.

After all this is done its recommended to leave the laid foundation for a period of time to give room for the compacted stones and soil to fairly attach themselves to attain a strong foundation.
Its advisable to put  a fence and proper drainage channel to prevent occurrence of mass soil erosion of soil that has been compacted .

2. Constructing an elevated platform - after building the first phase of underground foundation  and giving it the recommended time to be come strong an elevated platform is built, its heights depends with the level of water logging  of the area.The elevated platform should have a minimum height of  three feet from initial ground.

Again you should consider the future level of road around your house , if the road level will be higher than the foundation your house will have drainage problems.
After the raised floor is done with guidance from a professional, the main concrete slab should be poured but before that a damp proof membrane is spread around the entire area of the foundation and a reinforced mesh wire.
Ensure necessary plumbing works is done before  pouring  the concrete of the main floor slab.

The main walling of the building can start after the concrete has cured properly.

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