Cairns Soil Testing
& Wind Rating Far North QueenslandSoil Testing Land in Cairns & Far North Queensland
Land Buyers, Developers, Builders & Council
Engineers need to test the soil in and around Cairns,
to classify the soil types and provide accurate advice and plans.
In Cairns and the Far North Queensland Region, the soil types vary considerably and a soil test is required so your structural engineers to determine if there are any potential problems with the soil on your block so that they can design footings correctly for those site conditions.
A site classification according to AS2870 Residential Slabs and Footings applies to residential dwellings, however, it has become a nominal standard for assessing sites for larger projects.
Why is soil testing/site classification required in Cairns?
Soil testing and soil classification in Cairns are essential for the structural engineer to select and design suitable foundations, footings and slab designs for houses and structures.
Soil reactivity in Cairns refers to soil and how much movement occurs in the ground when soil expands & contracts due to weather changes in temperature and moisture. The soil is graded by class; A, S, M, H, and P are most common in Cairns.
The soil bearing capacity informs us of its ability to carry weight per unit area and determines the sort of footings or slab subfloor that may be built on your site. If the soil is unstable, the footings are placed deeper below the ground, or an alternate type of foundation might be required.
A problematic site often costs considerably more to build on when there is more movement expected. These costs can sometimes be high, so best to be informed before you begin the building process.
Soil testing & classification assesses the stability of the soil and land, so you know what is required when building or making changes to the land.
How long does a Soil Test take?
We can usually go onsite and complete a soil test within 1-2 weeks, depending on Cairns’s weather and location.
IMPORTANT: Let us know if your land contract is subject to a soil test so we can prioritise your soil test sooner.
Our Soil Tests Include More Important information!
Unique to ICE International is they hold registration as an Open Builder in Queensland, uncommon for Engineers. This gives them a perspective and extensive knowledge base in relation to residential and commercial building projects that help foresee concerns and investigate, evaluate and avoid unsuspected issues in the future.
Wind Rating
Many soil testers are not engineers, so they cannot provide a cyclone rating for your block of land, so either the builder or an engineer will need to carry out this assessment. This assessment could lead to higher structural costs due to the wind category for the structure.
Soil Test and Wind Testing For Developments and Residential Blocks
Laws Regarding Site Works and Stability
Often owners, builders & developers believe they can cut into the land without informing the Council or considering the ramifications. A lot has changed over the years, and you need to ensure you meet council requirements, e.g. You’re often required to provide an operational works permit before work on site begins. And a stability report needs to be carried out if the land slope is greater than 9° to the horizontal.
Site classification of the Soil Types Reactivity and Expected Movement
(A) Class Soil Type
Mostly sand and rock with little or no ground movement from moisture changes. Soil is relatively stable and firm. Slab on ground houses only need slab thickenings under external walls, bracing walls and internal concentrated load points.
(S) Class Soil Type
Slightly reactive clays sites may experience only slight ground movement from moisture changes.
Soil is relatively stable and firm. Slab on ground houses only need slab thickenings under external walls, bracing walls and internal concentrated load points.
(M) Class Soil Type
Moderately reactive clay sites may experience moderate ground movement from moisture changes. Reasonable care is required in planning the site. Ground surface can move vertically and horizontally between 20 to 40mm between wet & dry conditions.
(H) Class Soil Type
H1
Highly reactive clay sites may experience high ground movement from moisture changes. Expect minor damage in the life of the building under normal conditions. Care in planning can minimise the impact. Ground surface can move vertically and horizontally between 40 to 60 mm between wet and dry conditions.
H2
Highly reactive clay sites may experience very high ground movement from moisture changes. Expect minor damage in the life of the building under normal conditions. Care in planning can minimise the impact site. Ground surface can move vertically and horizontally between 60 and 75 mm between wet and dry conditions.
(E) Class Soil Type
Extremely reactive sites may experience extreme ground movement from moisture changes. The movement is unavoidable with moisture changes, and great care must be taken with engineering specifications, planning and maintenance. Ground surface movement both vertically and horizontally can move greater than 75 mm between wet and dry conditions.
