www.beautiful-basements.co.

uk

Construction
Technology 3
Assignment 2: Basement Construction
Dr. Patrick Tang, School of Architecture and the Built Environment
Michael Dernee
C3089219

Abstract:
In the brief for the basement, there is the potential for rapid expansion. The Amazon highway is very close and
noise pollution could affect the buildings potential. Therefore the basement will be as low as possible allowing
noise pollution to travel over the proposed building. Techniques will ensure that the least amount of energy
will be needed to create the building and that the materials used will be long lasting to create not only an
environmentally sustainable building but a physically sustainable building that will stand for many years.

Appendix:
Title Page

........................................................................................................

Abstract

........................................................................................................

ii

Appendix

........................................................................................................

iii

Physical

........................................................................................................

Use
........................................................................................................
Location
........................................................................................................
Volume (horizontal)
..........................................................................................
Clear site
........................................................................................................
Volume (vertical)
..........................................................................................
Type of soil
........................................................................................................
Water table
........................................................................................................
Disposal
........................................................................................................

1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2

Mechanical

......................................................................................................................

Fixed
........................................................................................................
Moving
........................................................................................................
Transport system
..........................................................................................
Excavation lateral support system ...........................................................................
Ground water control
..........................................................................................
Foundation
..........................................................................................

Shallow foundation
...........................................................................

Deep footings
...........................................................................
Basement construction method
...........................................................................
Slab
..........................................................................................
Waterproof membrane
............................................................................
Drainage
..........................................................................................
Columns
..........................................................................................
Suspended slab
..........................................................................................

Cost analysis

Bibliography

3
3
4
5
6
7
7
7
8
8
9
10
11
12

........................................................................................................

13

..........................................................................................

14

.......................................................................................................................

17

.........................................................................................................

18

Pictorial explanation
Conclusion

Physical:

Use

Basement allocation: the use of the basement will be for car parking, to help shoppers of the
centre above (assignment two) for maximum shoppers.

Location

Streetscape: the streetscape of the building will be on Davidson Road, Hill Street and Amazon
Highway, where the ground level will be two metres below Amazon Highway to remove some of
the sound of the highway, whilst still advertising that there are shops there.

Entrance: the location of the entrance will be on Davidson Road (shown in site plan). The reason
for this is it is a more open location where an entrance would be.

Exit: the location of the exit will be on Olive Street (shown in site plan). The reason for this is a
quiet street for easy exiting to the road.

Basement location: the basement will take up the whole area to allow for the highest amount of
parking spaces; there will be a two metre inwards perimeter of the site, so that in construction
the pathway can still be used.

Clear site

Clearing vegetation: 9 trees, 3 trees under 500mm, 6 trees 500/1000mm.

Removal of trees: cost estimates, 500mm less $162 each, 500-1000 $162 each. Therefore total
cost would accumulate to $1488.

Volume (horizontal)
2

Basement size: 2,900,000mm

Building floor area: 2,900,000mm

Volume (vertical)

Depth: the depth of the basement will not go further than +56m from sea level (5 metres in
depth)

Amount of excavation: 14,911m

Cost of excavation: the cost of excavation of soft rock is $65.40m

Type of soil

Reactive ability: there will be a combination of Made Ground : Very stiff (compacted) ashy sandy
clay with brick and tile rubble and fine to coarse gravel, Medium dense becoming dense grey fine
to coarse angular to sub rounded flint gravel with cobbles, and a trace of sand.

Water table

Compressive strength: the soils are closely dense, such that a foundation will need to be
reinforced but will only have to be a shallow one.

Height: The water table does not go higher than +45m from sea level (16m in depth) and
therefore there is no need to worry about the water level and the use of a water pump, yet still a
need for waterproofing.

Disposal

Type: as there is no known location of the site or local disposal areas, this cannot be answered,
but as shown in the mechanical disposal section (page) many different combinations can occur. It
can be used as infill for another site.

Distance: it is unknown.

