Newswise — Dec. 1, 2016 – The wise person builds on a solid foundation. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) December 1st Soils Matter blog post explains what goes into deciding soil’s suitability for a construction project.
“The goal is to determine what loads the soil can support,” says blog author Scott Glick from Colorado State University. “If the soil does not support the expected loads (trucks, cars, homes, etc.), modifications can be made to the soil. An alternative would be to build suitable foundations to support the proposed loads.”
Exploratory information includes borings at various depths. Further inspection by a soil engineer occurs once the site is excavated.
Beyond concerns about weight-bearing, groundwater may also be an issue onsite. “In some cases, the presence of groundwater could negate the design of a basement for the home. There can also be regulations for the minimum distance between the foundation and the groundwater,” Glick says.
To read the entire blog post, visit http://soilsmatter.wordpress.com.
Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA_Soils. SSSA has soils information on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12th grade, www.soils4kids.org.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
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