floor joists on knee wall on top of skids

[bbright]

Been lurking for a while now at this great site.

Anyways, I am building a 16x40 cabin on skids. The catch here is I would like to build the cabin, with 2x10 floor joists, onto a 3 foot high pressure treated wall, which in turn is connected to the 8x8 skids- with rebar sent through the skids 4 feet down into ground.

Has anyone built this type of foundation before?

The theory is that the 2x10 pt kneewall will provide for r-40 insulation "skirting", and still allow a crawlspace for utilities etc.. The cabin itself will be double-wall built allowing for r-50 walls, to go with its r-40 floor and r-80 ceiling.

The cabin's geographic location (close to the center of Saskatchewan) is only semi-permanent (5 years on leased land) and I am seeking the best option for providing an economical, solid foundation for a cabin that will have electricity, water, septic hookups, and lots of batt insulation for the harsh winter climate in the area.

An input would be appreciated.

[grover]

Thought you might deserve a bump to the top.  I'm not sure of the set up you are describing.  Can you post pics to give us some sort of idea?  Hopefully someone will have an opinion.

[markert2523]

Sounds like a permanent wood foundation (PWF) but the bottom of the PWF is on skids.  I think I would be tempted to build the cabin on the PWF such that the cabin could be hauled away but the PWF stays or gets demo'd/recycled.  If you cantilevered the cabin enough on each of two sides, you could just slip skids under the sides when the time comes, and haul it away.  There is a great thread running recently involving a PWF.

[MountainDon]

Having lived and worked in that climate I understand the desire to have the high level of insulation, but I wonder about the practicality if it is to be placed on land with a short lease. Also wonder if you have looked into cost estimates for moving such a structure, as well as where would it be moved to?