Mechanical:

Name

Fixed:

Picture

Volume (V)

Load (L) /
hour (H)
80

VxL/H

40

4 - 72m

45

36 - 270m

55

16 - 165m

Shovel face

0.3 6m

24 480m

Suited conditions

Price

Soil below or level and

forwards

N/A (was not in

the Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)
N/A (was not in
the Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)
N/A (was not in
the Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)
N/A (was not in
the Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

farm4.static.flickr.com

Backhoe

0.1 1.8m

Soil above dug down and

backwards

excavators101.com

Clamshell,
grab

0.8 - 6m

Soil deep below (even

vertical) picked up

Coal Mines

kensdiecastconstructionmodels.com

Dragline

0.3 - 3m

www.nkmz.com

Summary: For the site and its contours as the basement will be dug from the east to the west the best fixed
excavator would be the shovel face.

Moving:

Picture
Bulldozer

Depth
400mm

Distance
100m

Action
Moving top soil and spreading the
earth, flattening the land

Price
N/A (was not in the
Rawlinsons Australian
construction handbook
2010)

1000mm

200m

Shallow excavation, slope excavation,

loading material to transport system

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons Australian
construction handbook
2010)

150
300mm

3000m

Collecting material, hauling it and

discharging it, usually used in road
construction.

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons Australian
construction handbook
2010)

classroomclipart.com

Loader

coalcliff.com

Scrapers

fhwa.dot.gov

Summary: as the site is not very big the scraper is not useful, a combination of the loader and bulldozer would
be the best was to move the material and load it onto the transport system.


Transport
Systems
Dump trucks

Transport System:

Picture

Distance

Suited Conditions

Price

0.8km 10km

Close proximity removal,

small to medium sized jobs

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

1km 5km

Medium proximity
removal, large sized jobs
high longevity

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

5km 100km

Far proximity removal,

huge sized jobs, higher
longevity

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

elph.com.au

Conveyor

motorsandbearingsconcept.com

Rail

northernrockiesrisingtide.files.wordpress.com/

Summary: as the location is unknown, there is no way to find out where the closest place is to relocate the soil,
but just from the site plan the location is built up so the use of a conveyor belt is not the way to go. A
combination of a dump truck and rail may need to be used if the relocating area is far away. But if close the
use of only a dump truck would be a better option.


Method
Sheet pile:
permanent

Excavation lateral support system:

Picture

Sheet pile:
Temporary

Description
Interlocking prefabricated
steel piles that form a wall
that is continuous and
permanent
Interlocking prefabricated
steel piles that form a
temporary wall

Advantage
Light weight,
adaptable, high
resistance to
tensile stresses
Can be reused,
adaptable

Disadvantage
Boulder
obstruction,
vibration,
noise
pollution,
water
seepage, cost,
professional
needed.

Vertical steel H sections

with horizontal timber
lagging that sit in-between
or behind

Low cost, fast

and easy to
construct

Susceptible to
the
movement of
ground.

Soldier piles that are

repeated to create a wall
Continuous bore piles that
meet at their tangential
axis
Continuous bore piles that
have in their gap
secondary piles that are
unreinforced weak
concrete mix
Continuous bore piles
where the primary piles
are the unreinforced piles
and the secondary piles
are reinforced
A trench that is filled with
slurry to prevent a
collapse when reaching its
depth reinforcement is
lowered and the concrete
displaces the slurry

Stiff walls, good

in confined site
space, minimal
vibration, low
noise, flexible
plan, avoids
excessive
excavation, can
be used as
footings

Slow, vertical
joinery is
difficult, low
reinforcement

Impermeable,
can be used as
the facade,
flexible, little
noise, deep
work, lack of
joints, can be
used as footings

Expensive,
large area
needed

Good for water

tight needing
areas, top down
construction,
used in very
unstable soils

$69,000

Inserting near horizontal

steel bars into ground and
grouting over to stabilise
the soil

Cheap, light
machinery, little
noise, less rigid
layout needed

Soil loss, only

for shallow
depths

Stabilize slopes or
excavations.

