An excerpt of pits, what is a pit, what the customer of a technical survey should know about pits. Penetration and fastening of pits What is a pit? Difference from a well

"Shafts" is a word that was originally associated with geological excavations. In the future, it found its application in geodesy, archeology, construction, and engineering studies of communications. What are the shafts? What it is? We will consider their device and features in more detail.

Pit: definition

This word in geology denoted a vertical or inclined depression in the ground for the search and exploration of minerals. The cross section of such devices is round (they are also called pipes), rectangular, square. The main feature is small parameters from 800 to 4000 mm, depth - up to 40 m. These geological workings are used for lowering / lifting people, cargo into the mine / to the surface. In loose soils, these devices require fixing with beams to prevent shedding.

Given the above, it is impossible to underestimate the pits. The meaning of the word was sorted out, the specifics of use, types, device should be considered.

Applications

There are four main areas of use of pits:

  • for a detailed study of the geological section;
  • selection of soil samples of an undestroyed monolith;
  • field engineering-geological studies;
  • hydrogeological research.

As you can see, the scope of pits has greatly expanded over time.

Research work of this kind is carried out in two main directions:

  • engineering-geological;
  • special purpose (used to assess the state of the foundation; the main goal is to find out the cause of the resulting deformations).

The pits are divided into three groups according to their size:

  • Small. The depth of occurrence is up to 3 m. As a rule, such devices do not require fixation. Often used in engineering research (about 60%).
  • Medium. The depth is no more than 10 m. When they are installed, a ventilation system is already provided. Deepening is carried out using drilling rigs.
  • Deep. The occurrence parameter is from 10 m. They are used to solve special problems.

Pit device

For the installation of such objects, both the manual method and the use of special equipment can be used.

The main parameters for the pits are selected depending on the intended work, the type of soil. Recommended dimensions:

  • Rectangular, square section: 1000 x 1250 mm, 1000 x 1500 mm, 1500 x 1500 mm, 2000 x 1500 mm. The selected parameter also depends on the depth of the device: with a pit height of 3000 mm - 1250 mm, 10,000 mm - 1500 mm, up to 20,000 mm - 2000 mm, over 20,000 mm - 4000 mm.
  • Round section: from 700 to 1000 mm. Pipes with a recess up to 10,000 mm - a diameter of at least 650 mm, over 10,000 mm - from 700 to 1000 mm.

What are the pits, what is it, we sorted it out. Now consider the specifics of application in construction.

Holes for special purposes

The foundation is the foundation of the house. The integrity of the entire structure depends on its quality and condition. Therefore, timely assessment is an important component in restoration and construction work. Pit holes for research are used in the following cases:

  • Addition of an additional floor, not taken into account in the original project. The condition of the foundation and the possibility of additional load on it are assessed.
  • Technical retooling. In construction - replacement, modernization of engineering networks.
  • Capital repairs. Assessment of the validity of the work.
  • The appearance of cracks on the facade of the building, distortions of doorways. Such defects indicate the deformation of the foundation.
  • Inadmissible subsidence of the building. This deficiency can lead to the complete destruction of the structure.
  • When planning to lay a new foundation near an existing one. The possible negative impact of one on the other is assessed.

The causes of the deformation can be identified through the pits.

The significance of such studies is the possibility of identifying the factor of destruction of the foundation and its elimination. The main reasons that have a direct impact on the foundation of the building can be:

  • Precipitation. They can accumulate and undermine the foundation. An excess of rainfall above average can provoke a rise in groundwater, which also has a negative impact on the condition of the foundation.
  • Leakage of water from communications. In parallel, a study of their condition can be carried out.
  • Defects in the compaction of the base and backfill.
  • Displacement of soil layers in relation to each other and others.

Timely identification of the causes of the destruction of the foundation and their elimination can extend the life of the structure.

Features of pits in construction

Factors influencing the choice of a place for research:

  • the presence of obvious deformation in a certain section of the building;
  • the most loaded fragment of the building;
  • if the house is multi-section, then each section is subjected to research;
  • if there are additional supports, they are also inspected;
  • during restoration, the places where load-bearing walls and supports are installed are determined.

The pits are deepened below the level of the foundation so that it is possible to examine the condition of the foundation.

For a strip foundation, the survey can be carried out both inside the building and outside. The pit is dug out in such a way that there is access to the base.

For columnar foundations, there can be three types of research recesses:

  • Bilateral. Two adjacent sides of the support are exposed.
  • Angular. Also clean the two sides of the base, but up to half the width.
  • Perimetric. It is used in emergency cases when thorough studies of both the base itself and the adjacent soil are required.

Pit holes in construction are used in shallow, occasionally medium-sized deepening.

Research types

What research options help to produce pits? What it is? What does this mean for assessing the condition of the foundation?

To answer these questions, consider the list of research papers:

  • Foundation depth. Does this value correspond to the weight, height of the building and the ground.
  • Dimensions. Compliance with project documentation.
  • Type and strength data.
  • Detection of defects and their causes.
  • The quality of the materials used. Detected by taking samples and examining them in the laboratory.
  • Safety and quality of waterproofing.
  • Vertical change.
  • Foundation condition.
  • The presence of reinforcements.

Such studies help to determine the life of the building; the possibility of carrying out restoration work, building an additional floor.

As you can see, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of such devices as a pit for the construction industry.

