14x24 on 5 Acres in Mounds, Oklahoma (2nd CountryPlan Build)

Started by ajbremer, March 21, 2016, 05:46:04 AM

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ajbremer

#225
Sunday May 22nd, 2016

As I've mentioned and as shown in the 4th picture above, I'm adding 2 new beams to my build to
compensate for my 'wrong doing'.

Yesterday I dug the first pier hole to beam 3 and completed it. I learned a lot because I've never
used rebar before. I tied the rebar matt together using a rebar twisting tool and that was new
to me also.

My hole ended up being 2 feet by 2 and a half and 22 inches deep. I first made sure all loose
dirt was out of the hole and I padded the bottom of the hole down with an old 4x4. Then I poured
about 2 or 3 inches of concrete into the hole and then set the first matt of rebar down. Then I
filled it with 6" more of concrete and put the 2nd matt down and then filled the base to around
the 12" mark.

I thought I would save money buy cutting a plastic pale and using it for a sonotube so that's what I
did. I set the cut pale on top of the base and filled it to the top. Then I put 3 vertical 22" rebars
into the pale and topped it off. Then I set my anchor bolt into the concrete on top of it all with about
1" of threads showing.

My end result wasn't bad but there were a few things I learned that I'll do differently with the other
pier holes and rebar. I used 6 bags of 80 lb concrete and that was barely enough. I'm not going to
use a pale next time, it's not worth it to go cheap like that plus it wasn't tall enough to stick out of
the ground like it should have been so next time I'll just spend the $12 for a tube and use it.

My anchor bolts have a piece of wood on the top of them to keep them above the concrete and not
sink down in. When I placed the anchor bolt on top of the wet concrete I kind of pushed it down in
a little. I noticed that the top surface of the pier was not as flat as I'd like it to be so next time I'll
try and not use the wooden block and make sure that the top surface is really smooth with no
rocks/gravel sticking out of the concrete. I also didn't use horizontal bracing on the 3 vertical
rebars within the pier like the picture above shows. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do that next time.

As far as the price goes, I calculate that what I'm doing cost around $60 for each hole. I'm adding
2 more bags of concrete to equal 8 bags a hole. Each bag cost $3.95. The tube cost $13, then add
the rebar and I get pretty close to $60.

Here's some pics and vids:








https://youtu.be/y48fZohD2Gc

https://youtu.be/uJPfkqm_kBc

https://youtu.be/fLDXJng72gU

https://youtu.be/l6UKNBw-T_w
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

ajbremer

#226
Sunday - May 22nd, 2016

I am told that I should be watering down the top of the pier for days after the initial pour, it's supposed to help it. By looking at the picture below you can see how rough the top surface is and the indentation left from the wooden block. I will grind it smooth while checking for level. I'll try much harder on my next piers.
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.


Don_P

A standard strip footing 24' long x 8" thick x 16" wide = 32 sacks... that leaves some money for block, a block wall or sections of wall accomplishes the same thing as all that plywood and bracing and does it better. If you turn the corners at the ends and return the block walls or block corner sections on each end back to the existing post line it makes those sections very hard to overturn, they are fairly well braced.

ajbremer

Thank you Don_P. That method makes for a very strong foundation.
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

ajbremer

#229
Tuesday - May 24th, 2016

Well, ran into another boulder where a pier is supposed to go. I guess I'll dig around it and see how big it is. Maybe I can get it out of there. The white cross hair shows where the anchor bolt should be.
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.


Adam Roby

smack dead center looks like...  if its 5' round and 3' deep.. drill a hole and set a bolt in it.  :)

ajbremer

#231
Wednesday - May 25th, 2016

Today I dug and exposed most of the perimeter of the boulder that I've been trying to remove.



https://youtu.be/RiOWcc3uEo0
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

ajbremer

#232
Thursday - May 26th, 2016

Got a new Stihl 251 WoodBoss Chain saw today, my first Stihl...

(Pic coming soon)
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

Bearmech



NathanS

I've got a ~1990 Stihl 026. Pre-EPA standard and an absolute beast.

Don't put ethanol gas in it.

ajbremer

Ya, I was told to always put at least 91 octane in it. I used it today and I could tell that the chain was getting dull already
because I was cutting a lot of black jack and oak, big ones too! I'm very pleased with it.

I was wondering, what did they do to the saws after the 'EPA Standard'? Are these new ones not as strong as the old
ones?
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

Adam Roby

Mine is a HomeLite 14", 35cc...  it's pretty, runs fantastic... but I think it would be faster to use a spoon.  I can get through 1 stump of 4-6" in diameter, then I need to tighten the tensioner and sharpen the blade, otherwise it will smoke like crazy on the next one.  When you have easily 100 of them to do... the job seems never ending. 

