A canopy in a country house or near a private house can perform many functions: sheltering a recreation area, utility areas, a summer garage from the sun and rain. Usually, the shelter is equipped with polycarbonate sheets or wooden boards. And the flooring rests on poles - supports, which can be made of wood or metal.

What are the pillars

Supports for a canopy are made of different materials:

• Tree;
• Metal pipes;
• Brick or concrete;
• Combined supports.

Wooden poles for a canopy

This is the simplest and most affordable type of supports for a canopy that you can install yourself even if you do not have special skills. Any wood is suitable, but strong and hard, it is optimal to give preference to deciduous trees.

The rack can be solid wood, buried at the base in the ground, or combined - when the base of the pillar is stone, and only the top is wooden. In the first case, it is especially important that the material is well impregnated with antiseptics that prevent decay.

The installation of wooden poles for a canopy is suitable for the construction of polycarbonate or boards.

Poles for a canopy from a profiled pipe

Metal is a strong and durable material that can serve as a support for maintaining a canopy for many decades. Metal poles for a canopy are the most reliable and strong supports that are not so expensive.

Ordinary metal pipes of different diameters are usually used as racks; before digging into the ground, their lower part must be covered with anti-corrosion enamel, which extends the life of the support, and with a polymer for waterproofing.

Poles for a canopy from a profile pipe are used in many cases:

• To obtain a reliable and strong frame for awnings made of polycarbonate, boards, metal profiles;
• With wet and water-saturated soils;
• For mounting the base under the farm;
• To install the frame "for centuries".

Metal poles (pipes) are more expensive than wooden ones, but they also serve much longer without the need for repair, and are also more aesthetic, withstand an unlimited number of stains.

Brick supports

Racks made of brick look beautiful and solid, but this is the most expensive type of support and time-consuming to install. Brick supports look good against the background of a facade or a fence made of the same material for any canopy. Polycarbonate plays interestingly on the brick, letting in the sun's rays.

Red, white and silicate bricks are suitable for construction, the choice should be made based on the decorative features of the site.

This group also includes supports made of decorative stone.

Pillar calculation

Before purchasing material and starting work, it is necessary to calculate the number of supports and their depth, select the type of device for the underground part of the rack.

Calculation of the number of supports for a canopy

When determining the number of supports, it is necessary to calculate the load per 1 column and correlate it with the allowable column pitch. On average, one metal pipe with a diameter of 80 ... 100 mm can withstand a load of up to 250 kg. It includes:

• The weight of the roofing area (canopy);
• Self weight of the pipe;
• The mass of snow cover.

Usually a canopy is equipped for 1 car or a small area. For example, a perimeter of 6x3 meters will need 8 supports:

• 4 in the corners;
• 2 on each side between the corner posts.

The average distance between the supports is 2.0 meters, and more can be accepted - 2.5 meters.

The same goes for stone pillars. In this matter, it is also important to take into account the flexibility of the roofing so that it does not sag under the weight of snow. More than 2-2.5 meters between the supports without an additional roof beam should not be accepted.

Support depth

Installation of pillars for a canopy is carried out in the ground. In order for the stand to stand level, it is necessary to take the correct depth for digging in its base and the method of immersion and fixation in the ground. The post can be driven into the ground in the following ways:

• 1) Driving in is suitable for metal supports under small canopies with light covering materials. Driving in is possible only on dense soils, in no case should this method be used on loamy and heaving soils;
• 2) Concreting is able to enhance the bearing capacity of the column on any soil. Metal poles are subjected to concreting, less often - wood;
• 3) Butovanie. In fact, this is digging in a pillar, but with the use of materials that compact the soil - crushed stone, gravel.

The depth is determined by the amount of soil freezing in the region. The column is brought to a depth below the tabular one by 20-30 cm, do not forget about arranging a pillow of 10-15 cm.

How to put poles for a canopy

Canopy supports can be installed in a variety of ways. The choice depends on the material of the column, the type of soil and the expected load on the coating.

