Poured Concrete Foundation Construction and Waterproofing - Step By Step

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To understand basement waterproofing methods pertaining to poured concrete foundations it is crucial that you understand how this type of foundation is built. The images below show the sequence of steps followed in constructing a poured concrete foundation; part of which includes foundation waterproofing, damp proofing and weeping tile installation.

The first step in the construction of any home is excavation; this is because the foundation is, and must be, built first. The remainder of the home will be entirely supported by the foundation.

The first step is the excavation of the lot to the desired basement depth

In order to build the foundation, a stable concrete surface, called a footing, needs to be poured. A footing is usually a 16" wide (twice the foundation width) and 8" thick slab of poured concrete positioned to support future load bearing foundation walls. In the image below, you can see the wooden forms for the footings that will be poured. 

Forms to pour the footing are placed within the excavated area

ln this next image we can see the poured footings as well as forms for the future support posts that will be erected in the basement. These support posts will support a steel I-beam which will bear the weight of the center of the home.

Footings are now in place and ready to support the foundation walls

Look closely at the picture below and you will notice that there are actually two footings, one poured on top of the other. This was done because the footing was too low, as a result, the foundation would have been too deep for the planned grade of the property. An alternative to the pouring of a second footing is the addition of concrete blocks at the top of the foundation.

Rebar is installed on the footings to strengthen the structure

With the footings in place the forming crews install the forms into which concrete will be poured. In this particular application, tie-rods are being used; these rods will keep the plywood forms at exactly 8" apart which is the standard foundation thickness today.

Forms are erected in which the concrete will be poured and cured

The following image illustrates how a foundation steps down in order to be able to construct a walkout basement.

Once the concrete has cured the forms are removed

Once the forms have been removed we can see the seams between the sheets of plywood that were removed. We can also see the concrete patches used fo fill the holes left behind after the removal of the tie-rods. Similar patches would be visible on the interior of the foundation wall as well.

Once the concrete has cured, the tie-rod holes are covered over and weeping tile is installed

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To waterproof the foundation contractors spray a thin layer of tar onto the exterior foundation walls

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An air gap membrane is installed over the tar to provide damp-proofing of the walls. The weeping tile will drain away water that accumulates at the base of the foundation.

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Once the walls are waterproofed and the weeping tile is tied into a drainage point the soil is backfilled against the foundation walls

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Footings are installed beneath the basement floor to support the support posts that support the I-beams that bear the load of the interior of the home

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Once support posts are in place, the basement floor is covered with gravel and then the concrete floor is poured

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