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Backfilling

This document discusses proper backfilling techniques for basement construction. It outlines four key steps: protecting the foundation wall during backfilling, using the right backfill materials, compacting the backfill, and finishing the grade to ensure proper drainage away from the foundation. Done incorrectly, backfilling can lead to basement leaks and other issues.

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Ajay Sastry
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335 views3 pages

Backfilling

This document discusses proper backfilling techniques for basement construction. It outlines four key steps: protecting the foundation wall during backfilling, using the right backfill materials, compacting the backfill, and finishing the grade to ensure proper drainage away from the foundation. Done incorrectly, backfilling can lead to basement leaks and other issues.

Uploaded by

Ajay Sastry
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Backfilling basics

Backfilling the wrong way often costs more than doing it right
BY R. T. BUCK BARTLEY

ackfillingan essential step in basement constructionis all too often the beginning of basement destruction. Done improperly, backfilling causes problems that may start before the builder leaves the site and may remain long after hes gone. But the problems can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions. There are four key elements to proper backfilling: Protecting the foundation wall from damage during backfilling Using the right backfill materials Compacting the backfill Final finishing the subgrade to ensure that water drains away from the foundation Done correctly, these four steps help to ensure that a well-built basement functions the way its supposed to, providing the homeowner with dry, usable living space.

Protecting the wall during backfilling


The surest way to protect walls from damage during backfilling is to backfill only after the basement floor slab and the first-floor deck are in place. For the deck, sill plates should be bolted down and joists nailed to the sill plate. This provides the restraint needed to make the wall strong enough to resist earth pressures caused by backfilling. Home builders seldom want to wait until the deck is in place, howe ve r. Early backfilling speeds the framing process by making the foundation more accessible for carpenters so they dont have to ramp in. An alternative is bracing the walls before the deck is built. We do this for all straight walls longer than 24 feet that dont have offsets or pilasters. Corners, offsets, and pilasters add structural stiffness to the foundation wall. But we figure as a rule of thumb that the stiffening effect is negligible more than 12 feet away from the corner. Hence straight spans longer than 24 feet need bracing. We use ve rtical bracingsteel braces fabri c a t e d f rom 3-inch-diameter schedule 40 pipewhich we quick-bolt to the wall and slab or pier pad as shown in Figure 1a. We also modify some shoring jacks from a form manufacturer to do the same thing. Another op-

Figure 1. Vertical or horizontal bracing can be used to protect walls from damage during backfilling. Vertical braces can be made from steel pipe (drawing a) or lumber (drawing b). Horizontal bracing (drawing c) works well for straight walls up to 48 feet long.

above the footing. Then toenail 3x12s diagonally across the corners as shown. Add 2x4 cleats and kickers to prevent slippage and flex. This system works well for walls up to 48 feet long. Beyond that length additional intermediate vertical bracing is needed, attached to pier pads, footings, or wood stakes firmly driven into the ground. Although most building codes require that foundation walls be adequately braced before backfilling, most home builders dont use braces for poured concrete walls. They believe that the concrete is strong enough to resist p re s s u re caused by backfilling. And they may get by without damaging the wall. But too often a wall gets pushed in (Figure 2). Sometimes this happens during the winter when concrete doesnt gain strength quickly because of low temperat u re s. Sometimes its because the excavating contractors equipment gets too close to the wall. And sometimes rain saturates the area around the foundation soon after its backfilled, increasing soil presFigure 2. Backfilling pushed in this unbraced wall and sures enough to cracked it. The diagonal crack was repaired by the home cause a wall failure. builder but the wall still leaked when the owner moved in. Fixing the problem required excavation, pushing out the Whatever the wall, and installing new waterproofing at a cost much cause, the home greater than doing the job right the first time. builder is left with

tion is bracing with lumber using scaffold boards or 3x12s as shown in Figure 1b. If the slab and pier pads cant be used for bracing, horizontal bracing as shown in Figure 1c is usually adequate. Attach 3x 12s to all four walls, parallel to and about 4 feet

a costly problem. Fixing it will require pushing out the bow in the wall and repairing the crack with epoxy injection. As insurance against a wall failure, having two carpenters work a couple of hours bracing the wall is a good investment.

Choosing the right backfill material


Some people recommend backfilling with a free-draining granular material. Im not so sure thats always a good idea. When you dig a hole in the ground for a foundation, water moves toward the hole just as it does in a well. A granular fill makes it easier for water to move toward the foundation wall. And if the drain tile system gets plugged, that could cause problems. I think the object should be to restore equilibrium, as nearly as possible, to the soil moisture system. That usually means putting back in the same soil that came out. But not if its a poor soil. If heavy, moistureladen, or expansive clays are removed during excavation, granular backfill with an exterior drainage system would be the best choice. Also avoid backfilling with large clumps of clay or with soil full of roots, tree branches, or other organic materials (Figure 3). These materials wont compact well and will hold a lot of water even if the ground slope is steep enough to carry surface water away from the house. The amount of overdig for a foundation is about 3 feet. Splash blocks for downspouts dont usually carry water more than a foot or two away from the foundation (Figure 4). So most of the water that comes off the roof may still end up next to the foundation if the backfill is porous.

Compacting the backfill


As backfill soil settles, drainage patterns change and water may flow t ow a rd the house or pond next to the foundation. Compaction is needed to reduce the amount of soil settlement that occurs with time. Fa i l u re to compact the soil can

Figure 3. Backfilling with soil full of tree roots leaves a porous fill that can cause basement leakage. The fill cant be properly compacted and will settle with time.

Figure 4. Splash blocks often dont carry water from downspouts beyond the backfilled area. Then water from the roof saturates the backfill.

trough caused by settlement and s t a rted leaking t h rough shri n kage cracks in the foundation wall. Co r recting the faulty dra i n a g e stopped the leaking . Be careful when compacting backfill. Some compactors are powerful enough to damage the wall. One way to avoid this problem is to place the backfill in 6-inch-thick lifts and have the laborers tamp it with foot pressure or hand rammers. Vibrating plate compactors also can be used for granular backfill without damaging the wall. It takes more time to compact thin layers, but the method provides insurance against wall damage and against call-backs related to drainage problems.

the foundation saturates the soil and makes basement leakage more likely. If the house is set high enough on the lot, getting the correct grade for drainage isnt difficult. Too often, howe ve r, houses are built too low. Then instead of the code-re q u i re d 8-inch minimum between the sill plate and exterior grade level, the house might be built with the finished grade only 4 to 6 inches below the plate. To avert this problem, avoid making the excavation too deep and set footing elevations high enough. Avoiding basement leakage is a lot like preventing a roof from leaking. You need to keep the water moving and prevent it from collecting in one spot. Correct backfilling methods help to accomplish this goal. Buck Bartley is a general contractor in Silver Spring, MD. Hes a former p resident of the Poured Concre t e Wall Contractors Association, now called the Concrete Foundation Association. Publication # C910315
Copyright 1991, The Aberdeen Group. All rights reserved

Final finishing to the correct grade


Di ve rting surface water away from the foundation is one of the most effective Figure 5. Settlement can occur rapidly in poorly compacted ways to pre ve n t backfills. Water collecting in the low spots may cause basement leakbasement leakage even before the house is completed. age. The minimum slope for cause basement leakage even befinished grade should be 1/2 inch f o re the house is completed. Fi gper foot for at least 10 feet away u re 5 shows the results of poor from the foundation. This is espeg rading and no backfill comcially important if there are landpaction. In this case, during rainy scaping beds near the house. Waterwe a t h e r, water collected in the ing plants in low-lying areas close to

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