Installation of wooden poles

How to install wooden canopy poles:

1. Bury the pole. To do this, they dig a hole, and fill the bottom with a pillow made of a mixture of sand and gravel. A prepared wooden rack, carefully treated from decay, is also lowered there. After that, the soil is backfilled and compacted. This method is suitable for organizing a temporary or light canopy.
2. Attach the post to the existing column foundation. This is a gentle way to use wooden studs. In the finished columnar foundations, plates are laid in advance, to which wooden supports are subsequently attached.

Installation of metal poles

Pipe racks are made more often than others, so more mounting methods have been invented for this material.

hammering

You can hammer metal poles into dense soils. This is a great way to save on installation work and get a reliable frame.

A pipe is installed in the marked place, a cap is put on (a thick layer of cardboard) and clogging begins until dense soil rocks are reached. Since there is no cushion of sand and gravel with this method, it is worth focusing on solid base layers. Excess length at the top can be trimmed. At the same time, the depth of the poles for the canopy should not be less than 1.5 meters or ½ from the top of the pole.

Poles for a canopy

This is a method similar to instillation. In the marked place, a hole is being prepared with a depth below the freezing level by 0.3 meters. A mixture of sand and gravel is poured to the bottom and a pole is installed. Next, the pit is filled in layers with a sand-gravel mixture, constantly adding water to compact.

When 15-20 cm are left to the top of the hole, a concrete solution is poured, which serves as a reinforcement for the support.

Advantages of the method:

• High efficiency at low financial and labor costs;
• Fast installation speed.
• The disadvantage is the small bearing capacity of the pillars.

Canopy pole concreting

To get a reliable and versatile support, they take metal pipes and bury them in the ground, using concreting the base of the column. The method is suitable for use on moving and heaving soils, where it is difficult to achieve dense layers and it is necessary to protect the rack from being pushed out when the soil saturated with water is heaving.

How to concrete poles for a canopy:

• 1) Dig a hole to the calculated depth;
• 2) The bottom is covered with gravel-sand mixture and compacted;
• 3) Expose a metal frame to strengthen the "glass";
• 4) Mount the formwork;
• 5) Insert the pipe and fix it to the frame with metal fittings;
• 6) Produce concrete pouring.

Pole installation

You can not ignore the installation of brick pillars, which are also sometimes used to maintain canopies. To establish such a support, a foundation is needed. Most often it is a columnar structure.

• 1) Dig a hole with a minimum size of 50 × 50 centimeters;
• 2) A pillow of sand and gravel is laid on the bottom to compensate for loads from the ground;
• 3) Lay a thin layer of cement or masonry mortar to level the site. You can skip this step if you level the site well;
• 4) Now start laying the columns. For support under a canopy, laying 1-1.5 bricks is enough.

When the underground part is ready, the side walls of the base are covered with roofing material or coated with bitumen, then they are buried and the masonry is brought from above to the design mark.

When the racks are ready, proceed to the installation work to install the canopy floor.

When choosing the type of foundation, the homeowner must first take into account the characteristics of the soil and the structure itself. Important criteria for choosing one or another foundation system is affordability, reducing the complexity of installation, the ability to work without the involvement of special equipment. The foundation on asbestos pipes is suitable for "problem" soils, has a lower cost compared to some other types of foundations.

Peculiarities

A few decades ago, asbestos-cement pipes were practically not used in private housing construction, which was due, firstly, to the myth that existed at that time about their environmental unsafety, and secondly, to the lack of knowledge and practical experience in the technology of using this material.

Today, a columnar or pile foundation on asbestos foundations has become quite widespread, especially on soils where it is impossible to equip a strip foundation. Such soils include primarily clay and loamy, moisture-saturated soils, as well as areas with a height difference.

With the help of piles from asbestos-cement pipes, it is possible to raise the building by 30-40 cm, which is convenient for areas located in lowlands, floodplains, and also subject to seasonal flooding. Unlike metal piles, asbestos-cement piles are not prone to corrosion.

Asbestos pipes are a building material based on asbestos fiber and Portland cement. They can be pressure and non-pressure. Only pressure modifications are suitable for construction, they are also used in the organization of wells and wells.