Negative consequences of the use of pits

Sometimes when arranging recesses, the following consequences may occur:

  • noise during the destruction of concrete structures;
  • dirt and dust;
  • increase in humidity indicators;
  • flooding if timely pumping of atmospheric waters is not made;
  • violation of the waterproofing of the base;
  • impossibility of operation of the objects to be surveyed;
  • obstruction of movement near the surveyed areas.

It is important that all work is carried out under the guidance of professionals. This will help avoid a number of negative consequences.

Geodetic surveys and pits

Even at the design stage, the result of a geodetic study is important, which allows you to determine the type of soil, the depth of groundwater, the presence of underground engineering networks, and so on. This data helps to determine the type of foundation, the depth of its occurrence and engineering networks, the type of materials for construction, and much more.

Therefore, the use of research with the help of pits at the design stage determines the quality and duration of the service life of the future structure. “What are the shafts, what is it; their device and features; importance for construction, geodetic and engineering works” is a relevant and promising topic. With the help of these devices, you can extend the life of the old building and increase the service life of the building under construction.

The foundation is the foundation of the house. It depends on him how durable the structure will be. It takes on the bearing load, evenly distributing it over the ground. Therefore, when buying a finished house, it is important not only to look at the layout and material of the walls, but also the condition of the foundation. This is especially true for old houses. The article will discuss how to conduct a foundation survey.

To determine the degree of wear of the base of the building, it is necessary to conduct an inspection of it. The main cases when it is important to do this:

  • during the overhaul of the house;
  • during reconstruction, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the bearing load on the foundation, for example, when adding floors;
  • when visible defects are found, such as cracks or a tilt of the house;
  • or when extensive earthworks have been carried out in the vicinity of the structure, which could affect the bearing capacity of the soil or the foundation itself;
  • after natural disasters, such as a landslide, landslide, severe flooding or seismic ground vibrations.

In most cases, a foundation survey is ordered from special companies that conduct a professional examination of all the hidden elements of the foundation. This is a responsible and time-consuming process that requires professional knowledge and expensive equipment. Therefore, in the case of an apartment building, it is unrealistic to independently assess the current state of the foundation. But it is quite possible to conduct a survey of the foundation of a small country house.

Increasingly, people are trying to escape from the bustle of the city, buying houses in villages and cottage settlements. There is not always a desire or opportunity to build a house on your own or track all stages of construction. Therefore, this real estate market is replete with offers for the sale of houses. And here you have to be especially careful. It is not uncommon for houses originally built for sale to have foundation problems after the first winter. As well as old buildings, the foundation of which has become unusable due to prolonged use without proper care.

Tip: when buying a house, you need to clarify how deep the groundwater is. If they are not far away, then the foundation should not have not only a basement, but also a storage pit. In winter, the water accumulated in the recess will freeze and expand, which will inevitably lead to cracks in the foundation and masonry walls.

Reasons why the foundation collapses

  • Construction in progress, which was stopped for several years. In particular, the concrete base will become unusable in the absence of a blind area, drainage system and drainage wells. That is, everything that is responsible for the removal of water.
  • Departure from calculations. During construction, the plan of the house indicates all the calculated data that make up the technological process. And if a cheaper brand of concrete or the wrong diameter of reinforcement was chosen, the foundation will also not be durable. Another reason is often the lack of time, due to which the required amount of time is not allocated for the setting of the concrete mixture.
  • Reconstruction work inside the house was illegally carried out, increasing the load on the load-bearing walls. Or, which happens quite often, turning the attic into a residential floor.
  • Also, constant strong vibration has a detrimental effect. This applies to crowbars located in the immediate vicinity of a railway or autobahn.

It is rarely possible to take into account all these factors in advance, sometimes they are quite unpredictable. Therefore, it is worth paying close attention to the foundation at the slightest suspicion. Unfortunately, most country houses have a decorative cladding of the foundation with stone or corrugated board, so it turns out to see the obviousness of the problem already at a critical stage.

In addition, strong deformations of the base often occur due to natural features at the construction site. And if in the first year no changes occurred, then this may manifest itself in subsequent ones. These include:

  • atmospheric precipitation, which freely penetrates to the foundation, soaking it;
  • basement flooding with sewage or due to leaking water pipes;
  • spring groundwater rising above the permissible value;
  • weak ground. For example, when filling a site, they did not let him stand for a year and immediately began to build a house;
  • washing out of the soil during a flood or, in the absence of insulation of the foundation, its freezing in winter.

The main technique for examining foundations is pitting. In the course of work, samples of soil, concrete, mortar or stone are taken for research in special laboratories. They also do a visual inspection. There are times when it is required to partially destroy the base in order to check the condition of the reinforcement. But, for the most part, this applies to apartment buildings, it will not be necessary to do this in a private small house.

Inspection of a strip or column foundation

Tape is made in the form of a monolithic tape around the perimeter of the house and under its load-bearing walls. And columnar, as the name implies, in the form of free-standing pillars interconnected by a concrete or wooden grillage. Most often they are made of reinforced concrete, but these structures are also made of brick, rubble stone or concrete foundation blocks. The type of building material determines the technological process of examining the base.

