building on beach sand

Hello ronofapad

I'm not entirely sure why you would want to construct your small dwelling on a beach.

You have the problem of higher than normal tides plus possible seismic waves.

Please advise approximate dimensions of the proposed beach dwelling.

Kind Regards....

Hi Sparkstation,

Thanks for a prompt reply. Actually, I am closer to you than the UK, now residing in the Philippines, with my Filipino wife, and very busy building a Piggery. We have bought a piece of beach, 40 meters above high tide, (which you probably realise is not very much different from low tide here) 40 meters by 20 meters. we are hoping to build a 2 bedroom chalet type building on the site for weekend and holiday type occupation. The surrounding homes are of native materials, which were not badly affected by typhoon Reming, in the same way that our own home, further inland, was.

No plans have as yet been drawn up, as I am hoping for advice before starting in concrete. The building needs to be of modest proportions.

Many thanks for your reply, & kind regards,

Ron

• Pile foundations?
• Raft foundations?
• Upon a suitable hull?

I have used a technique called an Alaskan foundation developed for permafrost applications

It creates a table like foundation the legs are sono tubes at stress points that are poured with a slab simultaneously .Your can add re bar down the tubes that radiate through the slab This system allows the foundation or slab to flout and is easily constructed with only one pour .

In a Russian textbook to hand, details are described of methods of building serviceable railway lines across frozen lakes and rivers. Provided the weight is spread over a suitably large area....Hmmmmm........ <disappears into flights of fancy>

Hello ronofapad

What aggregate and sand are you intending for your concrete?

Remember that beach sand contains salt, so reinforcing steel rusts in a few short years.

Good quality drinking grade water is needed for the mixing too.

As type of construction, I would be using as traditional above suggests:

A reinforced concrete raft with included reinforced concrete piles poured at the same time = a one pour slab/pile unit.

This will give stability in most circumstances.

Remember to dig drainage around the outside of the slab, and pipe it or trench collected water away for reasons of avoiding mosquitoes and also undercutting of the floating foundation in typhoon conditions of heavy rain.

Hope that assists you.

Looking forward to seeing some photos you take during construction, and the completed job, in CR4 Forum.

Kind Regards....

Piles? What for? Build a raft foundation without piles. Check the local building codes. Get a structural engineer to help with the details before starting.

Seismic liquifaction needs to be considered whenever building on a beach. Another thing to consider is the rate at which the beach changes. Beaches are in constant flux, nice spot today maybe underwater in a few years. Also, alwasy keep in mind shallow footings are easily undemined by erosion in non-cohesive beach sand

Hello RCE,

Post #2 (I'm not sure why it is considered off topic) indicates that the site is 40 meters above high tide. That means the house will be a long way from the water and not likely to be "underwater in a few years".

There is not enough information to recommend any particular foundation. We don't know the properties of the sand, the depth of the sand or what lies below it. We need a geotechnical investigation.

But maybe Del has the answer...use local knowledge. The neighboring homes survived Typhoon Reming with little damage, so do whatever they did.

Hello ba/ael

<"Post #2 (I'm not sure why it is considered off topic)">

Do what I just did, and add a vote showing you don't agree that the Post #2 is Off-Topic.

A few more votes that way, and it won't be "Off-Topic" any more.

Kind Regards....

Hello Sparkstation,

You're right! I just added my vote.

Thanks SparkY

Yes, Since this is the field i work in, I tend to assume that everyone will hire a consultant to conduct a geotechnical investigation and meet the building requirements before running out and building. Regarding 40 m, that is not far if he means linear distance along the beach from the water. A few good hurricanes can change that. If he means vertical distance, that would likely be a long way, would make me ponder about marine sediments so far from the ocean.

Because if you sit on cold concrete, it sucks the heat out of your arse and you get piles! I would rather the chalet had the piles thank you!

A building contractor named Brain
Uses piles for his structures in Spain
He can sit on the floor
And never get sore
'Cause his hemorrhoids cause him less pain.

Hello ba/ael

Kind Regards....

Hello,

Haven't you answered your own question? If the existing buildings faired well in the storm wouldn't be apropriate to consult local construction methods?

Or this straight forward description may steer you well...

http://books.google.com/books?id=zCKMirIg6MMC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=tropical+construction+technique&source=web&ots=movY6srvXR&sig=sFW48HSO-KA

look at this pic buit on the sand in the sea.