Such pipes have a diameter in the range of 5 - 60 cm, withstand pressure up to 9 atmospheres, are characterized by durability and good coefficients of hydraulic resistance.

In general, the technology for their installation is standard - most pile foundations are installed in the same way. Wells are prepared for the pipes, the location and depth of which correspond to the design documentation, after which they are lowered into the prepared recesses and poured with concrete. More details about the installation technology will be discussed in subsequent chapters.

Advantages and disadvantages

The popularity of the foundation of this type is primarily due to the ability to make a site with “problem” soil suitable for construction. Asbestos-cement pipes can be installed by hand without the involvement of special equipment, which distinguishes them from metal piles. It is clear that this reduces the cost of the object.

The absence of a large volume of earthworks, as well as the need to fill large areas with a concrete solution, make the installation process less labor intensive and faster.

Asbestos-cement pipes are several times cheaper than piles, while they demonstrate better moisture resistance. Corrosion does not form on the surface, degradation of the material and loss of strength does not occur. This allows construction in excessively moisture-saturated soils, as well as in flooded areas.

If we compare the cost of a columnar foundation on an asbestos-cement base with the cost of a tape analogue (even a shallow one), then the first one will be 25-30% cheaper.

When using piles of this type, it is possible to raise the building to an average height of 30-40 cm, and with the correct distribution of the load, even up to 100 cm. Not every other type of foundation demonstrates such qualities.

The main disadvantage of asbestos-cement pipes is their low bearing capacity. This makes it impossible to use them in construction on swampy areas and organic soils, and also imposes certain requirements on the construction. The object should be low-rise from lightweight materials - wood, aerated concrete or frame-type construction.

Due to the low bearing capacity, it is necessary to increase the number of asbestos-cement pipes and, accordingly, wells for them.

Unlike metal counterparts, such supports are characterized by the absence of an "anchor" property, and therefore, if the installation technology is not followed or errors in calculations during soil heaving, the supports will be squeezed out of the ground.

Like most piled houses, asbestos-cement foundations are built without a basement. Of course, with a great desire, it can be equipped, but you will have to dig a pit (to equip a powerful drainage system on moisture-saturated soils), which in most cases is irrational.

Calculations

The construction of any type of foundation should begin with the preparation of project documentation and drawing up drawings. They, in turn, are based on data obtained during geological surveys. The latter involve laboratory analysis of the soil in different seasons.

Drilling a test well allows obtaining information about the composition of soils and their features, due to which the layering of the soil, its composition, the presence and volume of groundwater becomes obvious.

The key to a solid foundation is an accurate calculation of its bearing capacity. The supports of pile foundations must reach solid layers of soil that lie below the level of its freezing. Accordingly, in order to carry out such calculations, it is necessary to know the depth of soil freezing. These are constant values ​​that depend on the region, they are freely available in specialized sources (the Internet, official documentation of the authorities that regulate construction rules in a particular region, laboratories that analyze soils, and so on).

Having learned the required coefficient of freezing depth, you should add another 0.3-0.5 m to it, since this is how asbestos-cement pipes protrude above the ground. Usually, this is a height of 0.3 m, but when it comes to flooded regions, the height of the above-ground part of the pipes increases.

The diameter of the pipes is calculated based on the load indicators that will affect the foundation. To do this, you should find out the specific gravity of the materials from which the house is built (they are set out in SNiP). In this case, it is necessary to sum up not only the weight of the materials of the walls, but also the weight of the roof, facing and heat-insulating coatings, and floors.

Weight per 1 asbestos-cement pipe should not exceed 800 kg. Their installation is mandatory along the perimeter of the building, at points of increased load, as well as at the intersection of load-bearing walls. Installation step - 1 m.

Having received information about the specific gravity of the material, usually another 30% is added to this value in order to obtain the coefficient of the total pressure of the operated house on the foundation. Knowing this number, you can calculate the number of pipes, a suitable diameter, as well as the number of reinforcement (based on 2-3 rods per support).