The main criteria by which the quality of the strip and column foundation is assessed:

  • check with a laser level horizontality foundations along the entire length of the wall. The usual building level for these purposes will not work, as there will be a large error;
  • visually inspect for cracks. It may be necessary to disassemble the facing and heat-insulating layer for this;
  • when examining a concrete strip foundation, it should not be detected protruding reinforcement, large chips or delamination of the composition;

  • at the brick base, the masonry should look good. With signs destruction of masonry mortar and waterproofing layer, and without bricks repairs will be inevitable;
  • block or stone foundation during destruction can be displaced, they will immediately be noticeable protrusions of individual blocks or their significant chips.

The most economical is a columnar foundation made of bricks. It is often used for secondary buildings with small mechanical loads. Therefore, the technological process is often not given due attention. But because of this, they are more likely to be destroyed and repaired. It should be checked at least once a year in the spring. It is enough just to determine the vertical of the pillars along the perimeter with a plumb line.

Technical inspection of slab and column-strip foundation

  • slab foundation- it is a monolithic reinforced concrete slab, poured under the area of ​​the entire building. Depending on the expected load, a pit breaks out under it. An examination of such a base consists in an external examination for the presence of cracks or severe mechanical damage, as well as for the evenness of the axes (first of all, the distortion of the entire slab should be excluded). It is important to check the integrity of the waterproofing and the quality of the external backfill.


  • Column-tape the foundation is a reinforced concrete strip, which, after a certain step, is reinforced with pillars poured below the freezing level. During its construction, they first dig a trench around the perimeter of the house and inside, under the future load-bearing walls. And then, wells are drilled to a depth of 1.5-2 m and reinforcing bars are inserted into them. For them, they do not equip a sand cushion, but immediately pour concrete. As a rule, these pillars are a strong link and additionally strengthen the foundation, so they do not need to be examined.

Visual inspection of foundations and foundations

To check the foundations, there are many methods and devices. Many of them require professional knowledge, extensive earthworks and considerable financial investments. But there is an affordable and easy way for everyone - a visual inspection. It is quite effective and sometimes only it is enough to assess the current state of the foundation.

The best time to visually inspect the foundation is in the spring. After going through the freeze / thaw cycle, the foundation will manifest itself to the greatest extent. This is where the shortcomings that were made during construction, but were invisible, appear.

Important: sometimes it happens that problems begin already in winter. For example, when the columnar foundation of an extension to the main house freezes, it can raise the building. As a result, the porch or veranda is simply warped. This is easy to notice even without examining the foundation, since the front door no longer opens easily, but rests on the floor. To avoid this, it is necessary to make a blind area and insulate the foundation.

Stages of visual inspection in the spring:

  • start it with a survey of the soil around the foundation. It is bad when it partially sank or even failed. Most likely, the melt waters, which washed away the soil, became the reason. And this means that the blind area was made with violations or is completely absent. Such pits must be urgently filled up and tamped;

  • when the base is covered with decorative cladding and it is not possible to track its condition, the walls of the house and window openings themselves are examined. The presence of skew is determined by the windows, and there should be no cracks on the walls that could appear as a result of deformation of the foundation;
  • in the presence of a basement, inspect the quality of the waterproofing layer. Its damage will be indicated by white salt deposits on the walls of the basement or cellar. Over time, this will lead to constant dampness and mold in the house itself, and then the destruction of the concrete base will follow;
  • even at the stage of pouring the concrete solution, it needs to be compacted to remove air bubbles and reduce its porosity. Sometimes this moment is missed, which leads to a decrease in strength and further cracking. If, during a visual inspection, cracks were found on the foundation itself, then an inspection for the presence of such pores can reveal the situation. Ideally, its surface should be absolutely smooth;
  • an important step is the arrangement of the sand cushion. When it is not done, heaving can literally push the foundation out of the ground. Therefore, a dig is made along the outer or inner wall of the base to its base in order to make sure that it is present.

When all the above methods have been carried out, but there are still doubts about the quality of the foundation, it is worth inviting specialists. He has in his arsenal a whole list of special tools that are inaccessible to ordinary people and incomprehensible to use. In addition, laboratory examination may be required.

Tools for surveying building foundations

  • To check concrete or screw piles, there is a special hammer for the "dream book" method. It is often used due to its compactness and ease of use. With its help, a so-called express inspection is carried out, which reveals possible cracks in a monolithic structure or inclusions of soil in bored piles.
  • The principle of operation is seismospectral flaw detection. To do this, hit the top of the pile with a hammer, and then the wave is reflected and transmitted to a laptop computer. If the pile does not have a crack, then the device will accurately show its total length. If there are defects, the wave will break on it.

  • Thus, for the survey it will not be necessary to disassemble the structure, carry out expensive earthworks, and the result will be absolutely accurate without human error. This example is often used not only for piles in the foundation, but also to detect deformations of the supporting columns of buildings, floor slabs, etc.
  • Also suitable for inspection is the usual building level, which more accurately than "by eye" determines the vertical and horizontal of the supporting pillars. For a strip or monolithic foundation, it is more convenient and more expedient to use laser level, whose measurement length is practically unlimited.
  • The most effective and common way to examine foundations during reconstruction is arrangement of special pits. This method will most accurately show the condition of the base and the possibility of maximizing the load on it. Next, we describe this process in more detail.

