How to raise the level of the site

2024 Author: Arianna Cook | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:23

The reasons for raising the level of the site, the choice of soil for the main and intermediate layers of backfill, the technology of work, protection of the embankment from washing out and subsidence. Raising the level of a land plot is dumping soil in order to eliminate problems associated with an unsuccessful location of the allotment. Sometimes they are located in lowlands, in wetlands or in places where there is a lot of construction waste. In this case, the arrangement begins with measures to raise and level the terrain. We will talk about how to do the job correctly in this article.

Reasons for raising the level of the site

In many cases, the need to raise the ground is not always visible the first time. To make a decision, you need to study the following points:

The proximity of groundwater to the surface and the risk of waterlogging or erosion of the fertile layer.
The presence of hills and deep depressions that complicate exploitation. For example, lamps in the lower part of the territory do not reach the top, and plants on a hill are likely to die from periodic soil creeping.
The site is located on a steep slope.

There are also plots that require mandatory raising. They can be divided into the following types:

Hilly terrain above sea level … It is most commonly found in the mountains. To solve the problem, it is necessary to fill in large cavities.
Land plot below sea level … Differs in boggy, the presence of salt marshes. The soil is raised to keep water out of the foundation and to preserve the productivity of the garden. But it is necessary to weigh well all the pros and cons, because wetlands often have a thick layer of silt and are rich in elements useful for plants.
Land plot below ground level … Such plots must be finalized in order to avoid flooding from the side of high adjacent areas. After the rains, the area will be constantly in the water. Another nuisance is the emergence of groundwater to the surface.

There are not so many lifting options. Dumping is done in two ways:

Surface … The soil is poured onto the prepared site, leveled and compacted.
Dredging … Part of the soil is removed, and the vacated space is filled with the brought material. On top of the allotment, a fertile ball is poured, removed at the beginning of work or brought.

The technology of raising the level of the site

The work on the arrangement of the allotment is usually performed first, even before the start of the construction of the house. If such a decision is made after many years of operation, the task becomes more complicated, because one has to take into account the location of already built buildings, paths, green spaces, etc. Let's consider the simplest case of raising a site, when nothing interferes with the process.

The choice of soil for backfill

The technology for performing work depends on several factors, the main of which is the height of the site's rise and its purpose.

Rules for choosing soil for backfilling:

If the additional layer is less than 30 cm, the best option is to use fertile soil removed from neighboring hills. It is poured in the right place and tamped with a vibrating plate.
If it is necessary to pour more than 30 cm of earth, intermediate layers of sand and gravel are created. They are stacked in layers, between which fertilizers are poured. From above, the stones are covered with a fertile layer.
The base for outbuildings or paths is created from sandy loam or clay. If the intermediate ball is very high, the use of construction waste is allowed. In this case, it must be remembered that large waste will settle, and not always evenly.
If there are parking lots or roads, use rubble that can withstand heavy loads. If no trucks are foreseen, fill in cheaper excavation soil.
Create a sand cushion under the capital buildings, no gravel.
Based on the experience of construction work, it is recommended that the first filling ball be performed with the same soil that is on the site. In this way, a strong bond is created between the new and untouched land. If you pour building waste on soft soil, they will simply fall through, and the sand will wash off with water.
To prevent one material from absorbing another, geotextiles are used. But this coverage is not cheap and will require large financial investments.
When lifting to a height of up to 1 m, it is uneconomical to use only expensive fertile land. You can first fill in construction waste - broken brick, pieces of concrete, which will drain excess water. Waste can be obtained free of charge if large construction is underway. Very often, builders do not know how to get rid of the trash, and quickly agree to bring a few cars of unnecessary trash.
Add soil to a level slightly higher than the cords stretched at the beginning of the work. This is due to soil shrinkage, which will appear after the first rain. Also, the size of the subsidence is influenced by the density of the layers, their thickness and other factors.

Preliminary work

If you cannot decide how to raise the level of a land plot, analyze it - study the relief, soil composition, the presence of groundwater, the distance to the nearest body of water. The most qualitative research will be carried out by surveyors, but the main characteristics can be determined independently:

Often, to make a decision, it is enough to drill a well and inspect the soil cut.
If possible, observe the construction work being carried out nearby. The presence of water in technical depressions will make it possible to determine at what depth it is located and in which direction it flows. Also, observation will allow you to determine the type of soil without excavating on your own territory.
It is recommended to create a map of the site showing heights and troughs. From it, you can determine how much soil is needed for filling, where to add it and at what height.

Before raising the level of the site, clear it of debris, remove the remains of trees. Build a foundation around the perimeter of the sector to prevent water from washing away the bulk material. It is possible to refuse it if the ground level of the nearest allotments is higher than yours.

The foundation is built in this way:

Dig a trench at the edges of the area, at least 20 cm deep.
Install the wooden formwork. It is made of boards 30-40 cm thick, which are fixed with stakes every 0.5-1 m. The height of the fence should ensure the protrusion of the foundation over the neighboring area (the height difference is at the discretion of the owner).
Fill the formwork with cement-sand mortar, for the preparation of which the components are taken in the following proportion: cement - 1 part, sand - 3 parts, gravel 0.5 parts. Within a week, the solution will acquire up to 70% strength if the ambient temperature is 15-20 degrees.