On average, for frame buildings, as well as non-residential objects (arbors, summer kitchens), pipes with a diameter of 100 mm are used. For aerated concrete or log houses - products with a diameter of at least 200 -250 mm.

Concrete consumption depends on the diameter of the support. So, about 0.1 cubic meters of solution is required to fill 10 m of a pipe with a diameter of 100 mm. For a similar pouring of a pipe with a diameter of 200 mm, 0.5 cubic meters of concrete is required.

Installation

Installation must necessarily be preceded by soil analysis and drafting a project that contains all the necessary calculations.

The next step will be marking - according to the drawings, pegs are driven in at the corners, as well as at the intersection points of the supporting structures, between which the rope is pulled. Upon completion of the work, you should make sure that the resulting “drawing” matches the design one, and also double-check the perpendicularity of the sides formed by the corners.

After the markup is completed, they begin drilling pipes. For work, a drill is used, and in its absence, they dig recesses manually. Their diameter is 10-20 cm greater than the diameter of the supports. Depth - 20 cm more than the height of the underground part of the pipes.

This "reserve" is required to fall asleep a layer of sand. It is poured onto the bottom of the recess by about 20 cm, then it is compacted, moistened with water and again crushed. The next stage is the primary waterproofing of pipes, which involves lining the bottom of the well (over a compacted sandy "cushion") with roofing material.

Now pipes are lowered into the recesses, which are leveled and fixed with temporary supports, usually wooden. When pipes are immersed in soils with an increased level of moisture along the entire length of the underground run, they are covered with bituminous waterproofing mastic.

Concrete mortar can be ordered or prepared by hand. Cement and sand are mixed in proportions of 1: 2. Water is added to this composition. You should get a solution that resembles a flowing dough in consistency. Then 2 parts of gravel are introduced into it, everything is mixed well again.

Concrete is poured into the pipe to a height of 40-50 cm, and then the pipe is raised by 15-20 cm and left until the solution hardens. This technology allows you to create a "base" under the pipe, thereby increasing its resistance to soil heaving.

When the concrete solution has completely hardened, the pipe walls are waterproofed with roofing material. Between the walls of the recess and the side surfaces of the pipe, river sand is poured, which is well tamped (the principle is the same as when arranging the “cushion” - pour sand, tamp, pour water, repeat the steps).

A string is pulled between the pipes, once again they are convinced of the accuracy of the level and proceed to reinforce the pipe. For these purposes, with the help of transverse wire jumpers, several rods are connected, which are lowered into the pipe.

Now it remains to pour concrete mortar into the pipe. To exclude the preservation of air bubbles in the thickness of the solution allows the use of a vibratory driver. If it is not there, you should pierce the filled solution in several places with reinforcement, and then close the resulting holes on the surface of the solution.

When the solution gains strength (about 3 weeks), you can begin to level the above-ground part of the bases, their waterproofing. One of the positive features of these supports is the ability to speed up the process of preparing the foundation. As you know, concrete needs 28 days to fully cure. However, the pipes bordering the concrete play the role of a fixed formwork. Thanks to this, further work can be started within 14-16 days after pouring.

Between themselves, the supports can be connected with beams or combined with a monolithic slab. The choice of a specific technology is usually based on the materials used.

Beams are mainly used for frame and block houses, as well as small buildings for household purposes. For houses made of aerated concrete or wood concrete, a grillage is usually poured, which is additionally reinforced. Regardless of the technology chosen, it is necessary to connect the reinforcement of the pillars with the load-bearing element of the base (beams or grillage reinforcement).

The foundation is considered to be the longest and most costly stage of construction. This process is especially difficult and expensive on difficult ground, where any structure needs a particularly reliable support. To simplify and reduce the cost of this stage, the equipment of supports made of asbestos pipes allows. When used correctly, this inexpensive material is able, saving the time and effort of the builder, to withstand groundwater, precipitation and soil movement, while maintaining the geometry of the house or outbuilding.

Asbestos or asbestos-cement pipes are building materials with a long history. They are made from Portland cement and asbestos fibers. Roofing material familiar to everyone - slate - is made from the same materials. Asbestos fibers form the frame of the product, giving it strength, which pure cement lacks.

