Questions about building a concrete pier

[Squirl]

So a friend of mine told me he built a similar cabin in a similar location to mine doing something much simpler:  He said he just used single 8x16 blocks every few feet and laid a PT 2x10 sill over the blocks and built up from there using typical 2x4 construction.  He says after 15 years it's still pretty level and works fine.

That sure sounds easier than what I've been doing.  Any thoughts?

It depends on how you look at it.  So he spent a few thousand dollars and weeks of time on something that he is going to spend years of his life in and he cut a few corners to save maybe a few hundred dollars and a few days of work, for it to have a shortened life span and less quality and comfort.

More posts would help solve the balance issue, but there is no solid contact with the ground. 8x16 blocks are usually hollow and without them being filled or a concrete pad underneath it does not distribute the weight over that much surface area of the soil. The lack of a beam between the blocks is a red flag to me.

I don't know the member that Don is referring too, but I am in the same boat.  I built something like that. It shifted. It is drafty.  It will not last a lifetime.  It is a shed.

Why spend all that time and money building a structure to skip the foundation?

[bob57434]

Yeah, I agree.  I'll only be spending a few weeks a year there but I want it to be nice and to last a while.  Two more quick things:

1. I've seen it recommended that I put a layer of gravel down on top of the clay before I pour concrete, is this necessary?

2. I have what I think is a better idea of making those first piers work.  I've knocked the top section off so that there is basically a 2'x2'x2' block of concrete sitting 2' under the ground (from a depth of 2' to 4').  I could just pour a new pier on top of that.  The top of the pier needs to rise out of the ground 2', so I could pour a 2'x2'x1' foundation and then have 3' of 8"sonotube rising out of that, all in one pour.  Kind of like pouring a pier on top of bedrock.  Then instead of 10 piers like i was thinking last time I could have 8.  They would be 2 rows (11' apart) at distances 0', 7', 14' and 20'.  Does that sound doable?

Thanks again guys.

Bob