Soil filling

For a rough calculation of the amount of land required for backfilling, you can use our recommendations: to raise one hundred square meters by 1 m, you will need 100 m³ soil (loam with sandy loam). On smaller areas, the consumption is different: for lifting a platform of 10 m by ² 10 cm will need 1 m³ soil. When determining the height of the backfill, it must be borne in mind that over time, the earth will settle by 30-60%.

To create a new parcel level, perform the following operations:

Remove the fertile soil layer and move outside the area to be leveled. Save it, and in the future you will not have to spend money on buying new fertile land. If there is no useful soil or it is covered with debris, it is better not to remove it, but fill it with an intermediate layer.
When finalizing a part of the territory, place pegs along its perimeter and across this zone with a step of 2 m, placing their surfaces in a horizontal plane. Pull a cord between them, along which you can adjust the surface. Further work depends on the thickness of the filled soil.
If the estimated height does not exceed 30 cm, lay the ground in layers of 5-10 cm, tamp it with a vibrating plate and fill it with water. One day after watering, add another ball and repeat the procedure. The top layer should remain fertile soil, removed before starting work, or brought.
Tilt the surface at a slight angle (no more than 3 degrees) so that water does not linger.

If the problem area occupies a large area, it will not be possible to complete the work without heavy equipment. You will need a bulldozer with a hinged knife that can cut the earth from one place and move it to another.

In this case, the work is performed in the following sequence:

Remove the top ball with a bulldozer and move it outside the area.
Cut off the protrusions with a knife and fill in the depressions to the specified marks.
The advantage of using a bulldozer is that it performs the assigned task on any complex surface, on hills, in the beds of dry streams, etc.
Plow the area twice, longitudinally and transversely.
Work the area with a cultivator, also in the forward and lateral directions.
Compact the top layer with a barrel of water.
At the final stage, sow the allotment with grass and cover it with a thin layer of fertile soil.
Then tighten again.

This concludes the process of raising the allotment. For several months, the land will still settle down, but the territory can already be exploited - to carry out construction work, plant trees, equip a vegetable garden.

Lawns are very common in summer cottages, and at first glance, creating them is very easy. In fact, creating a beautiful grassy area is not an easy task. Before raising the level of the ground in the lawn area, study the condition of the allotment to determine if it can be raised.

In case of constant flooding, make sure that there is no clay under the fertile layer. It will not allow water to leave, even if the groundwater is deep. If a clay layer is found, it must be removed, and covered with sand and black earth on top. If the clay layer is very thick and cannot be removed, create a good drainage system.

If a road passes above the area with a lawn, it is better to raise the level with sandy soil. To prevent it from being washed away, dig concrete slabs around the perimeter of the lawn to a depth of at least 20 cm, while they should protrude 3-4 cm above the soil.

First, dig a hole 30-40 cm deep, then sprinkle sand with a layer of 10-12 cm. It should be strongly compacted with a vibrating plate. The loose mass helps to quickly remove excess moisture. Pour the previously removed soil on top, as a result of which the level will rise by at least 5-6 cm. To plant the grass, cover the area with special fertile soil into which the seeds are poured.

The total thickness of the layer under the lawn can reach 20 cm. Under the garden beds, the layer should be at least 30 cm.

Drainage for swampy area

Raising the level of a site in a swampy area may not lead to the desired result. To get rid of excess moisture, you need an effective water drainage system. In our case, it is performed in the form of trenches through which moisture is removed outside the allotment.

Distinguish between open and closed drainage. An open system is the easiest way to drain a site. These are ditches up to 0.7 m deep and about 0.6 m wide with a slope to one side. A layer of rubble and sand 10-15 cm thick is poured onto the bottom. Water seeps through the walls of the trench and flows out on its own in the desired direction.

A closed system is more complex to implement. It will need factory-made drainage pipes. Trenches are made with a slope of 7 cm at a length of 1 m. It is recommended to direct the water towards the lowest point or into the pool.

Near buildings, ditches are dug along the perimeter of buildings. In garden plots, they are allowed to be placed often, especially if clay soils are present. The depth depends on the composition of the soil. For clays and loams, ditches are dug up to 1 m. In any case, they should be located below the level of soil freezing characteristic of the area. It is better to dig ditches in the form of a "herringbone" - one central trench and several additional ones that are connected to it. Through the main line, water is discharged outside the site.

A cushion of rubble and sand is poured at the bottom of the ditch. After installing the pipeline, cover it with geotextiles to prevent dirt from getting inside. From above, everything is covered with sand, gravel and fertile soil. Highways are usually decorated to give an aesthetic appearance.

How to raise the level of the site - watch the video:

[media = https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = 6qv-JppVPLY] Disappointment from a badly located site quickly passes if the problem is solved correctly. To get a beautiful and comfortable recreation area, it is necessary to study the features of the technology for raising the level of the site and make considerable physical efforts to implement the plan.