E type soil - to build or keep looking?

even with popper engineering designed and provided to the builder, you're at the mercy of the builder monitoring their trades to ensure that the engineering is followed. Not only that, many (at least in the volume space) builder's chosen engineers have a vested interest in engineering designs that while meeting the principles expected, are cheap and don't scare the builders clients away. Its why there's waffle slabs all over H2 soil everywhere when there is a far superior, albeit more expensive option. These designs are sometimes done to such exacting tolerances and have pages of caveats attached to their performance it can make your head spin.

So can it be done? Sure. Is it a gamble? yes.

ultimately if you choose to build there, you're going to have to be across all the detail and have your own independent professionals helping you with your understanding and even potentially monitoring of the works. Whether your builder will be up for that is another variable.

youre right you will be up for extra costs, how much is anybody's guess.

My high level advice is if you have a large budget and can flex as things change, and this is "the one" then, sure go for it and be on top of it with the right people by your side.

If you are on a tight budget, save yourself the head and inevitable heartache and find something less risky.

yes but presuming all things necessary are done by the homeowner post hand over, this could become a set and forget set up. It just wont come cheap.

Good work doing purchase subject to geotech!

A drainage pipe leaking under the house occurs on a rare occasion. Provided he relevant flexible joins are employed and the drainage is designed for the site and actually laid out per the design, it is litterally set and forget. Set and forget doesn't mean never look at again, it means you dont have to worry everytime it rains where the water is going.

Normal maintenance of the property and not being a brain-dead home-owner apply to any home, regardless what soil you build on.

Not really. The advuce i gave isnt about trusting anyone. Infact it was the opposite.

Thanks so much for your advice. Lots of things to consider.

Hi. The report did specify that it was not high water table & that it was controlled fill. I believe it is E due to the movement of the soil & P due to the large surrounding trees.
The trees were something we knew could potentially increase movement but now in addition to such a reactive soil reading on top of that it is certainly making us question if its worth all the hard work and potential complications.

Thanks so much for your advice.

You don't have to have a slab. You can get adjustable piers with bearers and joists that you can wind up and down if movement occurs. Potentially proper peiring is what is most important in a slab on E class soil.

It would be worth asking the geotech to provide the depths of clay which would need to be removed to reduce the estimated shrink-swell movements to that of H1/M/S site classification. Use those depths/volumes to get quotes for importing and validating sand/stabilised sand under the house location.

Probably be costly but it may work out cheaper when the engineering/slab/footing costs are reduced and the building works are a bit more suited to a project builder (if that is preferred).

With the pools/outbuildings etc., they require protection as with a house. Pools normally have a pool surround which limits shrink swell movements under the pool. If the pool is inground, a good portion of the clay will be removed so the shrink swell further reduces. With outbuildings, impermeable membranes can be layed around the shed to protect and new slab. So although not engineered, the landscaping needs to take into account possible future shrink-swell movements.

That's exactly how it's done add
1. Get a proper survey along with test bore results then
get the Geo/Engineer to generate a 3D soil profile model ,data, etc
2. calculate Areas, Volume, earth moving data,etc
3.Apply realistic rates generate costs, documentation for CDC
4.Have the soil and footings certified eg, M down to S,
S to A
5.Take control, then get 3 builders to quote
LOL, make sure the data/proofs is certified and the provider is licensed in your state, you don't want the builder coming back at a later date and say
" The salesman who gave you the initial information wasn't licensed or qualified .."
hth