N/A (was not

in the
Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook
2010)

geelongadvertiser.com.au

Soldier pile

Suitability
Harbour quays,
restriction of
water acting as a
cofferdam
Temporary
restriction of
water (cofferdam)
to allow a
basement
construction,
piers and houses
that have a high
water table
Most suitable
when the wall is
above the water
table, with free
draining soils.

merelaconsultants.com

Bored pile:
continuous
Bored pile:
tangent
Bored Pile:
interlocking

sbe.napier.ac.uk

Bored pile:
secant

Diaphragm

Soldier piles are

used mainly as
they are cheap
and dont disturb
the surroundings
as much as other
walls

Price
$54,750

$41,000

N/A (was not

in the
Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook
2010)
$8,200
$14,300

$21,000

$23,700

itm-ltd.com

Soil Nailing

coastalcaisson.com

Summary of Excavation lateral support systems:

Sheet pile:
permanent
Permanent
structural
concrete wall
formed in one
operation ahead
of excavation
Substantially
watertight wall
preventing draw
down to
groundwater
Ability to deal
with obstructions
economically
Vertically better
than 1:200 with
little overbreak
Lack of
vibration/noise
Temporary gaps
left in wall to
allow service
diversions
Vertical loads can
be permanently
carried

Sheet pile:
temporary

Soldier
pile

Bored pile:
contiguous

Bored pile:
tangent

Bored Pile:
interlocking

Bored pile:
secant

Diaphragm

Soil
Nailing

x
x

Summary: Due to the soil, the usefulness of how close it can get to the boundary and the use of it as a wall
after excavation the diaphragm wall will be used. The diaphragm wall is also long lasting and therefore
sustainable compared to the other methods that have to be replaced and fixed

Ground Water Control: As the basement will not go deeper than 12.3 m there is no need to use any
water pump during excavation.

Summary: There is no need for ground water control during the excavation due to the depth of the building
not exceeding the water table.

Foundation Construction method:

Method
Pad

Shallow foundation

Picture

Description
A footing remote to broaden
a load.

Advantage
Cheap, easy,
simple, little
materials used

Disadvantage
Not good in
weak soils. Or
reactive soils

Application
Hard soils, inert
soils

price
N/A (was not in
the Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

A footing that goes around

the perimeter of the ground
in a longitudinal direction
where the load is.

Strongest
shallow
foundation, can
be changed for
the different
soils
Lightweight,
both slab and
foundation
created at once
making it very
strong

Not good on
highly reactive
soils, more
complicated
than the pad
footing
Complicated
compared to the
pad footing, a
lot of time in
preparation has
to take place

Medium soils to
hard soils

(un
reinforced)
248 cum
(reinforced)
251cum

Medium to
hard soils

240 cum

2.bp.blogspot.com

Strip

lh5.ggpht.com

A single slab is poured with

the reinforcement and
footings all ready.

Raft

moladi.com

Summary: Strip footings will be used as they are the strongest shallow footings, with the depth of the footings
calculated by the engineer. As they are the strongest they will not need to be fixed or replaced and because of
that it is quite sustainable. They will also be reinforced.


Method
Piled (bedrock)

Deep footings

Picture

Description
The pile reaches
solid bedrock and
can put all the
weight on the
bedrock.

Advantage
Most solid
foundation possible

Disadvantage
Sometimes may
need to go very
deep to uncover
bedrock

Application
Soft, reactive clays
and soils

The pile does not

reach any ground
and has to use the
friction around to
allow the building to
stand.

Strongest
foundation in
locations without
bedrock

Complicated, many
calculations need to
be done and a lot of
testing on the soil
needed to ensure
the footings will
hold

Soft, reactive clays

and soils with no
bedrock

Hollowed hole
where concrete can
be poured into

More quiet than the

other two deep
footings.

Time taken to make

Soft, reactive clays

and soils, where
heavy machinery
cannot be used

www.piledriving.com

Piled (Friction)

boredpiles.com

Caissons

kshitija.files.wordpress.com

Summary: There is no need for deep footing as the soil below is quite stable.

Basement construction method:

Method
Picture

Open-cut

brhgarver.com

Vertical cut

Top-down

simplex-foundations.co.uk

personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bswmwong/pl.html

Size of site
Site environment

Very large open site

Unobstructed

Small sized open site

Adaptable to most environments

Protection

Simplest protection

Special provision
Soil removal

Not much
Using ramp

Complex lateral support

required
Not much
Staged platform or ramp

Large sized site

Adaptable to most complex
environments
Limited shoring support where
required
Temporary vertical
Vertical shaft bucket or bucket

Summary: Due to the use of the diaphragm wall, there are two choices, the vertical cut or the top down. The
vertical cut is more suited for the site and will therefore be used as it is not a big site.

