Basements for housing

Including a basement in residential developments helps maximises usage of available land,

o ers added value, more space and accommodation with additional performance bene ts.
Refurbishment or alterations to existing spaces below ground are also an e ective way of
providing additional habitable space to a property. It is possible to retro t a basement under or
adjacent to an existing property.

A basement storey is de ned within the Building Regulations of England and Wales as at least
1.2m below adjoining ground level.

Bene ts of domestic basements include:

Added value.
Additional habitable or useful space.
Increased oor area in locations with limited development potential above ground.
Creation of exible, adaptable space, due to creation of single span structure.
Spaces with extra sound insulation, expanding range of potential use, including home
working.
Spaces with good thermal mass and potential energy e ciency and cooling.
Good stable structural base, capable of supporting heavy loads above.
Resilience to climate change e ects in the soil, such as shrinkage or tree roots.
Flood resilience solution, by raising habitable spaces above ood level while providing
useful non-habitable storage space below.

Basement design

The appropriate design of basements is well established and achievable providing design and
construction guidance is implemented.

Basement design process simpli ed:

1. Establish current and anticipated future use of basement.

2. Site survey and exploratory works.
3. Design proposals to de ne type of construction water tight class and thermal
performance.
 4. Detailed structural design integrated with design of waterproo ng.

Aspects of the design process are interrelated and a uni ed approach should be established
de ning roles and responsibilities of the design team. It is advisable to avoid complex
geometries to facilitate waterproo ng and to produce a three dimensional review of structure
and waterproo ng. 

Basement construction

Concrete is the most common and appropriate material used in the construction of new
basement walls and oors. This is due in part to cost and availability but also its adaptability,
inherent resistance to water, durability underground and ability to provide a stable structural
surface for the support of waterproo ng membranes. Options include masonry or blockwork,
cast insitu, precast concrete, twinwall and insulating concrete formwork (ICF)

The method of concrete construction chosen will be in uenced by the type of waterproo ng
protection permitted according to the water table situation and proposed basement use as
described in BS8102 Code of Practice for the protection of below ground structures against
water from the ground. 

For urther guidance on the bene ts of basements for housing and principles of construction
and design refer to Basements for Housing.

The publication ‘Concrete Basements: Guidance on the design and construction of in-situ

concrete basement structures’ provides comprehensive guidance on the design issues for the
design of deep basements, focusing on structural calculations.

Other useful resources:

The Basement Information Centre