Searching for the perfect supplier of Concrete Foundation Block? The one thing a foundation block is supposed to do is pass weight through it down through the ground, evenly and permanently, not settle, shift or crack after years of sustained load. If it does, no one knows. Otherwise, it’s not that they don’t know how to use precast foundation blocks, it’s almost always the supplier who constructed them.
In this guide, you will learn about how to assess a concrete foundation block supplier to ensure that you get concrete blocks that will be capable of supporting the load without causing any structural problems in the future or any settling of the floor.
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Typically, the first attribute buyers look at are block size, block weight and price per block. That’s a good place to start, but it leaves out the most important part of how a foundation block will perform: how the supplier has calculated load capacity, how they control the strength of the concrete, and how they manufacture each block, ensuring that each block in an order will perform the same way as its specifications.
Sustained loads are always placed on foundation blocks over the life of the structure they are intended to support; and it would be impossible to believe that these blocks are being progressively weakened without it ever becoming a problem. A supplier that views the production of foundation blocks as a real structural product, rather than “a big precast cube”, is designing and testing for the bearing capacity that the block is rated to provide. One that doesn’t will give you a block which is sized and weighted according to a description, but may not have been guaranteed to carry the load you think it’s carrying.
Understand Precisely What Sort of Foundation Block Your Job Requires
First of all, it is useful to know what type of foundation block your project needs, as applications range widely, along with the load requirements.
The Foundation Blocks for Equipment and Machinery
Equipment foundation blocks are used to support a piece of fixed equipment such as a generator or other equipment, and may be required to contain vibration as well as static load. These require a design which considers dynamic loading caused by operating equipment, rather than the static weight of the equipment.
Structural Building Foundation Blocks
Structural foundation blocks are a component of a building’s load bearing foundation system, and they are used to support columns, walls or other structural elements. These should be load capacity “tested” based on your specific building design load and documented with a structural engineer to refer to.
Fence & Barrier Foundation Blocs
Fence and barrier foundation blocks are used to support posts, fencing or free standing barrier systems and typically carry less and lighter loads than structural or equipment blocks. These tend to resist overturning and lateral movement rather than just pure compressive load carrying capacity which heavier applications require.
Modular and Ballast Foundation Blocks
Modular or ballast blocks are blocks that can be used for temporary structures or for counterweight applications, and can be combined/stacked to provide a desired total weight or footprint. These are dependent on consistent unit weight and dimensions as inconsistencies between units compromise the predictability which the whole system depends on.
If you are familiar with the category that would apply to your application, you can reduce your supplier base to manufacturers that can prove they have a practical engineering solution for that particular load type for your project.
Inquire About the Load Capacity Testing and Verification of Their Products
A supplier of foundation blocks that is concerned about their manufacturing will be able to give the size and weight of a block and a known load carrying capacity, but not simply a size and weight that means “strong enough”. This difference is important because the usable load of a block depends upon the strength of the concrete that has been obtained, as well as the reinforcement placed in the block, and this is not just a physical dimension.
Do not assume anything, inquire directly about the load capacity, concrete strength rating, and type and amount of reinforcement supporting the load capacity rating, as well as receive test data or engineering calculations for validation. A supplier who responds with details is on your wavelength. Someone who mentions only size and weight, without stating a load capacity is a prime person to ask more questions before relying upon for structural purposes.
Check Their Consistency of Strength with Concrete Foundation Block Supplier
The strength consistency of a batch is important for foundation blocks particularly where the strength of a block may be less than the design strength as it can cause settlement and cracking under load when it looks identical to a correctly cast block. Inquire how the supplier maintains mix consistency, how the mixes are cured, how long they take to cure, and if they do any batch testing to assure actual strength achieved.
Some suppliers test each batch and will be able to give you strength test results for your order. Others use a general strength rating for their product line that’s not verified by batch. Both may be acceptable in some applications but if you are using them in a structural or equipment application, you should know what verification is behind the block you are purchasing, and if it is not structural or equipment related, then the consequences of an under-strength block are of no importance.
The Manufacturing Quality Control is Reviewed Concrete Foundation Block Supplier
This is because two foundation blocks may have an identical nominal size and weight but can perform differently because the manner of casting. Inquire about the method of casting, the curing process and the checks performed prior to dispatch of the product.
Here the dimensional accuracy is important, as are consistent densities, because foundation blocks must lie flat and distribute their load uniformly beneath them. An irregular block can cause an irregular load distribution even without load, and can only be detected when the structure or equipment is fully loaded. Maintain consistency in size and density within a run by asking what checks are made?
Request Load Verification Matching Your Actual Application Concrete Foundation Block Supplier
A competent supplier will verify the block’s load capacity for the specific needs of your structure, equipment or site, instead of just selling that which they assume is required. This should include checking the load requirements against the specific parameters, confirmation of soil bearing capacity requirements at the site, and, in cases of equipment application, instructions on how the design accommodates the dynamic or vibration loading effects of the equipment.
Suppliers that have a project-specific loading will detect the mismatch between the generic block rating and what you actually need before it starts to cause so many issues and problems after installation. If a supplier won’t provide any sizes that are not standard, and they won’t give you a measurement check to your load, then you are depending entirely on your own judgment to determine the fit.
Examine Installation and Bearing Requirements Concrete Foundation Block Supplier
Installation specifications are different for various blocks, weights and applications. If the fencing or barrier is relatively light, a compacted bed may be adequate, but for heavier weight fence and/or equipment blocks, engineered bearing preparation for the site’s soil to match the actual fence or equipment load may be required.
Inquire with your supplier, what is their recommended method of preparing the bearing surface, if they offer installation instructions, and if they have successfully installed a similar project at a similar load. It’s a challenging and expensive issue to fix if the load is installed on the bearing surface without it being sufficiently prepared.
Review Their References and Experience Precast Concrete Water Tank Supplier
Load ratings and strength specifications indicate what a supplier has stated the blocks can support. Installed projects provide you with a clue on what they actually delivered. Request samples of foundation blocks for other loads and details of their performance, with no settlement and no cracking after years of loading.
Reliability of the performance under rated load is a much better indicator of the manufacturing discipline of a supplier with a proven history of manufacturing blocks which perform as expected as it is of any size and weight statement.
Among the Key Points to Look Out for are the Following Red Flags
There are several warning signs that are common to several less reliable foundation block suppliers:
- They do not have a load capacity limit other than size and weight.
- They give a vague answer regarding how their concrete is tested or verified.
- They hesitate to confirm the block against your particular load requirements.
- The prices are significantly lower than that of the competition with no explanation for the difference.
If two or three of these come together, then it is a good sign that you should slow down, ask more questions, or seek the advice of a structural engineer, before investing in a supplier.
Making It Whole and Putting It Together Concrete Foundation Block Supplier
The key to selecting the right concrete foundation block supplier is to ensure that the supplier can confirm the capacity of the blocks for the application you’re looking at, rather than just describe the block by size and weight.
When this is correct, the block will provide permanent, even load distribution without settlement or cracking, as long as the structure or equipment above is in operation.