Commercial Site Visit - Bank: Foundation Backfill

          I have been curious about the progress being made on the bank being built near my home back in New Jersey since I came back to school after Thanksgiving Break so I asked my father if he would mind stopping by the site to take some photos for me yesterday.  I must say he did a great job getting some very good photos of the site.
          Over the past week a spray on tar water proofing has been applied to the foundation wall.  This spray on tar will keep water from seeping into the concrete and through any cracks that develop over time.

(Click on photo to see larger view)

Above you can see the sprayed on tar with a vinyl and plastic covering over.

          The vinyl covering which is applied over the sprayed on tar water proofing is corrugated.  This 

sheathing allows for water which is trapped against the building to flow away from the foundation.  This is a material I have never seen before but it looks like it works very well.
          Waterproofing the foundation is extremely important because there are few things that can ruin a structure quicker than water.  If the concrete foundation is exposed to water for to long cracks can develop from the freezing and thawing of ice.  As water trapped against the concrete seeps into the small pores and beings to freeze, extreme amounts of pressure are put on the surrounding concrete causing cracks.  This is the same reason potholes often form in roadways.

Above is a section of the vinyl and plastic sheathing.  The corrugated plastic

provides channels for the water to drain.

           Once the hole foundation was waterproofed the site was backfilled and bracing was place on the interior of the foundation wall in order to provide support as the concrete is still not to full strength and the weight of the dirt could cause a collapse.

Picture of backfill and bracing.