Florida’s soils have a huge effect on building foundations in the Sunshine State.
One of Tucker Paving’s offerings is concrete foundations and slabs, and we’ve been pouring slabs and foundations in the Sunshine State for 30 years! We are well acquainted with the various types of soil found in Florida and how they affect building a foundation. Since the soil type that is currently under your foundation affects the long-term stability of a foundation’s attached structure, it’s important to know how those soils affect the stability of your foundation.
Florida’s Soils and Foundations
Florida has an array of different soils. The soils found under your foundation will depend on where you are in the state, and you may have soil that is a combination of more than one soil type. They include:
Sandy soils. These soils are just sand, and they are only found in a few, specific places around the state. The larger particles that make up sandy soil allow water to drain quickly; it is not retained. This makes purely sandy soils a desirable option for foundations because they are stable, maintaining a consistent volume and density.
Silt Soils. Silt soil particles are smaller than sand, but larger than other types of soil, so silt does retain moisture to a greater extent than sandy soils, but less than other types of soil. Silt soil can also settle and/or erode under standing water, making it a tricky soil for foundations.
Clay Soils. Clay is made up of the smallest particles, and it absorbs moisture at the highest rate. It is not desirable for foundations because the expand-shrink cycle that clay goes through from saturation to dry can create pressure around a foundation, leading to foundation shifting.
Loam Soils. Loam is composed of sand, silt, and clay, and it combines the qualities of all its components. It does not retain water well, nor expand, as much as silt or clay. However, there can be issues with erosion, leading to foundation issues.
Peat Soils. These soils are most common around wetland areas. Peat soils are considered not ideal for foundations as peat retains a large volume of water and a low load-bearing capacity. This combination can lead to problems with your foundation.
Tucker Paving offers site construction services, including site clearing, site grading, stabilized subgrade, base work, asphalt paving, underground utilities, and concrete curbs, sidewalks, slabs, and tie-beams, in addition to our nearly three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, to let us help you with your next Earthworks project!