If your business is planning a construction project for 2022, you might be looking for a suitable groundworks contractor right now. As West Sussex groundworks professionals, we know this task can often be a daunting prospect. As a business owner yourself, you know all about your industry, but groundworks and construction… That’s another story. The first thing you might want to do is ask a groundworks company to visit you (at the proposed construction site, wherever possible) so they can quote accurately for your job. We know that the groundworks industry has its own language like any business. So, to help you navigate your first meeting, we thought we’d share six of the terms we get asked to clarify most frequently at site visits. Read on for some jargon-busting!
West Sussex Groundworks Professionals – Jargon-busting:
In no particular order, here are six of the groundworks terms that our clients most frequently ask us to clarify at site visits.
Hardcore:
Not some extreme fanatical behaviour or belief! In groundworks, hardcore refers to the mix of material used for filling in foundations. Hardcore often consists of quarry waste, cleaned rubble and other crushed rock and gravel.
Soakaway:
This purpose-built pit ensures that standing water will drain away effectively. It is typically filled with the hardcore mentioned above.
Spoil:
Not the gifting of special treats… Sorry! Instead, spoil refers to the waste material created during the excavation process. We cannot generally reuse spoil in construction and remove it safely from the site.
Backfilling:
The process of refilling the holes or trenches that have been made during the excavation for your building’s foundations.
Plant:
Not something you’ll need to water! Plant is the term we use to describe the machines and equipment we use on-site. As West Sussex groundworks professionals, we have invested in the tools and machinery to complete jobs effectively, on time and on budget. TO find out more about the plant machinery we use, check out this article from the archives!
Raft Foundations:
Nothing you’ll need to set sail upon! A raft foundation is a reinforced concrete slab under the whole of a building or extension, ‘floating’ on the ground. This type of foundation spreads the load of the building over a larger area than other foundations, lowering the pressure on the ground.
This jargon-busting blog article covers just six of the terms our clients often ask us to clarify. As West Sussex groundworks professionals, we know there are plenty more! Talk to us about your commercial project, and we promise we’ll speak your language! Contact us HERE.
