• Building permit according to the building project
• Connections and wiring
• Foundations and building foundation
• External and internal walls made of masonry, timber or concrete built according to the design documentation with regard to statics, insulation, thermal comfort, moisture, sound and fire protection

A foundation pit is a place where foundations and basement parts of buildings are made. Soil quality and local building regulations determine the type and kind of foundation. All this is planned in advance by structural engineers in conjunction with the architects. This is because the foundation of a building forms a solid base for other building elements and ensures its overall stability. These conditions must be permanently ensured, even in the event of extreme temperatures or the action of the water elements.

The soil that is excavated from the foundation pit is levelled and, if necessary, compacted. The depth of the foundations depends on the local climatic conditions. Depending on the region, the depth may vary between 0.80 and 1.20 m in order to maintain an unfrozen depth. In extremely cold regions of Europe, it can be up to 1.50 m.

Very sandy, soft or wet soils should be especially treated. In many cases, a drainage system is used to increase the bearing capacity of the subsoil. This drains excess water away, thereby lowering the groundwater level. The Cemix product range includes drainage concrete specifically for this purpose.

The improvement of the foundation soil is primarily about increasing its bearing capacity, i.e. increasing shear strength, reducing permeability, stabilising or reducing compressibility. A geotextile is then laid on the prepared bearing soil, and a layer of gravel or aggregate with a grain size of 16/32, depending on the thickness of the concrete slab, is evenly applied and compacted, between 15 and 40 centimetres.  The gravel layer, which is also known as the drainage layer, prevents moisture from the groundwater from rising and thus protects the base plate from frost damage.

To prevent electric shock, the concrete plate should be grounded. Earthing is the conductive connection of electrical wiring. For this purpose, e.g. the reinforcement is connected to the plate for potential equalisation and to the lightning rod. Potential equalisation is actually an electrical connection that keeps the various exposed and external conductive parts at the same potential.

The base layer, also known as the base concrete, is a separating layer of lean concrete (C8/10, X0) with a thickness of 5 cm, which ensures a level foundation for the building. It can be used to compensate for unevenness in the subsoil. It prevents the reinforcement from being pushed into the soft subsoil and also prevents the penetration of moisture into the clay soil and the associated reduction in the stability of the building. It therefore increases the bearing capacity of the foundation slab. The EN 13670 standard no longer requires foundation concrete. The greater thickness of the concrete layer can also compensate for greater irregularities in the compacted layer of gravel, sand or stone.

Connections for supply and drainage pipes, potable and waste water pipes, electrical and gas lines, as well as fixed network and internet, should always be laid in the correct place in the sub-base layer. Wastewater pipes shall be laid using KG pipes with a diameter of DN 100 to DN 500 with a gradient of two per cent depending on the quantity and type of wastewater. Only KG pipes may be laid in the ground, which is a permitted outdoor sewer pipe system. This system includes KG pipes of various diameters and lengths. For high voltage current, television and internet, empty pipes are usually routed through the foundation slab. 

In the case of building renovation, the connections can be laid later by cutting out or cutting up the base plate. This is only after consultation with the designer and structural engineer. Pipes, ducts and cables can also be installed under the foundation slab in the excavation with the insertion of the ducts.

Before laying the perimeter insulation, a polyethylene film is laid on top of the gravel or crushed stone bed as a separating layer to prevent water from penetrating from the foundation slab into the soil. This insulating foil, or insulation boards can be used, ensures that the base plate is sealed downwards and also protects against heat loss due to freezing.

The insulation of the building towards the soil, i.e. the insulation of the external walls, the basement walls and the insulation of the base plate downwards, is called perimeter insulation (extruded polystyrene boards). In practice, this means that extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards, usually around 8 cm thick, are laid on a perfectly flat base layer, possibly full-surface. This insulation saves energy and protects building occupants and the environment against cold, damp and high energy costs. In the case of perimeter insulation, a plastic sheet is placed on top of the insulation to protect it when the foundation slab is poured.

The perimeter formwork is formed from timbers or formwork elements, which are then flattened and fixed. The formwork elements, which may also be rigid polystyrene foam and remain in the structure, are called lost formwork.

Spacers, such as concrete blocks, are placed to provide support for the structural reinforcement made of steel curry mesh (this is welded steel wire mesh). The curry nets are then connected to each other with wire, as are the reinforcing bars. The spacers provide 3-5 cm of concrete cover to the outer edge.

The foundation distributes the weight of the building evenly over the ground. It provides stability and protects against moisture and soil changes caused by heat or cold. There are footings, strip foundations, slab foundations (slab foundations). 

Flat foundations are common for most buildings. These must be of sufficient size and made of good quality concrete to handle the load of the building, distribute it evenly and transfer it to the ground. Next are the footings, which are the foundation for the future masonry. The strips usually consist of plain concrete, reinforced concrete or load bearing stone. The strips are not insulated. Since the base plate is concreted over the foundation strips, the differences are hardly noticeable to the layman. The base slab also serves as waterproofing and does not have to carry the load. 

The footings are concrete blocks, square or rectangular in plan, with the option for a foundation beam. The difference between footings and strips is essentially only in their second dimension, namely length. It is a very short strip foundation with an aspect ratio of 1:1 to 1:2. Non-expert builders should be aware of these differences in order to assess the different costs.

For pouring concrete, so-called transport concrete is used, which is fresh concrete that is produced at the concrete plant and delivered to the construction site by conventional mixing trucks, where it is then evenly poured into the formwork, thus encasing the reinforcement. 