The combination of these materials makes asbestos-cement products durable, water, heat and fire resistant, chemically inert and resistant to corrosion.

Asbestos-cement pipes are produced in two versions:

• pressure pumps designed for installation of water disposal systems, industrial water supply, equipment for wells, protection of wells from soil shedding;
• non-pressure, used for the installation of smoke exhaust systems.

Note! For the construction of a columnar foundation, only pressure pipes are used, since non-pressure pipes will not withstand the internal pressure from the cement mortar poured into them and the external pressure of the soil.

What is the peculiarity of the foundation of asbestos pipes

From asbestos-cement pipes, a foundation of a columnar, or pile, type is erected, making peculiar legs for the future structure - pillars, or piles that go deep into the soil.

A feature of such a foundation is the installation of piles under the key points of the structure: corners, areas of intersection of walls.

A distinctive feature of the piled asbestos-cement foundation is the filling of hollow asbestos pipes with cement mortar with additional reinforcement. As a result, the pillars are strong and resistant to ground pressure and able to withstand the weight of the erected structure.

Such a structure of the supporting structure is relevant in cases where it is impossible or impractical to install a foundation of a slab or tape type:

• When erecting outbuildings, country houses and frame houses that do not have a cellar, baths. Lightweight buildings for various purposes do not need to equip a support tape around the perimeter, moreover, it is not advisable to pour a monolithic slab under them.
• On difficult terrain or in cold regions where excavation is costly. On unstable soil prone to shedding, digging a trench and installing a foundation is impossible without formwork equipment. In cold regions, where the ground does not thaw even in summer, as well as on rocky ground, the risk of shedding is lower, but the work itself is much more difficult.
• With a high level of groundwater or when the building is located near water bodies prone to spills. In wet soil, a strip and monolithic foundation will constantly be in contact with water, gradually collapsing and sinking into cavities washed out by underground flows.

The foundation is the foundation of the building, the durability of the structure depends on its strength. In fact, it is the main supporting structure of the structure, its movements or subsidence lead to distortions of the building structure, the floors begin to swell and the doors stop closing, and, in the worst case, the house can simply collapse . How to build an inexpensive and reliable columnar foundation from reliable asbestos pipes, we propose to consider in this article.

It should be noted that it is in recent years that this type of foundation of the house has become especially popular.

Advantages and disadvantages of a pile foundation

The foundation for a house made of asbestos-cement pipes is financially beneficial and reliable enough for the construction of light buildings and auxiliary structures such as log or frame houses, baths, outbuildings. To build a columnar foundation from asbestos pipes, you will need the pipes themselves, a garden drill, a concrete mixer (it can be rented during construction), several bars of corrugated reinforcement, sand and cement. Due to the complexity of execution, it is quite possible to build it with your own hands.

The following can be said about the advantages of such a foundation:

Asbestos pipes do not require large expenditures, are quickly built, protect against moisture

• compared to monolithic solutions, the foundation of asbestos-cement pipes for a house will cost half as much and require half the effort and time;
• digging a foundation pit for such a foundation is not necessary;
• a pile foundation made of asbestos-cement pipes is built very quickly, after completion of work, you can immediately start building a house, saving up to two weeks compared to a monolithic foundation;
• the height of such a foundation above the ground is usually at least 30 cm, which will prevent water from entering the house during showers and flooding, and if floods have ever occurred in the area, the piles can be raised even higher;
• on the foundation of asbestos-cement piles, it is much easier to bring communications to the house - water supply, sewerage, gas supply, and so on.

The application of such grounds is limited by the following factors:

• such structures are applicable only if structures of limited mass are placed on them;
• the duration of the safe operation of pile foundations made of asbestos-cement piles is limited to 80 years;
• in houses on such foundations it is almost impossible to arrange a basement;
• the foundation of a house from asbestos-cement piles is impossible in places with floating soils.

