Soil geotechnical research in practice. What does it look like in Poland?

Ostania aktualizacja 27 January 2023

There are many norms and regulations that strictly define the activities that should be carried out before starting the construction of a single-family house or another building. While some of these activities are necessary and without them it is not possible to take appropriate action that will result in the construction of a building, while some are fully voluntary. An example of such activities are soil geotechnical surveys . There are no clearly defined guidelines in Poland regarding this issue. There is any freedom, however, to be able to “sleep peacefully” the best solution is to perform this type of examination.

Why is geotechnical soil testing so important?

Finished projects that can be purchased in design studios are most often designed for construction on ordinary, average ground that will ensure the stability of the building. However, no one can really determine by eye whether built-up land is just the average. The construction of a building on a plot of land with a lower load-bearing capacity can be deplorable, all due to an inadequate foundation to the conditions. Geotechnical tests allow to determine the soil load capacity, as well as to prevent cracking of the walls or uneven settlement of the building in the later stages of use of the building. The cost of any repairs is much higher than the cost of geotechnical research, so before starting construction works, and even before buying a project, it is worth trying to carry them out.

Geotechnical wells performed by specialists are able to give a full picture of the soil, help make key decisions from the investors’ point of view, and in practice it may turn out that performing geotechnical tests, gives long-term savings, associated with matching the right foundations to the type of soil that will be resistant on his actions. This type of research can be done even before buying the plot itself dedicated to the building. So you can determine exactly if a given plot is really suitable for building and what costs may be associated with possible difficulties with its building.

What factors are taken into account during geotechnical surveys of built-up land?

There are three most important factors that are the object of geotechnical research. Precise determination of their impact on the building allows you to fully enjoy the house for many years unscathed.

Location

Many buildings are built on picturesque hills or in valleys. while the views that will extend from the windows themselves can be breathtaking, what will happen outside in front of the house after winter or rainy weather may not be so optimistic. Intense thaws and precipitation do not immediately penetrate deep into the soil, so it is worth examining where they will stay in the area designated for building and what impact they will have on the foundations of the building. Lack of geotechnical research may cause that the building during rainy weather together with loose soil layers will begin to slide down the hill, which is an extremely dangerous phenomenon.

At what level does groundwater remain

Groundwater level should be of particular interest to investors who are planning a basement building. If it turns out that the groundwater level is elevated, it may be necessary to properly insulate the foundations. This aspect also has a big impact on the load capacity. Moist soils, unlike dry and volatile ones, have lower load capacity.

Soil type

Many people do not pay attention to this, what type of soil is on the land intended for development. This is a big mistake, it is this point that has the greatest impact on the settlement of the building, as well as the stability of its construction. According to specialists, one of the worst soil types is organic and sandy loam soil, they cause the most trouble during construction. This does not mean, however, that placing a building on them is quite impossible. However, this is associated with additional workload at the time of its creation in order to avoid unpleasantness in the future.

How many wells should be made to make the geotechnical tests reliable

When starting a house, many people look for savings that make the entire investment within a certain budget. However, deciding on geotechnical surveys of land (we recommend geotechnical services in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , it is not worth saving on them. There are many companies on the market that offer competitive prices for these types of activities, but at the expense of the number of wells. It should be remembered that for a complete picture of the soil it is best to make at least three wells in different locations. So you can accurately determine the soil profile and its load-bearing properties. The smaller number of wells results in not entirely reliable technical documentation, which ultimately misses the objectives of performing geotechnical tests. Therefore, it is not worth saving too much, because this saving can quickly turn into costs associated with building repairs due to excessive subsidence or, worse, landslides.

German Polish Spanish Swedish French