BASEMENT ADDITION W/ HIGH WATER TABLE

[Brian]

I am putting on an addition to my house. My present house is on a 4′ crawlspace. In the spring w/ the high water table I can have about 3″ of water around the foundation walls. My concern is the full basement w/ the addition and the high water table. We just received about 2″ of rain in a 2 day period. I dug a hole to see where the water table is, it’s at about 6′.
I will have a 7′ finished basement w/ draintile inside & outside the footing w/ 2 sump pumps. I could have a water table about 3′ above the footings in a worse case. I must pump from the sumps due to flat land.
Am I crazy for going w/ a basement or will it handle it
and remain dry…….
Any thoughts……
Thanks

[George Wooster]

It can be done Brian, but what you will have is a well, not a basement. When the pumps or electricity fails you can be sure the basement will fill at least part-way with water.
Is this your only alternative? As a drainage professional I would encourage you to look at other alternatives for expanding your house.

[brAin]

Brian,
ships float, because they displace water. I think you will be creating a floating house boat. However anything can be done almost if you put enough time,blood,sweat,tears,and most of all $$$$$.
pumps will work however you need to know your last 100 to 200 rain fall in a givin hour. Then figure out how much water will be displacing your basement so that you can install the proper pumping system, and amount of concrete to hold the house down from floating. Good idea to call on a professional engineering company in your area for your best advice.
good luck,
brAin

[Rob]

Brian
What you trying to achieve is easy enough and not too $$.
Call Basement Systems 1-800-541-0487 and asked them about Watergurd- supersumps and back-up pumps and I think you’ll
find it isn’t going to be as difficult or expensive as some think.

[Chet Hunter]

Brian,

I was just cruising the web on a fact finding mission when I ran across your inquiry of 6/15/98. I hope I am not being nosey, but I am curious to know if you went ahead with your project, and if so, how did everything turn out?

The company that I work for has a project in progress. It isnt residential, however the ultimate problem is the same…unwanted water. Basically, its a sand and gravel pit that acts as a hopper to feed a conveyor. The pit is 6′-0″ in depth, and the water table is at mid point.

Regards

cch

[Tammey]

I am building a house and I am in the process of digging the footings. The water table in my area is very high. The requirement in my area is for the footings to be 42″ in depth. At 30″ I am hitting the water table and my trench is caving in and is filled with water. The ground is so soggy and wet that I don’t know if I can get forms to set into the ground for the stakes have nothing but mushy mud to set in, there is no ground stability because of the high water table. How do I set forms in this mushy mess and I am afraid that when I go to pour the concrete that it will weaken with all the standing water that is in the trench. I thought about pumping the water out but I am afraid that it is going to come back in as fast as I can pump it out. I need HELP! Hope that you can tell me what to do with this soggy problem!

Tammey

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