Examination of the foundation through pits

  • A pit is a small hole that is dug close to the foundation wall. Their location is determined in each case individually and depends on a number of factors. For example, it is worth equipping them precisely in places of the most noticeable deformations, and also take into account that they do not interfere with the passage or passage of cars.
  • In some cases, it is advisable to dig even in inconvenient places, but all these activities are temporary and, in the presence of a large number of workers or special equipment, are carried out quickly.
  • In addition to drilling places with obvious flaws, they are made in areas of the foundation that are subjected to the greatest load, and if the house consists of several separate foundation sections, then on each of them.
  • For the greatest reliability, the pit is made in the place of both deformation and nearby, where the state of the foundation does not cause concern. The obtained data are analyzed and compared.

Tip: with a partial superstructure, it is enough to check only the part of the foundation located under the future construction work. And with a complete reconstruction of the building, they examine the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe base.

  • If the inspection of the foundation is carried out for preventive purposes, then 2 control pits are organized. With the most severe deformation, it is often recommended to produce them from both sides (outside and inside the basement).
  • They are dug quite deep, 50-80 cm below the level of the sandy foundation pad or the screw pile level. When there is enough space, the walls of the pit are slanted, for maximum convenient work, in cramped conditions they need to be strengthened with wooden shields and additional spacers.
  • The process is cheaper and greatly simplified when the house has a foundation. From the inside, you will have to dig less, and the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe pit is also decreasing.

The drilling method allows you to identify the following parameters:

  • the depth of the underground part of the base;
  • conformity of the width and height of the foundation with those indicated in the project documentation;
  • the presence of structural defects and other damage;
  • class of concrete mixture used for pouring or brand of stone;
  • vertical deviation;
  • the presence of additional reinforcements or previous repairs;
  • the quality of the waterproofing layer.

Drilling a column foundation

There may be several options for the location of the pits:

  • on two adjacent sides;
  • angular (in this case, the sides are not completely dug out, but only the corner part);

  • along the entire perimeter (3 sides are dug out completely, and the fourth is only partially).

If we are talking about a residential building, and not an economic check, then surveys with the help of a pit can only be entrusted to a specialized organization. Before starting work, they make a visual inspection, check with the project documentation. Based on all this, a plan is made with the designation of the locations of the pits and their sizes. The presence of professionals guarantees:

  • the work will be carried out quickly, which will prevent flooding of the foundation or erosion of the sand cushion in the digging pestle;
  • at the end of the work, the soil will be fully returned to its place and compacted, which guarantees protection from further subsidence in this place of the earth and the collapse of the blind area;
  • on the spot, a professional master will be able to change the size of the pit himself, for a more reliable examination;
  • collection of the required samples of the required quality.

Disadvantages of the drilling method

This is a number of inconveniences that will be an integral part of digging holes.

  • Before going deeper, you will have to destroy the blind area in this place or the concrete floor, in the case when they are digging from the side of the basement. Then you have to carry out restoration work.
  • A lot of dirt and concrete dust that will stand in the air.
  • Due to the fact that part of the base is exposed, humidity may increase in the basement. Therefore, if there are living quarters in it, it is recommended to remove all furniture and, if possible, isolate the drilling sites with a film.
  • If heavy rain starts, then the possibility of flooding is not excluded. At the ready, you need to keep the pump, for the timely pumping of water.

  • The waterproofing layer will inevitably be damaged.

But all these shortcomings and inconveniences are temporary and not so important as to abandon this method of studying the state of the foundation.

Inspection of pile foundations

  • When buying a house built on screw piles, the foundation survey will be somewhat different. Everything here will depend on whether the reconstruction of the house is supposed to be followed by a load on the foundation. If so, then it needs to be investigated. If not, then the quality and reliability of modern screw piles is at a level that you don’t have to worry about their condition in the ground (the exception is cheap handicraft piles with a welded tip, they often begin to rust quickly).

  • To examine the pile-screw foundation, one cannot do without special devices. But the catch is that domestic devices for these purposes produced at the Chelyabinsk plant are not only very expensive, but they are not certified by Gosstroy. In addition, according to the reviews of professionals using them, they are not effective enough in detecting defects.

  • The allowable load on each pile can be calculated theoretically. But for this you need to know exactly three components: the length of the pile, its cross section and the geological data of the soil in a particular place.
  • The only official recommendation that is given for testing such piles is to extract it from the ground and break it out of the grillage for testing. But if the house is residential and eviction for the period of work is not possible, then this method should be rejected. After all, if the base already receives the maximum allowable load, the removal of one support for analysis can lead to overload and serious consequences. In addition, piles of several types are often used for the construction of one building, each of which needs to be investigated.

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How to choose the right place?

The first important indicator is the presence of finds around the foundation and in the garden near this house. If they are, and especially in large numbers, then by all means dig! Finds around will also tell you about the approximate age of this pit. The older, the more promising, of course. If the house disappeared in the 20th century, then get ready to dig up Soviet garbage. Well, if it disappeared under the tsars, then this is almost a clean place! But to find such a place of a long-vanished house is still hard work. It is a separate story to find the foundation of an old drinking establishment, an inn or a postal station. Then a huge number of finds is provided. Also of interest are the houses where not peasants lived, but for example workers of the railway, mills, civil servants and any officials. Unlike the rest, they always received their salaries in hard currency on time. And of course, buttons and buckles 🙂. Well, and a few more additional signs showing the prospects of the fund you have chosen:

  • Pieces of rusty roofing sheet come across in the dump. After all, not everyone could afford a metal roof.
  • There are ceramic dishes. The poor ate mainly from wood.
  • The presence of glass. Alcohol bottles, pharmacy bottles, glassware.