For these purposes, other materials, in particular metal or plastic products, are quite applicable. However, they also have inherent disadvantages. Metal pipes corrode and are more expensive, while plastic pipes have limits on the effect of negative temperatures.

Asbestos-cement pipes have the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion, which ensures the stability of the foundation during operation.

How to make a foundation

When starting construction, you need to take a number of mandatory actions so that the work is not done in vain:

1. Find out the quality of soils at the construction site in order to exclude falling on floating soils.
2. Specify the depth of soil freezing in a given area, the depth of immersion of piles from asbestos-cement pipes depends on this.
3. Calculate the size of the pile, taking into account the maximum redistributed load on the pipe of 800 kg. If the design load is greater, you need to increase the number of intermediate piles.

Calculation of a columnar foundation from pipes

Work order

1. Mark the plan of the house at the chosen place, mark the intersections of the load-bearing walls with pegs.
2. Check the markings by measuring the overall dimensions along the markings diagonals. They must be the same.
3. Mark the placement of intermediate piles under the bearing walls. The distance between them should be no more than 1 meter.
4. Use a garden drill to make a hole in the ground for the pile. The immersion depth should be 0.3 - 0.5 meters more than the freezing of the soil. The hole diameter is made at least 5 cm larger than the pile diameter. The work is easy to do by hand
5. Backfill under the base of the asbestos-cement pipe with two layers of sand and gravel.
6. Tamp the bedding and spill it with water.
7. Mark and cut the pipe with your own hands using a grinder to the required length, taking into account the excess of the upper end above the ground by about 30 cm.
8. The immersed end must be treated with a water-polymer waterproofing for the immersion length in accordance with the instructions on the packaging of the emulsion. The work is easily done by one person.
9. Lower the pipe into the hole and unfasten it with wooden blocks.
10. Also install the rest of the piles. Measure the diagonals again, if necessary, correct the location of the pipes.
11. Using a level, check the horizontal position of the upper ends of the asbestos-cement piles, mark the level of pouring pipes with concrete. Cut off the protruding parts after the concrete has hardened.
12. Pour the piles with concrete prepared according to the following recipe: 2 parts of M300 cement, two parts of sand, two parts of gravel of medium fraction, water. To check the consistency of concrete, make a ball with a diameter of about 10 cm from it. It should sag slightly under its own weight, but not crumble or blur.
13. Outside the pile, install 3 - 4 bars of reinforcement, tying them with wire. Install reinforcing steel bars inside the pipe in the same way.
14. After loading inside or outside the concrete mixing pipe, pierce the mass layer in several places with a bar and tamp it down to avoid the formation of air bubbles in the pouring mass.
15. After that, take a break for 5 - 7 days in any work on the construction site to give the concrete time to harden.
16. Check the horizontality of the upper ends of the piles, if necessary, shorten the protruding ones with your own hands.

Grill foundations

If it is necessary to strengthen pile foundations, a structural element called a grillage is used. This term refers to a concrete slab or beam that is laid on top of the vertical supports of the foundation.

Execution types.

They can be:

1. High- the supporting element is located above the soil surface, it is used in areas with a high location of groundwater.
2. Short- it is used at a deep location of soil and in areas with a small depth of soil freezing.
3. An elevated grillage is called a supporting element, located at ground level. It is carried out by making formwork, reinforcement and continuous pouring with concrete. The most durable foundation for low-rise and larger construction, as the support turns into a monolithic structure.

Types of grillages according to the materials used:

1. Wood- a grillage made of timber, used for the construction of houses made of wood, baths, outbuildings. Easy to do by hand. Needs high-quality protection of wood from rotting and pests.
2. Steel- made of steel structures, bars and screw piles. It is used in lightweight construction, it is durable and stable. The disadvantage is susceptibility to corrosion.
3. Monolithic- a system of elements from asbestos-cement piles and a cast concrete supporting surface, combining all the components of the structure into a single whole. The most reliable and durable type of pile foundations.

Types of grillages by materials

If you want to make a foundation for a country house with your own hands, pay attention to the methods described here. You will get a foundation of sufficient strength at low cost. I wish you success!