What sort of construction is this?

[MikeSharp01]

Round the corner from us they ar building 3 houses on a single plot. They have scrapped out three levels - the road rises past the plot, without any trenches just flat. On Thursday I noticed they were just pouring concrete onto these three flat levels, no services- nothing, you can see from the picture  below what that looks like. Are they just short circuiting the passive slab build up to do without the N layers of type 1 and the pea shingle sub-base without any peripheral drainage or what what is going on top of these ponds of concrete?

[Mr Punter]

Is it piling mats - concrete blinding to stabilise a piling rig?

[MikeSharp01]

7 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

Is it piling mats - concrete blinding to stabilise a piling rig?

the crosses might indicate that although they seem quite far apart for piles don't they? It will be interesting to see what happens next - I will report back.

 

[Iceverge]

Very interesting. What was the sub grade like before they poured?

 

Any mesh or rebar? 

 

Keep us posted 

[Iceverge]

Google tells me it may be blinding concrete.

 

https://speedeck.uk/our-solutions/construction/working-platforms/

 

A thin layer of weak concrete in place of a thicker layer of compacted aggregate. 

 

The real foundations come later but it'll be a nice surface to work from and greatly reduces muck away and haulage etc......

 

Maybe @Gus Potter or @saveasteading could confirm? 

[Mr Punter]

14 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said:

the crosses might indicate that although they seem quite far apart for piles don't they? It will be interesting to see what happens next - I will report back.

 

 They can often be at 4m centres.

[Gus Potter]

23 hours ago, Iceverge said:

The real foundations come later but it'll be a nice surface to work from and greatly reduces muck away and haulage etc.

That looks a good theory.

[MikeSharp01]

On 15/03/2026 at 20:10, Iceverge said:

 

Any mesh or rebar? 

Surface was flat clay - no rebar.

[MikeSharp01]

Yes it looks like pilling blinding as there is a pilling rig there today so good spot @Mr Punter. So they drill core drill through the blinding and then put the piles in all very neat and tidy - no mud other than what comes out of the hole!

 

 

[Pendicle]

We have a 100mm blinding slab over 600mm hardcore, then a raft foundation. The blinding slab was to adhere gas/waterproof membrane onto. We are in heavy clay and have a basement.