Soil Heave question?

[Andy Clark]

Hi andy,

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain things further. Most of the surrounding area is landscaped so making the identifying the soil type a little difficult. Is there a online free resource of soil classification available? Or just make an assessment on the soil type at the nearest area that has not been hard landscaped?

 

Cheers steve

 

Not at all mate... my pleasure.

 

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the landscapeing. Chances are it's only going to be affecting the surface/top-soil.... and in this case, it's more going to be the Sub-soil/Substrate that's the important stuff.

 

Now obviously, i'm not aware of your personal capabilities or situation, so dn't take the following the wrong way!! - I'd imagine that the soil testing is not somethng that you're going to ba able to do yourself. Firstly, you need to remember that we're not talking about your normal "arb" type of soil analysis, ie, in relation to soil/tree suitability for planting etc......

 

You need to take into account that this is a matter of Sub-soil.... Much much deeper, as it'll be the stuff that the house is sat on. You're gonna be looking at getting samples at about 1m+ in terms of depth... possibly going down to as far as 3m ish!! So to start with you're going to be looking at getting bore samples (which'll need the use of a bore sampler), and then the necesary lab equipment and expertise to be able to carry out the analysis..... it might be a step too far, but you might wanna consider BS 1377.

 

 

Personally, I'd leave it to the specialists - You need to remember that as the relevant proffesional and the one who writes the report/make the resultant reccomendations, if you get it wrong and their house suffers damage as a result...... it's on YOUR head!!!

 

As for online info.... there's a few relevant pages in the AIE.... AIE. Arboricultural Information Exchange. Try the Tree Roots and Soil page, or Buildings and Trees page. (Both accesible from the "Roots" tab on the lef hand side of the homepage)

 

You could also drop the Clay Research Group a line, and pick their brains.... Clay Research Group

 

 

 

Cheers

[stevelucocq]

Thanks again....I would be interested in getting involved in thatv type of soil testing but may leave that for a year or two. Again thanks for the advice and I will be taking appropriate action. Cheers Steve

[Bundle 2]

Steve...I used to know of an online soil resource...It was posted on this site some time ago- it might pay to make a search. I will check my files as I keep links and data as I come across it. However, I should warn you that you will likely find it to be a little clumsy if you wish to pin it down to a small site. ( you suggest soil import )

\\ Here it is...http://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/

Edited April 28, 2010 by Bundle 2

[arbclimber]

Just a thought, If you should be doing this type of survey, I would assume you would know what to do.

 

If you were doing a survey to tell me if my house will be affected by heave, I'd like to think you wouldn't need to come on here to ask how to do it.

 

I think this may give us the answer, as to whether a soil or structural engineer should really be doing it for you.

 

Not a criticism for the sake of it mate, just strikes me that if you get it wrong its your backside on the line.

[Andy Clark]

Just a thought, If you should be doing this type of survey, I would assume you would know what to do.

 

If you were doing a survey to tell me if my house will be affected by heave, I'd like to think you wouldn't need to come on here to ask how to do it.

 

I think this may give us the answer, as to whether a soil or structural engineer should really be doing it for you.

 

Not a criticism for the sake of it mate, just strikes me that if you get it wrong its your backside on the line.

 

 

Ha -haaa.... you'd be suprised A/C, how many people wouldn't've bothered.

 

They'd just have waded in, saws blazing, shouting "Yeah, fell it.... It'll be alrght!".

 

Hats off to Steve i say, for being conscientious enough so as to at least take the time to question the implications.

[arbclimber]

Ha -haaa.... you'd be suprised A/C, how many people wouldn't've bothered.

 

They'd just have waded in, saws blazing, shouting "Yeah, fell it.... It'll be alrght!".

 

Hats off to Steve i say, for being conscientious enough so as to at least take the time to question the implications.

 

I agree, it is good he is asking. My point is that as he is a qualified arb consultant, if he doesn't know, should he be doing it?

[Giles Hill]

I agree, it is good he is asking. My point is that as he is a qualified arb consultant, if he doesn't know, should he be doing it?

 

He does know now, thanks to everyone's help!

 

If you don't know... ask. The only difference between asking on a public forum and asking fellow practioners privately, is that you open yourself up to this kind of criticism, on the other hand it makes interesting reading and provides a useful resource to other people in the same situation.

[arbclimber]

He does know now, thanks to everyone's help!

 

If you don't know... ask. The only difference between asking on a public forum and asking fellow practioners privately, is that you open yourself up to this kind of criticism, on the other hand it makes interesting reading and provides a useful resource to other people in the same situation.

 

You dont get my point either.

There was a discussion earlier about whether an arb consultant should be doing it or whether it should be done by a soil engineer or similar.

 

I have looked at Steve's website and he seems to be a knowledgable and qualified consultant.

 

If a qualified and knowledgable consultant doesn't know how to work out probability of heave, its occurs to me that maybe it is outside the remit of Arb consultants generally.

 

I dont know the answer, its not my area of expertise, you could write what I know about heave on a Post-it.

[common lime]

AC, I was thinking the same but could not found the polite words to express it:lol:

 

READ the SCOPE of NHBC Chapter 4.2 it is not a manual for predicting heave. Also this document is hugely flawed it allows you to reduce the depth of trench foundations 30cm by going north from the south east of England. This does not take into account the alluvial soils around Hull!

 

I known that lots of Arbs think that they are experts on structural damage and how to repair it. But the Courts do not share their opinion!

 

The diagnose of subsidence and the prediction of heave SHOULD be undertaken by a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER!

 

The Institution of Structural Engineers

[arbclimber]

AC, I was thinking the same but could not found the polite words to express it:lol:

 

READ the SCOPE of NHBC Chapter 4.2 it is not a manual for predicting heave. Also this document is hugely flawed it allows you to reduce the depth of trench foundations 30cm by going north from the south east of England. This does not take into account the alluvial soils around Hull!

 

I known that lots of Arbs think that they are experts on structural damage and how to repair it. But the Courts do not share their opinion!

 

The diagnose of subsidence and the prediction of heave SHOULD be undertaken by a STRUCTURAL ENGINEER!

 

The Institution of Structural Engineers

 

Finally, a man who sees what i'm getting at.

 

Dont think I found a polite way of expressing it either mate but hey, in for a penny, in for a pound.