I am planning to build a 20' x 30' 1 1/2 story cabin in a very remote location in the Rockies. Access to the building site is limited to 4x4 vehicles and all materials must be brought in by small trailer.
I would like to use the fewest number of footings/piers allowed for this size cabin since all concrete will be mixed by hand on site, all digging is into rocky soil, and the building pad is very small. Any recommendations as to the maximum spacing of piers in order to reduce the total number of piers required? Also, should I look into a cantelivered floor system to possibly reduce the number of footings/piers?
I really don't want to downsize the cabin if possible but pier count is a major factor. All ideas would be appreciated!
A post and pier foundation plan can be adjusted to have fewer piers, larger footings and deeper beams to span the greater distances between the supports.
To do this you need to do a load trace starting at the roof (you probably want to design for a heavy snow load) and then accumulating as you come down the house to the beams. Designing this new foundation is a short project for a local engineer. This person will know the local loads to use.
I would not suggest cantilevers on this house.