Backfill Belt Calculator
Volume of backfill for a foundation belt, given width, height and total perimeter length.
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Grade beam (cinta de aterro) volume
A cinta de aterro (grade beam) is a perimeter band of reinforced concrete that sits between the foundation and the masonry wall. Its job is to tie the structure together and spread the loads around. You'll usually see a height of 10–20 cm and a width matching the wall thickness, most often 15 or 20 cm. The concrete tends to be fck 20–25 MPa, with longitudinal rebar (4 × 8 mm or 4 × 10 mm) and stirrups (5 mm @ 20 cm). To find the volume, multiply width × height × total perimeter length. A 0.15 × 0.20 m section running over 40 m of wall, for instance, works out to 1.2 m³ of concrete.
Applications and standards
It shows up in single-storey houses and two-storey buildings, in masonry built over compacted fill, and in pretty much any project up to 2 floors that needs to spread its loads and keep cracks under control. The references here are NBR 6118 for reinforced concrete and NBR 6122 for foundations. Above a sleeve foundation (baldrame) and over fill soil it's not optional, since it's what holds off differential settlement.
FAQ
Is grade beam the same as baldrame? No. The baldrame touches the soil and carries the walls directly, while the grade beam sits higher up and ties everything together.
What if the wall is 20 cm thick? Then the width is 20 cm. The beam width always tracks the wall.
Can I skip the cinta? Only on very light builds. On compacted fill or two-storey work, leaving it out is a safety risk.
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The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.