Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Dec 29, 2008 5:48 pm Hi all,
I need some advice. My wife and I have decided to build our 1st home and have just received details of our soil test. The soil/site has been classified as an 'E' and my builder has told me to expect approx $15K for earthworks (waffle slab etc). Questions: 1) Whats the general concensus with regards to building on E class soils? i.e. is there nothing to worry about as long as the right slab/foundation is put down? 2) Do you think it's worthwhile trying to request a price reduction on the land from the developer? Any advice etc. would be appreciated. reply 2Dec 29, 2008 5:49 pm I've never heard of an E class. I dont think it may be too good...
We have an M class. Search back throguh older threads, there was one about site works and soil testing. You may remember me as "pringles", on such websites as Homeone. Building Atlantique Mk2 with Carlisle. At completion stage. Regards Re: Poor Soil Test Result 3Dec 29, 2008 6:04 pm E class soil is the worse possible for movement...
In ascending order S M H E... Where about's in Brisbane are you? How big is the home? What class slab had the builder allowed for(generally S)? Electrical Engineer... Don't hold that against me... And keen owner builder... Mainly the building part!! Re: Poor Soil Test Result 4Dec 29, 2008 6:07 pm 15k site costs seems reasonable if you have the worst possible soil. we paid close to 10k for H class. Re: Poor Soil Test Result 5Dec 29, 2008 6:21 pm Plot is 620sqm in Brentwood Rise (Augustine Hieghts). House is 255sqm.
Initial costs were based on a M class slab and he's told me that I'll be looking at approx $8k on top of that due to the E class test result, (he's waiting on final foundation plans before he can give me accurate figures). Re: Poor Soil Test Result 6Dec 29, 2008 6:30 pm Single Level or double?
$15k seems reasonable on the standard S class... There is a fair bit more engineering and subsequently steel and concrete involved... When you get your working slab detail drawings would you mind posting them online? Electrical Engineer... Don't hold that against me... And keen owner builder... Mainly the building part!! Re: Poor Soil Test Result 8Dec 29, 2008 6:39 pm Don't confuse soil type with slab type. Our soil is classified "P" (bad, lots of movement - cracking of interior walls and brickwork is very common here) and our slab was upgraded to an H-class, with some piering.
Single storey, 35 squares. Site costs were over $12,000. Could have been MUCH worse. Re: Poor Soil Test Result 9Dec 29, 2008 6:42 pm P is typically assigned to filled sites, and yes with the addition of piers can be downgraded accordingly... Electrical Engineer... Don't hold that against me... And keen owner builder... Mainly the building part!! Re: Poor Soil Test Result 10Dec 29, 2008 7:08 pm P will be assigned to a site if it has anything "unusual"... fill, if it is a knockdown, trees.
Our site was classified P because we have trees up the back of a 66m deep block. Our slab is M class. Generally though, the slab will match the soil classification. That's the point of the classification, for the slab to be engineered accordingly. P is just the wildcard. I think your cost sound reasonable in comparison to what people are paying for H class slabs down here. Jo I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: Poor Soil Test Result 11Dec 29, 2008 7:43 pm Yeah, we have fill. Lots of fill. And really crappy volcanic clay soil that shrinks and expands like crazy, depending on rainfall.
The piering along the rear of the slab is because of proximity to the sewer in our easement. One block immediately behind us has the entire slab piered. Glad I wasn't paying their site costs! Re: Poor Soil Test Result 12Jan 02, 2009 12:54 am kirkr99,
A work collegue of mine is also building in the same estate. He had a 5m fill at the rear of the block and intial report came back P. Since the compaction report it now stands at a H. From memory their additional site costs where around $12-13k so it seems about right. Nathan Re: Poor Soil Test Result 13Jan 03, 2009 3:42 pm Our soil was classified P. Our site costs were 8k so we were VERY lucky. 10k seems reasonable I have heard of a lot worse Re: Poor Soil Test Result 14Jan 03, 2009 8:12 pm Hopefully, not many of you are as bad as mine:
Contract = S-class + $31,000 allowance above standard (for earthworks and footings) Soil test comes back as H-D class. Variation of $23,000 over and above the $31,000 allowance Prices are total for the pair of single-storey duplexes, each approx 160 sqm. Chris Re: Poor Soil Test Result 16Jan 04, 2009 9:14 am chuth77,
From the cost, I don't blame anyone thinking that I'm building a bunker. Truth of the matter is that my block is FLAT. Only approx 300mm from highest point to the lowest point. Footing plan shows trenches to be 850mm x 250mm deep. 50% of the slab is 125mm thick (other 50% is 100mm). Believe it or not, the cost I mentioned is the negotiated-down price!!! I will also add that my building seems to be fair bit more expensive that those posted by forumites from Melb/Syd, more like Canberra prices. Chris Re: Poor Soil Test Result 17Jan 08, 2009 6:49 pm I just received my soil test today and it came back as a S/M Class but with Piering required? This is apparently $5-15k extra!
If I have a compaction certificate then I dont require piering but on the developers website apparently the block next to me and behind me has a certificate but not mine. I thought all new council developments had to be compacted? The soil test does say it's dense fill so surely they would have been able to see if it has been compacted? What should I do? Can I compact it myself? Re: Poor Soil Test Result 18Jan 08, 2009 7:23 pm How much fill is on the block?
If its more than 150mm then you can't compact it yourself... Well at least not without ripping out anything above this, and then compacting in 200mm layers... Electrical Engineer... Don't hold that against me... And keen owner builder... Mainly the building part!! Re: Poor Soil Test Result 19Jan 08, 2009 7:25 pm Ah bugger I have between 1200-2000mm of fill over the block. Surely if the block next to me has been compacted then mine would?
I thought it was a Brisbane Council Development requirement that all new developments if they have fill it must be compacted? Re: Poor Soil Test Result 20Jan 08, 2009 7:30 pm Worth asking the question from the developer, and the city council...
Do you have your footing/peir design or is this just preliminary costings? I'd be suprised if both around you were compacted, and your's wasn't... Electrical Engineer... Don't hold that against me... And keen owner builder... Mainly the building part!! We were lucky in that our old house was so small (86 square metres) compared to the new house, they were able to take enough readings around the old backyard house before… 8 37143 Three options 1 Ask the liquidator 2 Find another PD customer and ask the source of their report 3 Pay for new report 3 12337 Hi Building Expert, Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated, there is also a code of conduct for building surveyors which they need to follow as well. I am looking… 4 3672 |