Type
Concrete (in situ)

Slab
Picture

Description
150mm thick, poured
concrete into a mould

undergroundconstruction.ie

Precast Concrete

150mm thick, concrete

that is set off site and
relocated to site.

www.megaprefab.com

Strength
The strength can change
with the additives used
and the reinforcement
used. For such a site no
real additives need to be
used as there are no
large stresses upon the
slab. But normal
additives like super
plasticizers to allow for
higher workability
concrete and pozzolans
that increase the
strength of the concrete
will be used to help with
strength and curing time

Price
161.00 sqm

100-120 sqm

Summary: Both ways of creating a slab are strong, but because there are retaining walls that the slab has to fit
into, in situ concrete will be used as it can chemically bond to the diaphragm wall making everything
increasingly stronger.


Type
Liquid membrane

Waterproofing
Picture

Description
A polymer liquid
that is painted on to
form an
impermeable barrier

Advantage
Good for complex
structures

Disadvantage
Cannot be used
under the slab

Price
2
38m

A liquid that is
painted on to form
an impermeable
barrier

Good for complex

structures

Cannot be used
under the slab

12.4m

A solid polymer that

is solid and rigid that
forms an
impermeable barrier

Can be used under

the slab

Not as useful as the

other waterproof
membranes in
complex situations

22.4m

A polymer that is
solid but not rigid
that forms an
impermeable barrier

Can be used for

complex structures.
Can be used under
the slab.

Time taken to set up

can take some time.

28.2m

img.alibaba.com

Bituminous paint

www.larsenbuildingproducts.com

Styrofoam

www.tru-guardwaterproofing.com

Polymer membrane

imghost1.indiamart.com

Summary: As the slab is in situ the use of a polymer membrane or a Styrofoam membrane is the most useful as
it can cover under the concrete. The polymer membrane will be used as it is better in difficult situations. It also
doesnt have to be replaced unlike the bituminous paint so it will last a long time making it more sustainable.


Type
Tanking

Drainage
Picture

Description
Creating an
impermeable
barrier that doesnt
allow water in but if
water does come in
it gets pumped out

Advantage
Water table can be
above the
basement floor

Disadvantage
Needs a pump,
makes noise

Price
2
12-38m

Drainage that
allows a gap in the
membrane to a
drainage channel.

Un noticeable gaps

Water table has to

be below basement
Has to have a
flooring unit above
the concrete, where
the car park wont
need it

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

Drainage that uses

an exterior system
to drain away

Most effective way

of draining, that is
quick

Water table has to

be below basement

N/A (was not in the

Rawlinsons
Australian
construction
handbook 2010)

www.gundle.co.za

Cavity drainage

oxfordbasements.co.uk

Exterior foundation
drain

www.wvdhsem.gov

Summary: The use of the exterior foundation drain will be installed as the water table is 11m lower than the
lowest point of the basement. The exterior foundation drain is also the quickest diffuse way of relocating
water.


Type
Reinforced Concrete
(in situ)

Columns
Picture

Description
200mm in diameter, with rebar
reinforcement.

Strength
Very strong

Price
201.00 sqm

300X300 cast off site and

delivered ready to lock into
place

Very strong

490.00 sqm

150X150 cast offsite,

lightweight yet has no great
compressive strength

Medium

247.00 sqm

Oregon wood 100X100. Not

long lasting compared to the
concrete

Weak

35.80 sqm

350X230 although a strong

column it takes a long time to
make.

Strong

57.70 sqm

www.betoonelement.ee

Reinforced Precast
Concrete

www.emarateurope.ae

Steel

www.brisbanehouseraising.com.au

Timber

thepostandbeam.files.wordpress.com

Brickwork

img.archiexpo.com

Summary: Concrete will be used as columns in this building being long lasting, as the timber and steel do
corrode over time and the brickwork takes too long to make. The reason for in situ concrete is it can
chemically join to the base plate making it a stronger bond


Type
Concrete (in situ)

Suspended slab
Picture

Description
150mm thick, poured
concrete into a mould

undergroundconstruction.ie

Precast Concrete

150mm thick, concrete

that is set off site and
relocated to site.

www.megaprefab.com

Strength
The strength can change
with the additives used
and the reinforcement
used. For such a site no
real additives need to be
used as there are no
large stresses upon the
slab. But normal
additives like super
plasticizers to allow for
higher workability
concrete and pozzolans
that increase the
strength of the concrete
will be used to help with
strength and curing time.

