You might not think of an environmental risk assessment as something you would perform before building a home, but most incorporated areas in the U.S. require soil analysis before issuing a building permit. You’ll need such a permit before breaking ground on construction of your home or other building project. What can soil experts tell you about the ground on which you want to build? Their findings let you know if you’ll need to truck in fresh soil before building.
Some ground can’t withstand building directly on it. Think of the shifting sands of a beach. If you’ve traveled to the East Coast of the U.S., you’ve observed the stilt beach homes that dot the coastline. Construction crews drill a few feet into the ground to reach a hardened stone layer in which to place these stilts. If they can’t find such a rock layer, they pore concrete into the deep hole using a form to create the needed hard layer and then insert the stilt, pouring concrete around the stilt. Adding to the soil can make this process easier.
Adding silt or other dirt can also improve soil quality. Think of this process as soil cultivation, because mixing together the right soil components creates sturdier dirt for your yard. The improved dirt provides a better building site and works better for landscaping down the line.
Conducting a soil analysis provides a clear understanding of the differences in soil and the extensive damage that occurs over the years of foundation failure. Soil analyses used whenever repairs or renovations are happening that require the property to be thoroughly examined to determine how extensive the foundation repair is. There are numerous advantages to having a soil analysis done for both residential and commercial foundation repair that could prevent costly damages to the foundation.
A soil analysis is performed by commercial labs that offer extensive testing, targeting particular groups of compounds and minerals. They allow scientific information to be revealed about the composition of elements the soil is comprised. Laboratory tests typically check for plant nutrients in 3 categories: Major nutrients, Secondary nutrients, and Minor nutrients—soil analysis is used to properly facilitate the fertilizer composition and dosage selection for the property.
How Can A Soil Analysis Prevent Property Damage?
Soil analysis is usually a requirement for building permits, during construction a soil engineer is required to do more extensive testing to ensure the subsurface soil conditions are compatible with the initial investigation to modify if necessary. The ability of soil testing allows homeowners and business owners alike to understand the potential dangers of their foundation; many aren’t prepared to deal with the hazardous lifestyle of living on a hillside, which includes erosion, gullies, mudflows, and landslides caused by intense winter rains.
Fertilizers are an essential factor when determining to try to prevent foundation failure—soil testing provides necessary information on what base fertilizer is best for your property. Choosing to under-fertilize can seem to be a cost-effective idea, but it’s extremely detrimental for your property’s foundation in the long-run and can be far more costly than effectively fertilizing.
a. Soil testing monitors pH and nutrient levels in turf and landscape soils.
b. Offers corrective action to optimize nutrient uptake.
c. Soil analysis helps the customization of fertility programs.
d. Promotes overall good industry stewardship.
e. Soil testing promotes a healthy and flourishing landscape.
What Are The Advantages Of Soil Testing?
Soil provides an abundance of resources that require a healthy landscape or a small sustainable garden. Soil testing provides essential information to understand the elements within your soil and which fertilizer is potentially best for your soil combination. The difference between deciding to test your soil and leaving it untreated could lead to costly repairs, like drainage services or other severe property damage that ultimately takes away from property value. Testing your soil is especially if you’re thinking about the following:
Farming: Similar to testing a garden, farming requires testing the soil for safety purposes to ensure you’re growing a healthy harvest. The importance of soil testing in crop production is imperative to providing safe foods and abiding by regulations and standards for farming—the nutrients provided that would otherwise be lost from dangerous chemicals from harsh chemicals and aids.
Playing area:If you’re thinking about constructing a playing field for children, as a parent, it’s best to take preventive measures. Soil testing to ensure the area is free of dangerous amounts of things like arsenic and lead that can cause potentially fatal impairments and even death, depending on the period of exposure and the level of toxicity in the soil. Conducting a soil test is reassurance that you know their play area is entirely safe.
How To Test Your Soil
There a home soil kits available at nearly all garden centers that come equipped with vials and tablets to test the soil adequately, and a chart to interpret the results accurately. To prepare a soil sample to send for a soil analysis make sure to have a clean bucket, gardening trowel, and a clean plastic container to ensure the sample isn’t mixed with another substance.
a.Thoroughly clean the tools.
b.Dig five holes at least 6-8 inches deep in the planting area.
c.Take ½-inch soil along the side of the hole and place it in the bucket, repeat this step 5 times.
b.Be sure to collect the samples from different areas that are growing similar plants.
d.Thoroughly mix the soil in the bucket and carefully spread it onto a newspaper to dry. After drying thoroughly, collect a pint for the sample.