Many people love stepping inside of a new property. Whether it’s a new home or business structure, having your own building is a great feeling. Before enjoying this building, you’ll need to choose the right location. Building on the wrong types of soil can lead to a wide range of problems, especially foundation failure. Fortunately, you can avoid these situations by learning about problematic soil types. Here are three problematic soil types to avoid building a foundation on.
- Saturated Soils
It’s wise to avoid building a property anywhere near overly saturated soils. This can lead to a problem known as liquefaction. This occurs when loose and saturated soil begins to collect additional amounts of water. After this happens, it decreases the soil’s strength. This combination of increasing water pressure and decreasing soil strength can even lead to landslides taking place. - Soils with Large Amounts of Silt
Certain types of soils contain silt. This often happens as a result of liquids making their way into the soil. After the moisture dries up, soil and silt form together. Unfortunately, this often leaves spaces in the soil. In turn, this makes soil with large amounts of silt susceptible to collapsing. Therefore, it’s always wise to avoid building on soil that contains large amounts of silt. - Expansive Soil
One of the most problematic soil types occurs when the ground expands. Therefore, it’s imperative to watch out for expansive soils. In fact, research from the American Society of Civil Engineers found that almost 50% of homes throughout the United States are built upon expansive soil. This type of soil isn’t problematic all of the time. Trouble begins when this type of soil receives moisture. After the moisture leaves, the soil contracts which causes a wide range of foundation problems.
To summarize, there are several problematic soil types to watch out for. Research shows that there are 60 types of soil throughout the state of Texas. Therefore, it’s important to ensure your property resides on the right type of soil. If you want help with this important concern, consider having professionals perform a soil analysis. This helps to ensure you avoid building any type of foundation on problematic soil. You might find yourself dealing with foundation problems regarding a building that’s already been constructed. Fortunately, you can contact these types of professionals to receive a foundation repair strategy.
