INTRODUCTION TO BASEMENT

• A basement is part of a building that is either partially or completely below ground level.
The term ‘basement’ is sometimes used interchangeably with the term ‘cellar' and may
refer to any sort of below ground space used to provide accommodation, storage, car
parking, services spaces, and so on.

• During Victorian and Edwardian times, with cheap labour available, basements were
commonly constructed below building, but with the onset of the First World War, building
rates fell dramatically.

• After the war the number of houses with servants fell so the requirement for additional
accommodation was greatly reduced.
• In the 1920s and 30s, with an improvement in public transport, more building land
became available and therefore the need to construct basements below the ground
almost disappeared.
 SHALLOW BASEMENT

• A basement (which could also be referred to as a cellar) may be described as shallow

when its lowest floor is not more than 10m below the firefighting access level.
• Any floor which at some point is more than 1.2m below the highest level of ground
adjacent to the external walls may be classed as a basement.
• Basements are also defined as areas requiring upward means of escape.

General considerations:

• Within a 'shallow' basement only the floor separating the basement from the ground storey
may be a compartment floor of fire resisting construction.
• This means that the basement floor two levels down may not be fire separated from the
basement floor above.
• 'Shallow' basements are likely to exhibit limited access; however, the access routes
available may be horizontally from the outside or vertically from within the building.
• There is likely to be a lack of ventilation within the basement, however some ventilation
may be provided by means of pavement lights and doors. There is however a risk of rapid-
fire development or back-draught during opening of such of vents during firefighting
operations.
• Fire behavior in general within basements is unpredictable with little researched
knowledge. Structural fire engineering design is also invalid as the assumptions that are
made become invalid due to lack of ventilation within basement fires.
• Firefighting personnel should consider the possibility that some buildings may extend below
ground underneath access roads particularly upon arrival when choosing where to locate
appliances.

Inherent hazards:
• The basement may not be clearly visible to the fire and rescue service upon arrival.
• The access route to the basement from outside the building or from within the building may
not be clear.
• Access routes are likely to be the same as the smoke egress route.
• Lack of ventilation or lack of natural light.
• Basements are highly insulated spaces allowing the possibility for more rapid-fire growth.
 Deep basements

Deep basements can be constructed by installing diaphragm walls within a trench and providing
permanent support with ground anchors or by using the permanent lateral support given by the
internal floor during the excavation period (see next page). Temporary lateral support during the
excavation period can be provided by lattice beams spanning between the diaphragm walls

General considerations:
• Within a deep basement it is likely that each basement level will be separated by a line of
fire resisting construction up to and including separation from the ground level storey.
• Considerations are similar as those for shallow basements; however, there may be
additional benefits regarding firefighting facilities.

Inherent benefits:
• A firefighting shaft containing wet falling mains, firefighting lifts and firefighting stairs should
be installed providing access to every basement level.
• Firefighting shafts should also be provided with a pressure differential system.
• Natural or mechanical ventilation shafts should also be provided.
• There may be a foam inlet.

Inherent hazards:
• The basement may not be clearly visible to the fire and rescue service upon arrival.
• The access route to the basement from outside the building or from within the building may
not be clear .
• Basements may behave in a similar way to highly insulated buildings.
• Lack of natural light .
• Access routes are likely to be the same as the smoke egress route.
• Basements are highly insulated spaces and may allow for the possibility of more intense
rapidfire growth.
TYPES OF BASEMENT

TYPE DESCRIPTION GRAPHICS

Poured A poured concrete basement is the most
concrete common and the building method most
people prefer.

This type of basement construction starts by

pouring the footing for the basement
foundation.

After these are set, forms are used to hold the

poured concrete wall in place as they dry.
Poured concrete walls tend to be stronger
than other types of basement walls.

Block or Block or masonry walls are the least

masonry expensive basement construction method.
walls This type of basement wall construction is
made from cinder blocks.
Masonry walls require less time than other
methods of basement construction.
To increase the durability, steel rebar is
sometimes used to reinforce the masonry
wall.

Precast Precast panel basement wall construction is

panels the method where the walls are molded at
another location. Then the walls are
transported to the building and placed on
footers.
No matter what type of basement you may
have, each type has its own sets of problems
that can arise.
NBC guidelines related to basement construction:

• The minimum height of the basement should be 2.5 meters and the maximum height 4.5
meters.
• The ceiling height should be a minimum of 0.9 meters and maximum of 1.2 meters above
the road surface.
• Ventilation is must for the basement and could be in the form of blowers, exhaust fans, air
conditioning, etc.
• Surface drainage should not enter the basement.
• The basement’s walls and floors must be waterproof.
• The basement should not be accessed directly from the road. It should be accessed only
from the main entrance or an alternative staircase that provides access to the building.
• Only when a projecting basement is flush with the ground, or if the authority allows, can the
basement be permitted to touch the adjacent property.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:

There are several factors to consider:

1. Ground Water Pressure:

• The water table is usually encountered 1.5-3m from the ground surface in
developed urban areas close to the sea.
• As the depth of the basement increases, the uplift water pressure also increases
linearly.
• The increase in water pressure has global uplift and local high-pressure effects.
• Providing additional structural mass, tension piles, retaining walls and ground
anchors are some of the solutions.

2. Concrete Durability:
• The ground water in the region is highly saline and quite often contains considerable
concentrations of chlorides and sulphates.
• This means the concrete can be attacked by sulphates, and reinforcement
corrosion can take place because of the presence of the chlorides.
• Some solutions are concrete mix, concrete cover, limiting crack widths, a
waterproofing membrane and cathodic protection.

3. Permanent Retaining Wall Design:

• The permanent retaining wall needs to be designed for lateral soil pressure,
hydrostatic water pressure, surcharge pressure and lateral seismic earth pressures.
• Furthermore, the crack width in the retaining wall needs to be limited, as per code
requirements and local standards.

4. Basement Slab Diaphragm Action:

• The basement slab acts as a restraint for the perimeter retaining wall and a medium
to transfer the lateral earth pressure to the lateral stability elements such as the core
walls.
• Some of the considerations for engineers are the presence of large openings at or
near the retaining wall or the lateral stability elements, and slab offsets between the
retaining wall and the lateral stability elements.

5. Foundation Design:
• The foundation solution selected for deep basements is most often one of the
following: raft foundation, piled foundation and pile-assisted raft foundation.
• This is most effective for the design of tall buildings and requires complex and
detailed analysis in close coordination, as well as input from geotechnical engineers.
• The drivers for selection of the appropriate foundation solutions include building
height, basement depth, ground water table, allowable bearing pressure, boundary
conditions, and time and cost of the foundation solution