But even in the remains of a relatively poor house, you can also search well. I noticed a rather strange pattern in myself: the richer the village and the more stone houses in it, the fewer finds come across in it. But this is on the surface.

As practice shows, the greatest concentration of finds comes along the walls, under the entrance to the house and along the stove.

I chose a place where many coins were raised in the gardens, starting with scales, including copper, and ending with a 1961 coin! Well, the house must be quite old, especially since the oldest coins came across from this region! So, there was a hut already in the 1600s!

Where to begin?

After choosing a place, it must be thoroughly cleaned. After all, the better you clean it, the fewer finds you will miss. Around the selected foundation, we clear the space from tall grass, bushes. We remove surface debris, collect all the metal. We try to ring and dig as many signals as possible around the hole. Here we will throw and call the soil dump from the pit. At the cleaning stage, interesting finds can also come across.

My place was already fairly cleared by the past diggers, but they did not touch the foundation, although it is very old. And little grass grows under the oak.

What is needed for a sling?

For more convenient digging of the hole, of course, a shovel will be required. It is better to take a fiskar. It is more convenient to work with a full-size shovel: you do not need to bend over, and it is easier to recline the earth. And working already in a small pit, there is nothing better than a shortened fiscars. Due to their curved shape of the handle, it is convenient for them to collect earth from the bottom of the pit. If you have a simple garden straight shovel, then spoil her health specifically.

Now let's talk about the device, or rather about the search coil. For foundation pits, it’s best, but what’s better ... you need to take a sniper coil, preferably dd and preferably high-frequency. In order not to miss a single small target, whether it be scales and small silver or copper.

For a little trick, we need a magnet! With it, we will catch carnations and other ferrous metal debris from the dump, which drowns out useful signals. A search magnet, a magnetic trawl or a homemade magnetic bundle will do. It can be made from powerful magnets from hard drives, speakers, and any other strong magnets that can be attached to a wooden plank.

Since the spring before last, I took care of the future and bought a 4.5″ Garrett Ace Super Sniper coil for my device for 2800 rubles. During the crisis, its price jumped to 5k. I considered alternatives from other coil manufacturers, but still took it from Garrett. I will write more about it later.

How to scurry?

When everything is prepared and cleaned, then you can directly proceed to the pit. To begin with, we make a trial exploration pit along the wall or diagonally. I distinguish 2 types of shuffling:

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  1. This is layered shurfling. That is, first set a larger feeler and ring, then almost completely reduce the sensitivity and again check the entire area of ​​​​the foundation. Next, remove the layer of earth with a bayonet - half a bayonet and repeat the above again. and so on until you reach the mainland, that is, until you reach hard-to-dig soil without traces of human activity. And of course, we call the blade and, if there is a magnet, we clean it from ferrous metal.
  2. Gradual churning. We are digging a small strip, about a meter and a half wide, along the entire length of the foundation to the mainland, calling the dump and the pit. Then we dig the next same strip next to it, digging in the resulting hole and also calling it along with the dump. Continue like this until the end of the foundation. This method allows you to save energy, since after the end of the work the pit will be almost buried.

The very minimum is a pit 1 x 1 x 1 m. It will completely let you understand the whole meaning of the pit and give you the first finds.

It was the first method that I used. Since there was just a huge amount of trash and the device went crazy in the house pit. But I found my first coin from the pit in the pit. It turned out to be the money of 1749. My suspicions were confirmed, the place is really very old!

What finds come across while snorkeling?

Almost any foundation is a layer cake. And on each layer there are corresponding finds.

  • Above is the Soviet period with all sorts of rubbish, including that which got there during the destruction of the house. But if you clear it of large debris, then there will certainly be finds in it.
  • Deeper is the late imperial layer. Forged items come across: tools, tools, household inventory. Also, red ceramics already come across, and, well, fragments of dishes. And of course, coins Nikolaev and Alexandrov.
  • earlier empire. From Peter 1. Ceramics also come from the companion, but already gray, older. Semi-fossilized rot and pieces of rusty iron. And the coins here are already more interesting. And just as great is the chance to find any rarik.
  • pre-Petrine period. Various scales. And that says it all.

A shovel on a pit should be waved more carefully. Often in house pits there are whole bottles or royal dishes. It will be a shame if you split them with a careless movement of the fiskar.

The case of finding a bookmark with coins is not excluded. Well, or a small treasure. The richer the house, the naturally more treasure. I think that the chance of them being in such places is greater than in vegetable gardens or other places. Even if something was hidden in the attic, it will fall down!

But get ready and dig a lot of garbage. That's how I got the ring from the barrel. You can’t look for coins with such items, they will jam all useful signals.

A couple of nuances

If the settlement is old enough, and you have reached the mainland and have already collected a lot of finds from the pit, then do not be too lazy to dig for a bayonet. The older cultural layer may reappear. After all, a new house could be put in the old place. And by removing a layer of earth from the mainland, you can find a hole.

