Introduction to basement

A basement or cellar is one or more floors of a

building that are completely or partly below the
ground floor.
Basements are common in tall buildings as car
parks, storage of services and underground
shopping centers. The term “basement” has been
regarded as synonymous to the term “deep pit”,
which applies to excavations over 4.5 m deep.

The main purpose of constructing basements are:

(a) To provide additional space,
(b) As a form of buoyancy foundation,
(c) In some cases, basements may be needed for
reducing net bearing pressure by the removal
of the soil.

Usage Of Basements With Conditions Required

Possible uses Condition Required Moisture Exclusion

Basic Utility Car parking 65% relative Minor wet seepage

humidity and visible damp
15-32 degree patches may be
Celsius temp. acceptable.
Better Utility Retail Storage, 35-50% relative Wet seepage
Electrical Plant humidity unacceptable. No
Room. 15-45 degree visible moisture
Celsius temp. patches
Habitable Offices, Residential 40-60% relative Seepage and wet
use. humidity patches
18-29 degree unacceptable.
Celsius temp.
Special Use Archive storage of 35-50% relative Seepage and
books, documents, humidity visible dampness
etc. 13-22 degree unacceptable.
Celsius temp.
Types of Basement

It is further divided into three major types

A. Based on height of excavation

B. Based on Construction type
C. Based on Foundation type

Based on height of excavation

1. Shallow Basement
The shallow basement is one that is wider than
deep. It is more economical as the excavation don’t
exceed 5m. Or another case could be that it can be
partially about 1.2m above the ground level and
partially below the ground level.

2. Deep Basement
The Deep basements can be seen in high rise
buildings. The maximum excavation which can be
carried out is 10- 15 m below ground. Economically
it can be costlier as the cost of temporary supports
during excavation is also included.

Based on Construction type

1. Brick Or Concrete Blocks
The basement walls are constructed with masonry
block units. There are many joints where the
masonry units connect to each other so the
basement should be properly reinforced and the
walls should be waterproofed (not damp proofed)
to avoid water seepage.

2. Poured Concrete
Solid poured walls have a compressive and flexural
strength several times that of block. The moulds are
created and then the concrete is poured into it on
site. It is less porous and the joint free construction
keep water out and has twice the amount of fire
resistance. It also provide long years of service life.
A typical installation of a poured wall is faster too.
3. Precast Concrete
Precast concrete unit as basement provides excellent support for waterproof
membranes. They are prefabricated to specific design in the factories. And then are
transported on the site.

Based on Foundation type

1. Raft Foundation Basement
Raft as a termed can be defined as mat. It includes continuous slab resting on the soil
that extends over the entire footprint of the building basement. The load of building
is carried with columns then to the base. It is often used where the soil is weak and
shallow basement needs to be constructed.

2. Cellular Foundation Basement

Cellular is a type of raft foundation basement. It is a
composite structure of reinforced concrete slab and
basement walls serving as a mat foundation.
3. Pilled Foundation Basement
It is a foundation that constructed deep into the found and mostly circular sections
are used in the construction. The base of the basement rest on the ground and they
transfer the vertical load through piles onto the ground. If the soil bearing capacity is
not adequate to carry such loads, then piles can be used.

Design consideration for basements

1. Shape and typographical conditions of the site-
During construction site should have enough space for machine movement.

2. Neighborhood conditions of a site-

Incase of adjacent structures retaining walls, shoring, etc. should be provided to
prevent cracks.

3. Geotechnical conditions-
Depending on the soil type and its bearing capacity, a particular foundation should be
provided.

4. Water level-
For excessive water conditions retaining walls should be used and for water from
below after the construction then dewatering system should be installed for
pumping out water.

5. Site Access-
Incase basements having service rooms then the entry to basement should be near to
site entrance.

6. Depth of Basement-
In relation to ground water and depth of basement the type should be finalized. And
should be economical.
7. General requirement-
Purpose of the basement (parking, shopping, defense) will influence the method of
construction, machine to be used, frame structure, finishes, etc.

Benefits Of Having basement

1. An increase in floor area without an increase in the size of the footprint of
a buildings or a significant impact on the size of the garden.
2. An increase in space to support growing families without the need to
move house.
3. Semi-basements can make good use of
sloping sites since constructing a basement will negate the requirement
for leveling the site.
4. If an existing house is located in a sensitive area, for example an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, where there are restrictions on development,
the construction of a basement can allow the addition of extra space that would
otherwise not be allowed.
5. Houses with basements can have improved energy efficiency since
the basement will have fewer exposed external walls

Downsides Of Having basement

1. The significant cost of excavation, working below ground in confined
spaces and waterproofing.
2. Disruption caused by excavation works.
3. Difficulty providing natural lighting, ventilation, drainage, access and means of
escape.
4. There is the potential that waterproofing can fail, which can be difficult and
costly to fix.

Thank you

Gauri Vinayak Shelar Sr No 58