Price
161.00 sqm

100-120 sqm

Summary: Precast concrete will be used as it will be easier to install and it is a lot easier for the precast
concrete to be designed to create a waffle design making the slab lighter.

Cost Analysis:
Area of cost

Product

Unit

Earth moving:
clearing the
site
Retaining wall
Soil
excavation
Footing
Waterproofing

Tree >500mm
Tree
1000>500mm
Diaphragm wall
Excavation of soil
for basement
Strip footings
Polymer
membrane
Exterior
Foundation Drain
In situ Reinforced
concrete
Reinforced in situ
concrete
Precast
reinforced waffle
designed slab

Per tree
Per tree

Drainage
Slab
Columns
Suspended
Slab

Price per
unit
$162
$162

Amount of
products
3
6

Per m
2
Per m

$420
$65.4

165.1m
3
14,911m

$496
$992

Cumulative
price
$496
$1488

$69000
$975,179

$70488
$1,045,667

Per m
2
Per m

$248
$28.2

570m
2
2,900 m

$141,360
$81,780

$1,187,027
$1,268,807

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

$161

2,900m

$466,900

$1,735,707

$201

2,900m

$609,000

$2,344,707

$120

2,900m

$348,000

$2,692,707

Per m
Per m
Per m

Price

Pictorial Explanation:
Process
1. Analysis

Description
Entrance, exit, site
size, orientation

2.

Retaining
wall

Install guide wall,

excavate trench,
install rebar,
check verticality,
pour concrete

3.

Excavation

Vertically cutting
the soil to open
up the site

Perspective

Plan

4.

Set up

Set up and install

footings, install
waterproof
membrane,
drainage installed
and rebar

5.

Ground Slab

Pouring the slab

onto set up

6.

Columns

Set up and
pouring columns
into place

7.

Suspended
Slab

Crane suspended
precast slabs onto
the allocated
points.

Conclusion:
A diaphragm wall will be set up and the site will be open cut by shovel faces and backhoes then bulldozers will
flatten it out. It is still unknown how or where the soil will be transported but will most likely be done by a
dump truck. There is no need for ground water control due to the low water table and the footings will be strip
due to their strength and ability to work around the site. The slab will be in situ concrete with additives like
pozzolans and super plasticizers to increase strength and for higher workability. To waterproof the basement a
polymer membrane will be below the slab, with the retaining wall also being impermeable. Yet if any water
does come in exterior fountain drains will allow the water to go into the ground as the water table is quite low.
In situ concrete columns will hold up the precast concrete slabs that are suspended and will be the base of the
ground floor that is two metres below the highway to diffuse the sound.

Bibliography:
Book:

Rawlinson's Australian construction handbook, Perth, W.A. 2010: House Publishing

Frederick S. Merritt, Jonathan T. Ricketts Building design and construction handbook, USA, 1994:
McGraw-Hill Professional Publi

R.A. Johnson Water-resisting basement construction - A Guide: Safeguarding New And Existing
Basements Against Water And Dampness , Great Brittan, 1995: Construction Industry Research and
Information Association

Barry, R. (2001) The Construction of Buildings (Vol 4), 5th Edition, Blackwell Scientific Publications.

Internet:

http://www.basementconstruction.com.au/Retention%20Systems.html

http://www.dincelconstructionsystem.com/documents/BasementConstruction.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basement

Lectures:

Dr. Patrick Tang Lecture 1: Introduction to the course 9/3/10

Dr. Patrick Tang Lecture 2: Basement Construction 16/3/10

Dr. Patrick Tang Lecture 3: Foundation Construction 23/3/10

Dr. Patrick Tang Lecture 4: Specification and Cost Estimation 30/3/10

Dr. Patrick Tang Lecture 5: Concrete Technology 1 6/4/10