Summing up

Well, let's summarize everything that was said earlier. Foundations are a rather time-consuming, but still great alternative to a field cop, especially when the latter is not possible. The preservation of coins and other finds on the foundations is an order of magnitude higher, since no aggressive substances such as fertilizers were introduced there. And as the coin fell there 300 years ago, so it will lie in the ground until you find it! If you are not ready to work hard or have health problems, then it is better not to take on the pit. And do not forget to bring the place back to its original state - bury your creation 🙂 .

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First of all, the customer must understand that without extracting the pits and inspecting the structures of the foundations, the surveyors can draw conclusions about the state of the foundations of the building only by indirect signs. Holes are needed in order to:

  • establish the type of foundation, its shape in plan, dimensions, depth, previously made reinforcements, as well as grillages (when examining pile foundations in each pit, their diameter, pitch and average number per 1 m of foundation are measured) and artificial foundations;
  • examine the foundation material with the definition of the class of concrete, grade of stone and mortar, and sometimes to open the reinforcement of the foundation;
  • take samples of soil and foundation material for laboratory testing;
  • establish the presence of waterproofing and determine its condition.


According to SP 11-105-97 "Engineering and geological surveys for construction. Part I. General rules for the production of work", a pit is a mine working with a maximum depth of up to 20 meters. However, we will set aside the official definitions, since the survey is a more narrowly focused type of activity and has its own characteristics. In the survey, the depth of pits of 20 m can only be found on unique structures and the customer should not take the picture of terrible destruction to heart. The average depth of the pit of an average building for an average customer, based on our practice, is about 2 meters if the pits are torn off from the unheated side of the building, and even less if the pit is torn off from the basement.
In the survey of buildings, the pit is a vertical excavation in the ground with a depth of 0.5 meters below the base of the surveyed foundation, which is torn off next to the wall or column of the building. The dimensions of the pit in the plan are determined by the size of the base of the foundation, its shape, as well as the properties of the soil (when the soil is shedding, it is usually easier and more profitable for workers to dig a larger pit than to strengthen its walls with boards). Most often, the depth of the pit is not more than 2 meters, the dimensions in terms of 1.5x1.5 meters from the outside of the building, and the depth is up to 0.8 meters, the size in terms of 1x1 m from the basement of the building.
Strip foundations are opened directly along the sheer edge of the wall. Pillar foundations should be opened by one of the following three methods given in the Manual for the inspection of building structures of buildings of OJSC "TsNIIPromzdaniy" (see figure):
    1. Opening "at the corner" - is used in the presence of a symmetrical geometry of the foundation in terms of, with dense placement of equipment and the impossibility of dismantling it; in the absence of sedimentary deformations, as well as during re-examination;
    2. Opening "on two sides" - is used in the presence of unacceptable sedimentary deformations of the above-ground part of the building in this area; when designing a significant increase in the load on soils or with asymmetric foundations;
    3. Opening "along the perimeter" - is used in case of an emergency condition of the building site associated with subsidence of the base soil. The opening of foundations in this way is carried out in sections no longer than 1.5 m; it is not allowed to open the foundations simultaneously along the entire perimeter.
The number of pits depends on the availability of documentation, the space-planning and structural design of the building, on the condition of the building (presence of sedimentary deformations), and on the purpose of the survey. For example, according to MRR 2.2.07-98 "Methodology for examining buildings and structures during their reconstruction and redevelopment", control pits for examining the structure, dimensions and material of foundations arrange 2-3 pits per building, the pits are torn off from the outside or inside, depending from the convenience of opening them. In reality, it is usually necessary to lay much more pits, and when they are separated, sometimes one or two pits turn out to be useless due to an obstacle encountered in the form of an old foundation, communications not indicated anywhere, a large boulder or piece of concrete. Surprisingly often, in a small, but repeatedly reconstructed building, it is necessary to lay much more pits than in a huge workshop with the same type of structures - this fact is sometimes difficult to substantiate to the customer, but without comprehensive data on the design of the foundations, the analysis of the operation of the building structures will be flawed initially. When there is a design, and even more so as-built documentation for a building, the number of pits can be reduced, provided that the control pits show full compliance with the actual design of the foundations to the project and in the absence of sedimentary deformations in the building - alas, sometimes it happens that the only one of several control pits reveals complete the discrepancy between the foundations and the project and even the previous survey of the building (there are hacks among the builders and among the surveyors), and then you have to upset the customer with additional work with the appropriate estimates. It is also important for excerpts of pits to have a technical assignment for a survey from designers or coordination of pitting sites with them - after all, designers initially understand which structures will be loaded as a result of the project, and also know which places they need to check when designing an extension. When assigning the number of pits and their locations, the examiners take into account the following factors:
  • the structural scheme of the building, the number of different types of differently loaded load-bearing structures, the possibility of opening several foundations with one pit - ideally, it is necessary to have information about the foundations of all different different structural elements;
  • the state of the building structures, blind areas, the presence of sedimentary deformations - it is advisable to lay a pit near sedimentary cracks in order to see the state of the foundation in a critical place;
  • availability of design, executive or survey documentation;
  • availability of technical specifications from designers;
  • the presence of a technical assignment from the customer (the customer may have his own ideas about the reconstruction of the building, well, he can simply know where in the building, in his opinion, there are significant sedimentary cracks);
  • the possibility of extracting pits outside the building without the consent of the supervisory authorities - approvals will take more time than survey work (either long or expensive), therefore, alas, where possible, pits are most often torn off without permits, that is, illegally (also therefore, the pits are easier to tear off from the inside of buildings);
  • the availability of documentation, information on underground communications from the operating service, the customer, the availability of inputs to the building of communications after a preliminary inspection - the layout of the pits must be agreed with the operating service or with the customer;
  • weather conditions, the presence of drainpipes, slopes - it is difficult to tear off the pits and examine the foundations in conditions of constant flooding, and it is also dangerous to flood the basement (well, in winter, chiseling frozen ground will be much more expensive for the customer);
  • basement operating conditions, floor construction and basement finishing, blind area construction - to compare the complexity of restoring structures and performing earthworks and works on opening hard coatings;
  • minimizing the volume of earthworks - this factor is one of the least significant.
As you can see, to develop a scheme for drilling an object, an analysis of many factors is required. Moreover, after analysis, it sometimes turns out that it is completely or partially impossible to excavate the foundation for a particular structure without significant costs and inconvenience for the customer (for example, the internal walls of warehouses or factories with fragile or sterile products in the basement or on the first floor). It is also obvious that the development of a survey program and a commercial offer based on it without a site visit (and this is required by 99% of customers already at the first telephone conversation) is nothing more than a convention, which means that there is a high probability of additional work or lack of information obtained during the survey. Based on our practice, we can say that at least 4-5 pits come off in the average surveyed building, most of them from the basement, most of the pits are laid in the corners at the junctions of walls and columns. With rare exceptions, the pits are torn off by hand, because with any of the most remarkable documentation on the location of communications inside and outside the building, according to Murphy's law, an element of communications is necessarily detected during the passage - and therefore, for excerpts of the pits, certain qualifications and experience are also required from the pit worker.

