Russian invention is the source of various innovations and inventions. We find use for seemingly unnecessary things and objects that have served their purpose. For example, old car tires, the rubber of which is worn out and not suitable for use.
Car cameras have long been an item of garden decoration, and now they are used as a material for load-bearing construction. Used tires are used to construct foundations for light frame houses, bathhouses, gazebos, utility rooms and garage buildings.
What are the advantages of using car wheels, and how to build a foundation from tires with your own hands?
- Pouring concrete
- Base for gazebo
A little history and facts
Mikhail Semykin, a resident of St. Petersburg, was the first to notice old car tires. He was interested in the strength of the material, and he wondered how to use this property in private construction. After all, all developers are faced with the fact that it takes an exorbitant amount of concrete and metal to build a reliable foundation for a building.
For his first experiment, Mikhail used decommissioned trolleybus tires. When, after a year of observation, the construction did not change a single one of the parameters, Semykin finalized the technology and patented it. Since then, the method of laying a tire foundation has been named after him.
When submitting documents, the author attached information and his calculations, proving that the design has proven itself to be excellent in unstable soils and when they are deeply frozen. And the paper projects are confirmed by a real three-story house built by him and standing on tires. Moreover, the total area of the building exceeds 250 square meters.
Foundation made of tires, made in the form of pillars Source prosto-banya.ru
Reviews
- Oleg, 46 years old: “When I decided to build a shower and toilet at my dacha, I used my old tires to build the foundation. I have heard more than once from my friends about this method. It turned out that building such a foundation is very simple. All the work on arranging the structure took me 2 days. After just 2 weeks the concrete had dried and I was able to continue construction. “Four years have passed since then, but the foundation copes with its tasks perfectly and no deformations or cracks have been noticed.”
- Igor, 37 years old: “Once a friend asked me to help him build a bathhouse. While laying out the foundation, I noticed that he decided to use car tires. I was a little surprised, although I had heard about this method for a long time. A strip type of foundation was used for construction. Everything is extremely simple, as lay tires on the prepared surface, cover with a layer of sand, and then pour concrete. And you also need to think about waterproofing. In our case it was roofing felt. All work was completed quickly and efficiently, and most importantly, such a design is inexpensive.”
- Stanislav, 28 years old: “I decided to build a garage using car tires for the foundation. It wasn’t difficult to find them; I just went to several tire centers. Laying the base is very quick and simple. It took me 3 days, but this was due to the fact that I only had to work in the afternoon. I used fine gravel as a compactor. Before pouring, be sure to lay a waterproofing layer on the tires. I did not buy roofing felt, but used linoleum for this. After 12 days the concrete was dry and I started building the walls. And although only 2 years have passed since that moment, I do not observe any flaws or deformations.”
The foundation obtained from car tires is an excellent option for the construction of low-rise structures. This method is suitable for those who want to carry out all the construction quickly and save money. In addition, all activities are carried out with one’s own hands, without the involvement of specialists.
Types of structures
In fact, a foundation made from tires is not much different from a regular concrete one. It also has three types of structures, but the main feature is the conservation of funds for its construction. For example, in one case it is possible to lay the base without concrete at all. And in another way you can save it significantly.
Structurally, the tire foundation is divided into:
- Slab . For which a pit is required. Its depth should accommodate at least two tires laid flat. The tires in the pit are distributed evenly, one to one. And a concrete pad is poured on top of the structure, on which the building is installed. This foundation is used on swampy, weak soil. It allows you to distribute the load more evenly and reduce shrinkage.
- Tape . For it, a trench is dug under each of the load-bearing walls, and its width should be greater than the size of the wheels. The ditch must be deep enough to accommodate at least two recumbent tires.
Foundation made of tires laid in a trench Source fermer.ru
- Columnar . The most economical of the options, but characterized by excellent reliability and durability. This installation is used for buildings consisting of lightweight materials and has proven itself even in areas prone to seismic activity.
Each design requires a special approach. Each installation is performed using a specific technology and has its own nuances. But in general, the method has proven itself exclusively on the positive side.
Advantages of a tire base
The main advantage of a foundation made from scrap tires is the low cost of the method. In most cases, you will only have to spend money on delivering raw materials to the construction site. Some car repair shops and car service stations will even be happy to get rid of tires that have been lying on the premises for years.
But a worn tread does not affect the overall properties of the entire tire at all. And it remains elastic indefinitely and can withstand heavy loads. There is also no need to spend money on arranging good waterproofing. Because the material is not afraid of sudden increases in humidity. Therefore, the microclimate in the building will always remain favorable.
Laying the first row of tires in the base for constructing a garage Source probani.guru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in repairing foundations of any complexity
Tires are not afraid of low temperatures, even deep frosts. In this case, the properties of the material do not change at all. And an additional bonus is the tire’s ability to dampen seismic vibrations. Therefore, increased elasticity will come in handy in areas with an increased risk of earthquakes.
But in addition to information about the advantages, it would be nice to find out whether the foundation on tires has disadvantages. Unfortunately, they exist. And the main drawback is that the materials from which car ramps are made decompose under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to take care that direct sunlight does not fall on the rubber.
True, this problem is often solved by eliminating another. A columnar foundation raises the building slightly above the ground. Therefore, the sight of old tires under the house significantly spoils the impression. And the owners have to think about how to decorate the structure. And having coped with this task, they at the same time hide the material from the sun.
As a rule, visible tires are covered by sheathing the perimeter with corrugated sheets. But many simply cover the rubber with a protective layer of special paint, the color of which harmonizes with the entire structure.
