In a recent post I mentioned I am redoing my house foundations. The permit application process is nearly complete. Stared items are still pending, but expected in the next few days. The application consists of the following:
- Architectural Drawing of the Houses
- Asbestos Survey
- Test for Ground Contamination*
- Test for Ground Stability, where they send a probe some 20+ meters into the ground to look for the beginning of the stable ground layer.
- Pile plan, where a technically oriented architect uses the building drawings together with the ground stability tests to determine how many of what type piles need to be placed, together with their pattern.
- Archaeological study waver, where the city determines (hopefully) an archaeological study is not needed under my house before starting the construction.*
After the application, a building inspector will come and do an inspection. This could be very superficial or very involved, I’m not sure yet.
So far no asbestos or toxic materials have been found yet, but not all the test results have been returned.
The new piles will be about 22cm in diameter and 21 meters deep! The ceiling clearance on our ground floor is only about 2 meters, so they will have to drive them in segments. They will be made by driving a hollow casing into the ground, filling it with concrete, then removing the casing (I think). In total, 19 piles will be needed.
I recently read Bill Bryson’s Neither Here Nor There and totally thought of you guys when I got to his Netherlands chapter, where he talks about all the houses that are kind of propped up or whatever while their foundations get replaced.
I can’t believe how deep they’re going to go! I guess that’s necessary with the proximity of the water, but you’d never guess that houses are sitting on foundations that go down that far. Good luck to you guys in getting your application through and getting all that work done smoothly!
21 metres! That sounds very expensive and noisy! Good luck.
I like the term ‘technically oriented architect’! I had never heard this sensible term used but it is a necessary distinction as many architects have no clue of the reality of building something. Haha.
My comment when voting for you in the ‘Mouse & Trowel’ award is that yours is a blog with meat on it’s bones to go with the vegetables.(You are not a vegetarian me hopes)! Like a ‘technically oriented architect’ your words embrace a bigger picture, a connected picture. In this world of exclusiveness THAT is a necessary distinction.I’d say most gardeners I meet help bring people together a little or a lot.THANks for your part and for having the guts( there’s meat again)!—to speak your mind & spirit. Dank u. Sincerely, Cynthia in Virginia
Meg — My house is going to need one of those props, or it will fall over. I’m sure I’ll be able to take a picture, but it’s a large wooden structure set in front of the house.
Kate — The cost of the foundation can almost be determined by taking the price per pile, and multiplying it times the number of piles. Almost the entire cost is in the piles.
Cynthia — Thanks for the comment! I always like reading your emails and comments. I was having a hard time translating technically oriented architect from Dutch. While I guess most places have mostly general architects, here they are very specialized.
I hired a more junior one to both make the initial drawings of the house and serve as building advisor for the whole project. I hired the more senior ‘technically oriented’ one to do the pile plan. I think the latter just sits behind a desk all day doing these calculations as they come in. It seemed like the pile plan was very cookie cutter, and it wasn’t as expensive as you might think.
I think the more senior architects are the ones that design the appearance of buildings or neighborhoods.
Very interesting to follow your foundation. I can understand the problem of piles, as we have it in Copenhagen too. Fortunately not where I live, but in the very heart of the city. Really hope you will get the chance to take some photos.