What negative factors entails a passage of pits for the customer - you should know about these inconveniences in advance:

  • noise when opening the blind area, the concrete floors of the basement, the first floor with the help of a chipper, cutting the reinforcement with the help of a grinder - this does not allow working outside at night if the object is located near residential buildings;
  • dust of small fractions when opening hard coatings (blind areas, floors, finishes), dust when extracting a pit;
  • humidity when extracting a pit from inside the building, the need to ventilate the basement;
  • the probability of flooding the basement with atmospheric precipitation when opening the pits outside the building - this does not mean that it will definitely flood (in our practice this has not yet happened), but the probability of flooding with improper covering of the pit and water drainage, as well as with excess precipitation or strong wind increases;
  • damage to the blind area when extracting pits from the outside - for a length of about 1.5-2 meters and for the entire width of the blind area is dismantled (a rare exception is bypassing a well-reinforced narrow blind area and extracting a pit under it);
  • damage to the floors of the basement or the first floor of the building and the wall decoration adjacent directly to the pit;
  • damage to the waterproofing layer of foundations or floors of the building;
  • the impossibility of operating the premises in the place of excerpts of pits until they are completely sealed;
  • the need to restore finishing coatings, blind areas.
In our practice, as a rule, we tear off the pits with the help of our workers, because sometimes (despite the experience of the workers) the direct guidance of an engineer is required so that the pit is passed to the base of the foundation (an engineer is already working below) and that excess soil is not removed from under soles, which threatens with deformations of the foundation, as well as to prevent damage to the foundation structure. The presence of an engineer during the flooding of the pit is especially important for a quick examination, since the subsequent open pumping of water from the pit is not always permissible and is fraught with additional foundation sediments in case of washing out dusty soil particles from under the sole (if any). After driving the pit, the engineer takes measurements, if necessary, makes openings of the waterproofing and structural layers, removes samples of materials. Backfilling of pits is usually also carried out by our own forces, with soil compaction by manual rammers or watering. After backfilling the pit, it is recommended to let the backfill soil settle down and compact (if outside, wait until the ground thaws and the soil is washed with precipitation), and then proceed to seal and restore the blind area or floor structures. Restoration of the blind area or floor is usually carried out by the customer - if this is done by the survey organization, then, as a rule, a subcontractor appears to carry out these construction works, and the customer simply overpays. If the customer has workers, he may well organize the excavation and backfilling of the pits on his own - this will reduce the cost of survey work.


We recommend that the customer treat with understanding and patience the need to excerpt the pits, since this is an important type of work on the inspection of the building. The more detailed the building is examined, the less likely it is that problems will arise during its reconstruction or operation. And sealing the basement floor or restoring the blind area is not a big problem. The inconvenience associated with extracting the pits usually lasts no more than 1-1.5 weeks.

Dmitry Kuznetsov,

The state in which the foundation of the building is located cannot be determined by a simple inspection, since its main part is hidden under the earth. In the case when it becomes necessary to investigate the foundation, check the integrity, draw conclusions about its further operation, you need to go deep to a certain depth. It is important to do this correctly so as not to harm the structure. Specialists of our company LLC "GeoGIS" can dig a foundation pit in Moscow and the region in a qualified manner. Our employees have sufficient experience, knowledge, necessary permits and licenses to perform such work.

What is a foundation hole?

Turning to our specialists to order a survey of the bearing foundation of the house, the owner will come across the term “pit”, without which it is impossible to conduct a qualitative foundation survey. The question is often asked - what is a foundation pit? In fact, this is an ordinary working, a vertical pit that exposes the surface of the structure, hidden under a layer of soil. It allows our specialists to objectively assess the condition of the foundation, the degree of its damage, assess the possibility of restoration, repair.