NathanS

Quote from: ajbremer on May 27, 2016, 04:41:39 PM
Ya, I was told to always put at least 91 octane in it. I used it today and I could tell that the chain was getting dull already
because I was cutting a lot of black jack and oak, big ones too! I'm very pleased with it.

I was wondering, what did they do to the saws after the 'EPA Standard'? Are these new ones not as strong as the old
ones?

Nothing is wrong with the new saws. The new mufflers basically de-rate the power of the saw to meet emissions standards. You can modify them by poking a few strategic holes in the muffler and they will run just as good (or better) than pre EPA saws.

Do not modify it until it is out of warranty. And honestly you probably won't need to modify it. The 251 is a good saw with plenty of power.

MountainDon

Quote from: bayview on May 28, 2016, 06:40:33 PM
I'm curious how high a concrete pier should be above ground level . . .

IMO, the way to look at it is, the piers should only be as high as necessary to provide maintenace clearance under the girders and joists.. OR only enough clearance to prevent the need for using PT for joists... 18" ground to joist bottom (12" for girders). After that height, the length above ground simply lengthens the lever arm and magnifies the result of any force applied laterally to the pier top, as happens when the wind strikes the building side and roof.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Don_P

It's actually worse than that. It is not intuitive at all, we look at a post protruding from the ground and we assume that if it does overturn, the point of rotation will be at ground level. The length of the lever in our minds pivots at the ground.
These two sketches show first the point of rotation of an unconstrained post... our case, there is no slab at ground level.as you can see the length of the lever arm is the height above ground plus about 2/3 of the buried depth of the post.


This is a sketch of a constrained post, there is a slab on grade. This is the situation we think we have;


This gets into the why of part of the building code. Exempt structures are limited to 18" above grade to the top of the floor, this should help explain why. Those authors or the engineer who drew the pics above never in their wildest dreams imagined a footing, pier, post, floor scenario.

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Don_P

It should be at the top of the footing or at the bottom of the girder.

Don_P

I've confused you, the top of the footing should be 8-12" typically above frost depth. There should be a connection between the top of the foundation and the floor structure. When a "footing" becomes taller than wide it is a monolithic pier... remember it should run up to the bottom of the girder at that point, no post. Or it can be a footing... wider than tall, with a post running from footing to beam. These poured piers with posts perched on top that then run up to the floor are not anything, or as one engineer described them, they are collapse mechanisms... builders do not want to build machines, we build static structures. The top of the foundation above grade in a prescriptive foundation is not limited that I know of, it can be at whatever elevation you desire within structural limits. The top of the floor for an exempt structure using a non prescriptive, non engineered foundation... that's non designed piers, blocks and whatever other silliness... is limited to 18" above ground (this is of course for non habitable structures). There is a tie down requirement. You can use galvy or stainless connectors.

nailit69

Quote from: ajbremer on May 26, 2016, 06:07:23 PM
Thursday - May 26th, 2016

Got a new Stihl 251 WoodBoss Chain saw today, my first Stihl...

Might be your last... I've got an older Stihl 036 that a tree fell on years ago that's still in service to this day.  I just picked up another one recently, a Stihl Farm Boss for smaller work. My saws will stay sharp and keep an edge for days or until you hit the dirt and then it's time to sharpen. 

ajbremer

Monday - May 30th, 2016

Removed 1500lb Boulder so I can do a proper pier:

https://youtu.be/dPv40HCmZ0o
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.


ajbremer

Actually that boulder was around 2,625 lbs. (6x2.5x1)x175=2,625

Sandstone is 175 lbs per cubic foot.
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

azgreg

Excellent work. Now when I have a boulder that needs removing I know who to call.  ;D

ajbremer

Getting pretty hot outside lately so working early in the morning works best.

Lately, I've had to work on a few other projects so the country plan house is slow right now. One project I've had to tackle lately is building a better solar panel mount for my panels. I'm using an old satellite dish mount along with unistrut. I never knew all the applications that are possible with unistrut and the systems and fasteners that can go along with it. I can purchase a 10' stick of unistrut from Locke Supply near me for under $12.00.

Here's a neat video from the Unistrut company showing many different applications:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-8RJcGWA5o
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

ajbremer

#248
On the way to Arkansas from Oklahoma on route 412 I took a pic of power transmission pole that had a pretty interesting foundation holding it up. It was all concrete with 4 columns that were about 15 feet or more in height. Each column was probably 3 feet by 3 feet or even larger. I've never seen these before:

(Pic coming soon)
Click here to see our 20x30 and here to see our 14x24.

ChugiakTinkerer

Those are funky.  Did all the towers along that stretch have these?  Not a flood plain is it?
My cabin build thread: Alaskan remote 16x28 1.5 story