Groundworks and Civils

Explore groundworks and civils in plain English, with practical context, common distinctions and questions to ask before work starts.

Start with the entries below. They are part of a growing reference library, not an exhaustive technical specification or a substitute for specialist assessment.

Getting into groundworks

Groundworks prepares sites and forms below-ground or external construction such as foundations, drainage, concrete and kerbs. It is more than digging: accurate levels, services awareness, safe excavation and following the engineered design are fundamental. Plant operation needs separate competence and authorisation rather than following automatically from the groundworker job title.

Getting into steel fixing

Steel fixing positions and secures reinforcement for specified concrete construction. Reading drawings, maintaining the designed arrangement and coordinating inspection matter before concrete conceals the work. It is not the same occupation as structural steel erection, and a site card alone does not establish competence for every reinforcement task.

Ground investigation

Ground investigation collects and interprets information about the ground for a defined project. It can address bearing conditions, groundwater, contamination and other constraints, but those questions need a planned scope. A trial hole, a soil sample and a complete geotechnical or environmental assessment are not interchangeable services.

Strip foundation

A strip foundation is a continuous band of concrete supporting a load-bearing wall. It spreads the wall’s load onto suitable ground. Its width, thickness, depth and reinforcement, where needed, depend on the building and site. A trench dug to a familiar depth is not enough to establish a safe foundation design.

Type 1 sub-base

Type 1 is a specified grading of granular material used for sub-base construction. It is intended to form a compacted supporting layer, not a decorative surface or a universal drainage material.

Last editorial check: 8 November 2026.