Waterlogged foundations

[kapri]

I'm currently having a garage built in my back garden. I got some "professionals" in and they got as far as digging footing at 1 metre which then had to be deepened to 2 metres to meet the Building Inspectors wishes due to a tree on one side and a bush on the other.
Anyway ,due to a delay in getting concrete there the weather broke and I now have 4 feet of water in there . The outer edges of the hole started to collapse into the hole and the builder didn't seem very concerned. Two days later and I had to get some mates round to shutter and shore the whole hole up to prevent fences etc sliding in there. I'm at the mercy of the weather and water table now.

When they did the shuttering we used a pump and can virtually dry the holes out. The question is when will I be able to get some concrete in ( I've still got to get the subsidence dug out). ? Have I got to wait for the water table to drop or is it possible to pump it out and fill it with a 'dry' mix or what ?

Bearing in mind that it takes about 10 minutes for the water to refill once it's been pumped out, my foundations are acting as a giant soakaway for the adjoining properties

I just don't want to be caught by the builder trying to pull a fast one either to skive off the job cos it's a bit difficult or try to rush it through leaving me with problems later.

 

[noseall]

you are better off leaving the water in place until the morning of the pour. the water will help to equalize the water pressure and limit the amount of trench wall collapse.
it is unfortunate that the dig occurred at the same time as torrential rain.

you may need to have a tonne of ballast and half a dozen bags of cement handy too.
once you pump the trench, clear the fallen-in debris and as much of the mud or silt as possible. then mix up some dry ballast and cement and line the trench bottom with this mix, as it will help soak up the water and mud and stabilize the soggy trench bottom.

then go ahead and pour. don't worry too much about water and concrete, the two get on rather well.

 

[kapri]

Ok, almost 4 weeks and the tide is receding now . I've had a couple of groundworkers round to do their best to get it all straight and get some concrete in thr hole.
I've looked at the original builders level guides and he's looking at putting in approx 225mm inches of concrete in the 1 metre sections . This is on a clay substrate that suffers shifting problems in the general area . Is he skimping and would I be better getting the concrete poured to one brick level below ground ie another 225mm?