To prevent air voids and ensure the strength of the foundation, compaction is carried out during the pouring of the concrete using a dipping vibrator. The concrete is then carefully smoothed, for example with a vibrating lath.

The concrete has to harden properly, which takes a minimum of 28 days; if temperatures are cold, this can increase the hardening time. During this time it needs to be protected from frost and strong sunlight by covering it. The concrete must also be kept moist to prevent cracks from forming.

When building a slab foundation, all sides must be insulated: top, bottom and sides. Otherwise, it is possible for moisture from the ground to penetrate the structure and cause moisture and frost damage. Liquid or sheet sealing materials or foil insulation are used for this purpose. These are based on bitumen (solvent-based and fiber-reinforcing), cements, epoxies or various polymers. After the formwork of the foundation slab has been removed, the waterproofing is applied to the side of the slab, e.g. by applying a full waterproofing (so-called jointless waterproofing).

In older buildings, insufficient insulation can cause dampness in the foundation or masonry. This can be caused by water pressure or capillary rising damp. Capillary rising damp is a continuous, constant flow of water molecules that rise from the ground to different heights in the masonry. If it is necessary to make insulation on the outside of the foundation, it is often necessary to expose the soil, but this solution may be limited in some cases, for example by space. Additional insulation is then carried out from the inside, for example by grouting or waterproofing.

As bricks absorb moisture, it is always necessary to seal the space between the brickwork and the substrate. Failure to do so can create a 'damp bridge' which could cause future problems such as mould on the walls, damp maps and plaster falling off.

Walls consist of layers of bricks, i.e. bricks joined with mortar. In residential construction, walls can be single-skinned or multi-skinned. In addition, there is also brickwork with a facing. Facing brickwork is built as a self-supporting wall on a pre-prepared concrete stripped foundation.

The thickness of the wall is determined by the requirements for the structural stability of the masonry or sound and thermal insulation. The choice of bricks also depends on other factors such as cost, speed or ease of construction, which is particularly important when building with your own hands.

• Brickwork is made of burnt clay. It is suitable for internal and external walls.
• Clinker is a highly fired brick material. It does not absorb water, which protects it from frost damage and makes it suitable, for example, for house cladding or garden walls. A distinction is made between solid and hollow bricks, with the cavities serving to reduce weight and provide insulation.
• THERM bricks have vertical holes into which insulation material can be inserted. This construction allows the creation of a single skin external wall without further additional insulation.
• Sand-lime bricks (blocks) are made of lime, sand and water. The high density of the material ensures good sound insulation and climate control in the room. This makes it possible to create relatively thin walls. However, these bricks (blocks) are very heavy and difficult to work with. Lime-sand bricks (blocks) do not necessarily need to be plastered, but the high thermal conductivity requires additional insulation.
• Aerated concrete is made of cement, lime, sand and aluminium powder, then cured by steam under pressure. It is lightweight and insulating, making it an ideal material for many applications up to the loft. The good insulating properties allow compliance with insulation regulations with a relatively small wall thickness. Aerated concrete or gas concrete blocks are available in many different thicknesses and sizes. They can be easily cut with a saw and simply glued in a thin-layered manner however the material absorbs moisture and must be kept completely dry. The internal and external surface requires plastering to protect the wall from moisture. Even indoors, aerated concrete cannot remain for long periods without a protective layer of plaster.

Lost formwork is a form for placing concrete that is not removed and remains a permanent part of the constructed foundation or retaining wall. Blocks of lost formwork are stacked on top of each other and then filled with concrete.

Ceilings or ceiling structures divide the house horizontally, so they are horizontal load-bearing structures. There are prefabricated ceilings that are delivered to the building site. Another option is storey ceilings made of aerated concrete, which are manufactured on site according to the floor plan.

A staircase is a structural element that serves to connect individual storeys. It is an inclined supporting structure. Appropriate recesses must be provided in the building envelope for the staircase. The staircase structure can be made of concrete, but the staircase must be made of this material from the very beginning. When calculating the staircase, the width, the height of the stair tread, the height of the room, the inclination of the stairs in degrees and ratio of rise and flight are important.

Later on, staircases can be installed in designs other than concrete, such as wooden, stone or metal. These can be flat or beam staircases, straight, curved, landings or spiral staircases, also free-hanging staircases or space-saving staircases (e.g. samba stairs).

The construction of the roof structure still belongs to the rough construction phase, whereas the roofing installation does not. Standard roof shapes are:

• Gable roof - this is the most common type of roof, which has two roof planes with a straight ridge, plus always two gables and two eaves.
• The hipped roof - is made up of four roof planes. These are always two opposite sides which are trapezoidal in shape and are joined at the apex by a ridge.
• Mansard roof - is a variation of a gable roof where the roof is divided into two parts between the ridge and eaves, but each part has a different pitch.
• Pitched roof - the pitched roof design is one of the simplest roof shapes. It is a type of roof with only one inclined plane of the roof sheathing.
• Flat roof - is a structure that does not have a roof plane pitch greater than 5°. The pitch of the roof must be chosen to ensure that rainwater and snow water can drain away.

An important consideration in any roof construction is what regulations are set out in the local zoning ordinance. These must be taken into account in the design and preparation of the building.

The chimney is an integral part of any building, therefore a good choice of chimney is a very important decision. The correct height and cross-section of the chimney will ensure the flawless function of the flue gas extraction and heating system. Choosing a chimney is not an easy matter, so we recommend consulting experts.

Everything you need for building foundations, basements, masonry, ceilings or flat roofs can be found in our 1000 system.