(P) Class Soil Type
Sites with inadequate bearing strength or where ground movement may be significantly affected by factors other than reactive soil movements due to normal moisture conditions. Include soft or unstable foundations such as soft clay or silt or lose sands, landslip, tree affected, mine subsidence, collapsing soils and soils subject to erosion, and reactive sites subject to abnormal moisture conditions.
Sites where the land has been filled with existing or imported soil, other than sand more than 400 mm thick or in sand greater than 800 mm thick, must under AS 2870 be classified as a P site under the code.
Some common problems are:
- Uncontrolled fill – Soil placed over the lot that either has not been compacted properly or doesn’t have compaction test reports to show it has been placed and compacted correctly.
- Soft Soils – loose or unusually moist soils
- Abnormal moisture conditions
Soiltest.biz provides Site Classifications from small individual residential blocks to large-scale commercial projects, including evaluations for sub-divisions.
Why is a comprehensive soil test required?
The information in a soil test includes the soil reactivity, information on the load-carrying capacity of the soil (bearing capacity of the soil), the density of the soil (whether the soil is loose or tightly packed) and the amount of moisture in the soil.
A structural engineer will use this information when designing the footings for a house, a commercial building or an industrial building to ensure the soil is not overloaded by the building (so that the imposed loads do not exceed the load-carrying capacity of the soil) and so that the stiffness of the foundation system is capable of moderating the uneven movement potential of the site.
Covering all forms of site classifications including but not limited to:
We make it easy and cost-effective for you
Time Sensitive Land Contracts & Soil Test Requirements
Often Land contracts in Cairns are ‘subject to a soil test’;
There is no way to know what a blocks soil type is and it can effect the construction and your house budget if you are not aware of it. Builder can do this for you, and we work with many of the local Cairns builders. If you have not selected a builder or would prefer to have ‘own your soil test’ let us know, and we will help you meet your contract ‘special condition’ dates to ensure there is nothing unexpected result soil test. Being engineers we are able to also test your cyclone wind rating at not additional cost.
So you need a Cairns that services. We can meet your contract date or help you request an extension.
Soil types Reactive M, H, and E are the more reactive soils –They may require a combination of soil samples, laboratory testing, and Dynamic cone penetrometer testing.
Percolation tests and design for Septic Systems – on-site sewerage assessment and design of various types of systems whether primary secondary or advanced secondary
Laboratory testing – Compaction Report, CBR values, grading and reporting results of the Laboratory testing- Linear Shrinkage & Atterbergs, Shrink swell
Foundation Design- We can make foundation recommendations and Foundation to suite your soil conditions and type.
Compaction Reports for Land that has been filled in Cairns and Far North Queensland
Compaction reports are also essential to confirm that the soil was prepared as per Cairns and Far North Cairns’s building requirements. Making it more cost-effective to build on. e.g. If a site for a standard home has had fill added to it, then compaction reports are necessary every 250 mm – 300 mm to ensure the site is stable and effectively compacted.
When conducting excavations on a block, you and your builder must conduct supervised compaction reports on cut fill sites. This is done as the site is being filled and allows you to ensure the land was compacted correctly to a standard dry density of AS3798 requirements, which is a minimum of 98% for commercial sites and 95% for residential sites.
All sites with fill greater than 400mm deep in material other than sand (sand is 800 mm) are considered P Class sites even with the reports. The benefit to you is that, with the information, a standard slab may be suitable on your site, saving you thousands of $$$ from being spent unnecessarily on the foundations.
Compaction reports – we conduct the reports and also can design the foundations to suit the engineering results from the findings.
Laboratory testing– Linear Shrinkage & Atterbergs, Shrink Swell Tests.
Feel comfortable to give Kate a call
Helping you with your site's Soil Testing needs Call Kate 0408 911 176Client Reviews
I have been working with ICE International for over 21 years. They are efficient and provide support and the information I need to give my clients the confidence to proceed. They have greater local knowledge in soil testing engineering new homes and construction in and around Cairns and the surrounding region. I highly recommend them.
Andiope Adams
Provided my soil test before the contract due date so I could meet my contract clauses