Laying tires in a visible base in the form of a geometric pattern Source i-netcontrol.com
Application area
As already mentioned, this foundation is excellent for heaving soils and areas with seismic activity. As for the type of buildings, it is best to install on the base:
- Frame houses . In this case, a pit is dug and tires are laid in several rows.
- Outbuildings (sheds, garages) . For a small room, support pillars at each corner are sufficient.
- Baths, as well as summer gazebos . These structures do not even require backfilling of the support.
- Solid fences . Tires are laid in one row in a trench.
Tires will also help out those who want to equip a parking lot with a canopy near their house. At the same time, tires filled with screenings will easily withstand the weight of even several loaded cars.
But, no matter how well the excellent qualities of tires are marketed, experts do not recommend erecting brick or cinder block buildings on such a foundation. It is best to opt for a frame structure made of timber. And for heavy materials, make a standard strip base of reinforced concrete.
Laying technology
To successfully implement your plan, you need to prepare in detail. A project is drawn up, which includes a drawing. The structure of the soil is studied and the possible load is calculated. Based on the data obtained, the type of foundation is selected and an estimate is drawn up.
Slab
This foundation is perfect for frame-type residential buildings. It is advisable to select the largest wheels for it. Tires from tractors, buses and heavy trucks are well suited. The size of the material affects the stability and strength of the structure.
Many developers have doubts whether to fill the tire foundation with concrete or not. This is due to the fear that the design may not be entirely reliable. Meanwhile, calculations show that one stack of columnar base can withstand up to two tons of load. Filling with mortar is needed as needed - to obtain additional rigidity.
Pouring concrete over a tire base Source sakh.com
All work is done in stages:
- The site is cleared according to the size of the project.
- A pit is dug to a depth of at least 30 cm (fertile layer).
- The bottom of the pit is leveled using a building level.
- The slopes are laid flat in the pit, as tightly as possible.
- All voids are filled with construction waste, broken bricks, or better yet, gravel.
- A standard reinforced concrete floor is laid on the prepared base.
If large tractor wheels are used, then one row of tires in the pit is sufficient. The use of much smaller tires will require them to be laid in two rows. This must also be done if the soil is waterlogged. And experts do not recommend using sand to fill voids. It shrinks significantly.
Instead of floor slabs, pouring concrete is used. To do this, roofing material is spread over the tires and formwork is constructed. Reinforcement is carried out and filled with cement mortar. Let it sit for a week before starting to build the walls.
Filled tire for the foundation Source img-fotki.yandex.ru
How I made the base for the house
Let's look at how I made such a foundation. I'll try to describe it step by step. First, let's decide on the materials and tools that we will need:
- Car tires, the size depends on what kind of structure will be built. I took it from trucks, Gaz-66, Kamaz, Gaz-53, I even got one from a laptist.
- Geotextiles, very little of it is needed, it is placed inside the tire before filling it with soil
- Any filler, sand, ASG, clay, or a mixture of them, as an option, whatever is available on the site.
- A shovel, something like this, preferably with a heavy handle - will be used as a tamper
- Tamping, if the shovel has a simple handle
- A car jack, and several bars as long as the spread beads of a tire.
- A pair, or several pairs, of strong hands)))
This is a complete set for building a foundation.
Now the actual process itself. I’ll tell you how I did it, many builders used different methods, but it all boils down to the fact that this method is the simplest, you can find others by searching the Internet.
- We level the ground if there is a slope. I had a slope of the site, so where the high side of the site is, I removed the fertile layer, about 15-20 cm. On the back side, I poured pillows from a clay-sand-rock mixture, which is ready-made in a quarry not far from us. Such a mixture turns to stone monumentally - it is impossible to break off a piece with a crowbar.
- We install the tires in their places, trying to set them at the same level. I used a laser level to mark the horizon. This is my column layout.
Location of foundation tires - After installing the tires, a piece of geotextile, slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tire, was placed inside each tire. This must be done to ensure that the packing does not penetrate into the underlying soil under any circumstances.
- We fill the wheels. You should stuff it without fanaticism, but quite tightly. For convenience, I used a jack. He inserted a jack between the sides, pulled them apart, and inserted a spacer block. I took off the jack and moved the sides apart on the other side. Three spacers were enough for one wheel. We simply fill it with a shovel until it’s full, then unfold the shovel and tamp it with the handle until the tire is filled to the top. I left a small space, it felt like one and a half to two centimeters when you stood on the tire. After filling the tire, all spacers were removed by pulling out. The result should be the effect of an inflated wheel, but not over-inflated. It's more or less visible here.
Tire under load - As a matter of fact, that’s it, I’ve finished my foundation here. For those who want to raise the house higher, you can install a second and third row of tires, the columns are quite stable, nothing runs away anywhere.
Briefly about the main thing
To summarize, it should be noted:
- Discarded car tires can easily replace reinforced concrete when constructing a foundation.
- Such foundations are suitable for both light outbuildings and frame residential buildings.
- In the latter case, it is better to build a slab foundation and, if necessary, increase its rigidity by pouring concrete.
- For unstable soil and in seismic zones, the use of a columnar foundation for construction is more justified.
But in general, experts give only positive assessments of the strength and reliability of the resulting structures. In addition, the method is significantly more economical than all other known ones.
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Preparation for construction
Before you start construction, you need to prepare:
- They create a bathhouse project, including drawing up a plan for the foundation of the future structure.
- At the construction site, the fertile layer of soil is removed. Usually its thickness does not exceed 100 - 300 mm.
- The bathhouse foundation plan is transferred to the construction site, marking it with pegs and pulling the cord along the axes of the walls.
- After this, they begin excavation work and installation of car tires.
- A grillage is arranged followed by the construction of a bathhouse.