IMPORTANT! Pitting should be carried out without deteriorating the strength characteristics of the structure, therefore, specialists with skills in such work should be involved in the arrangement of the pit.

Often in the course of our work there are non-standard situations. Our specialists, having the necessary experience, find, if necessary, a rational solution to the following issues:

  • how to make a horizontal hole under the stove;
  • where to place the development in order to conduct a survey as fully as possible at minimal cost;
  • ensuring safe work in pits on difficult soils and objects.

The dimensions of the open pit allow our employees to easily take samples and visually inspect the surface of the foundation.

Why are pits drilled in Moscow?

ATTENTION! According to the terms of reference, our specialists dig a pit, conduct a visual inspection of the foundation, examine it for the presence of waterproofing, for the integrity of the structure.

For final conclusions, we use data from laboratory studies of samples taken from the pit:

  • soil;
  • the material from which the foundation is made (concrete, stone);
  • in difficult cases - reinforcing material.

What is the purpose of studying the underground part of the structures and equipping the foundation pit in Moscow and the region? In densely populated cities, with a large number of historical buildings, there is often a need:

  • to reconstruct the old building in order to use it in the future;
  • in the re-equipment of an industrial enterprise (installation of new equipment, structures);
  • to carry out restoration and restoration, research work of monuments of architecture, culture, ancient buildings;
  • erect additional floors, strengthen structures with a significant increase in the load on the base;
  • find out the reasons for the appearance of displacement of structures, distortions of openings, cracks in the walls of the building.

The integrity of the base, which "holds" the entire structure, is a guarantee of strength, which is why it is so important to properly examine it.

Why does it become necessary to dig a foundation pit in Moscow and the region?

Reasons that can lead to damage to the foundation from our practice:

  • natural aging of the structure - long-term temperature fluctuations, freezing, humidity, long-term operation of the structure affect the strength of building materials;
  • flooding of the base, washing out of the soil, having any origin - be it a gust of a water conduit, a rise in the level of groundwater, washing away the soil with precipitation;
  • exceeding the design (permissible) load on the foundation;
  • erection of a foundation (structure) without taking into account the geology of the soil, for example, on soils with low bearing capacity;
  • non-professional reconstruction, overhaul of the building;
  • use of poor quality building materials.

There are other reasons why there is a need to drill pits in Moscow in addition to the purposes of housing construction research. In our practice this is:

  • Drilling holes for piles. The construction of a pile foundation is associated with the need to prepare guide pits. Skilled drilling ensures accurate pile placement.

Pit for inspection of the foundation of a structure adjacent to the construction site

Most of the construction, reconstruction, today falls on densely built-up areas. Therefore, the task of the Developer is to minimize the impact of construction on nearby structures. Large-scale construction and installation, repair work in the neighborhood, associated with vibrations, shock loads on the ground (driving piles, work of a soil cutter and excavator) can cause damage and even destruction of foundations (especially old ones) located near the object.

In such situations, it is required to lay a pit near the walls of buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the construction site.

Pit of a house pit - professionally and in a short time

At the request of scientific research institutions, as well as individual historians, we are digging a house pit. In the light of the mass enthusiasm for history, work on the search for artifacts has become very relevant. Old buildings (both exploited and abandoned), the ruins of ancient structures (marked visually and hidden under a layer of earth) require a competent approach and compliance with the law when studying.

Our employees help lovers of antiquity and history with the necessary delicacy to examine the house pit, professionally equip the pit of old foundations in the place of interest to the Customer to the required depth.

The number of pits during the inspection of foundations

IMPORTANT! Depending on the reasons why the excavation of the pits was required, our engineers draw up a program for examining the object, taking into account the individual characteristics of the structure.

We calculate the number of pits when examining foundations, we outline the places for pitting:

  • where obvious damage to the foundation or walls is visually determined (presence of cracks, displacements);
  • in places of greatest load on the base;
  • at columns, supports, piles;
  • at the joints of load-bearing walls;
  • for each structural element of the building.

There are well-established methods that our specialists adhere to. If there is a basement, the pit of the house is located in it - this will significantly reduce the volume of production. Our specialists go deep to a depth of about 0.5 m below the exposed foundation, if this does not threaten with additional destruction.

When examining a pile foundation, we arrange the working so that at least two sides come into view: “at the corner”, “on two sides”, “along the perimeter”.

The strip foundation is exposed on one or both sides simultaneously (two pits symmetrically, united under the base of the foundation).

ATTENTION! The number of pits determined by the terms of reference when examining foundations depends on many factors that cannot always be taken into account when drawing up a research program, and can be adjusted during the work.

If the project documentation does not correspond to reality, or the open pits show the condition of the foundation is worse than it was originally assumed and more data is required for processing by our specialists, the number of workings increases.

Also, it is impossible to say in advance whether one pit of a house pit will be dug or the finds in the first one will require further research activities.

Working closely with the Customer, coordinating our actions and partnering with the Customer speeds up and optimizes the research process.

The drilling of pits in Moscow is carried out by the specialists of our company GeoGIS LLC in compliance with the requirements of the law, construction supervision authorities, they monitor the implementation of safety precautions for their employees and other persons who are at the work site.

We are taking the necessary measures so that the research does not harm the object of study. Upon completion of the work, in accordance with current regulations, we fill the pit with soil with mandatory layer-by-layer compaction.

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