Groundworks that set the build up properly from the ground up
Groundworks from MCMurdie Contracts LTD: site preparation, excavation, foundations and drainage, carried out alongside steel fabrication, formwork and reinforced concrete.
What’s involved
Every structure depends on what happens before it rises above ground level. MCMurdie Contracts LTD carries out groundworks alongside foundations, drainage and site preparation, so the ground is cleared, dug, drained and ready for the concrete and steel that follow.
Good to know
Know what is in the ground before digging
Before any excavation starts, buried services should be located from utility records and traced on site with a cable avoidance tool (CAT and Genny). Trial pits are the usual way to check the soil. Firm clay, made ground, sand and a high water table each call for a different foundation depth and excavation method.
From topsoil strip to formation level
Groundworks follow a fixed order. The site is cleared and the topsoil stripped and stockpiled for reuse. The building is set out from the drawings with pegs and profiles, then dug down to formation level, the firm undisturbed ground the foundation will bear on. Any soft spots are removed and replaced, and the excavation is kept dry and free of loose material so the concrete sits on sound ground.
Strip, trench-fill and pad foundations
A strip foundation is a wide, fairly shallow band of concrete with masonry built up to ground level. Trench-fill takes concrete almost to the surface in a narrow trench, which saves bricklaying below ground and suits firm, cohesive soils where deeper trenches stand without support. Pad foundations are isolated bases under columns, common where a steel frame carries the load.
More to know
Inspections before concrete
Under the Building Regulations, foundation excavations are normally inspected by building control before concrete is poured, and drainage is checked before it is backfilled. Allowing for these inspections in the programme stops the work being held up and saves having to expose work again later.
Drainage laid to fall
Below-ground drainage in England and Wales is covered by Approved Document H. Pipes are laid to a steady fall that suits their size and flow, bedded and surrounded in granular material, with access points such as inspection chambers or rodding eyes where runs change direction.
Sub-bases and hardstanding
Yards, access roads and hardstanding depend on the layer beneath them. Type 1 sub-base is laid on a prepared formation, often over a geotextile membrane on soft ground, and compacted in thin layers with a roller or plate. A poorly compacted sub-base is the usual reason a concrete slab or surface later cracks or settles, so this stage deserves as much care as the finished surface.
Why people choose us
The ground and the structure planned together
Groundworks, foundations, formwork, concrete and steelwork are handled by one contractor, so levels, holding-down bolt positions and service ducts are set with the next stage already in mind.
Fewer handovers between trades
When the ground is prepared by the same contractor who casts the foundations, there is no gap between one trade leaving and the next arriving, and no dispute over whose work caused a problem.
Direct contact with the contractor
You deal with the people doing the work, which keeps questions about levels, drawings and sequencing quick to settle.
Questions
Have a specific question about your drawings or structural package? Call directly or request a quote.
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Get in touch
Direct contractor contact. Send drawings or call to discuss groundworks, foundations, steel fabrication, or concrete work.