Building a home in the islands...

[Tang Tonic]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading this forum for about a year now.  I guess you could say my situation is a bit different from most people that post on this forum because I am building in a tropical region.  Me, my wife, and 6 year old son live on the Caribbean island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.  We bought an acre of land almost two years ago and since then, have been slowly transforming the land and building a wood shed to hone our skills.

Initially, I ordered a couple different plans from John but ended up deciding to go with a modular style so had plans drafted locally.  We had plans approved to build a 16 x 32 structure which will be two bedrooms on the ends with a bathroom splitting the structure down the middle.  The second structure is 24 x 24 and will be the kitchen and living room.  The plans are for wood construction with pier foundation.  I may amend the drawings for the second structure to be built out of poured concrete or ICF.  But the idea is to build the bedroom structure first, and then a nice little outdoor kitchen which will allow us to move onto the land.  Then we will work on the second structure. 

I will be doing most of the work myself with the help of my wife (and son).  I have a few friends that are pretty good carpenters who can help me from time to time.  The motto is very much KISS but to use good quality materials like stainless steel nails, stainless simpson ties, etc. 

Before I go into more details on where we are heading with this project, I wanted to ask a technical question.   I know piers are kinda frowned upon here but I plan to build them as strong as possible.  I will be using 24" HDPE pipe as the form for the piers but technically its not a form since they will never be removed.  This HDPE pipe is very strong on its own and lasts forever (got loads of it leftover at the RO water plant where I work).  The HDPE piers will be reinforced and then poured with concrete and cast in 4 x 4 x 2' footers.  The footers will also have a 2" diameter stainless steel rod (leftover vertical seawater pump shafts) driven as far as I can get it into the ground below the footers.   All perimeter footers will be connected with a poured grade beam. 

So on the piers will be the 3 sandwiched  2 x 12's to make the beams.  The draftsman calls for Simpson HD's to secure the beams.  My question is, should I use the HDB9 which would just bolt to the beam, or the HD12 which would be tall enough to bolt to the beam and the joist above? He also shows 6 x 6 posts on the corners which is new to me.  It says an HD simpson tie can be used to secure these posts or they can be notched and bolted to the beam.  I am leaning towards notching and bolting to the beam.  Alternatively I have seen it recommended here that something like a Simpson  CB 66 can be used to secure the beams.  I have seen a stainless steel option for these at powrfab.com. 

So which way is the best way to go?

Another question is, he shows the all thread as having the simpson bp washers which means they would need to be embedded when pouring piers.  I would much rather pour the piers one time and then later set the beams where they need to go and hammerdrill and epoxy set the all thread.  Another thing I have tons of at work is stainless steel all thread so I have no problem going extra deep with it.   So if Simpson HD's are the way to go vs the CB's, is it ok to set with epoxy after concrete has cured? 


HD9B:

http://www.dhcsupplies.com/store/p/5558-HD9B-Holdown-Anchor.html

HD12:

http://www.dhcsupplies.com/store/p/5559-HD12-Holdown-Anchor.html

CB66:

https://www.strongtie.com/nonstandoffcolumnbases_columnbases/lcb-cb_productgroup_wcc/p/lcb.cb

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Tang Tonic]

Here's a link to the details page of the plans:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8t7rndilye6ndjs/MYSCAN_20160729_0005.PDF?dl=0

[db4570]

Sounds like a cool project. I have spent a lot of time working and living part-time in the Caribbean, and have often wondered if I would like to do something like you describe. Too chicken, and getting chicken-er. (?)

I don't have any experience with your particular methods you are describing, and am going off on a tangent here. I applaud that you are coming up with creative construction methods, and using some materials you have access to. My suggestion, FWIW, is to not re-invent the wheel for the sake of saving a few bucks on some really low-cost items, like lally columns and bolts.

Also, that local methods have evolved over time to be in synch with local materials and conditions. If it were me, I would try to spend time hanging around construction sites run by some of the more reputable crews there.

We have a property up north, and had to make some major repairs to the foundation and basement walls. It was amazing what I learned from a couple of the contractors there. And they knew each other, and picked each others' brains. For instance, when the excavation contractor ran into a challenge, he called his friend the masonry contractor, who helped him with information on footings. I had researched the details of this project for a year or more before we did it, but the amount I learned in the few days these guys were working there was a lot more relevant.

For hurricane prone areas, I think the Miami Dade building code is considered to be the bible. You might want to dig into that.

Good luck with this project! How about some pictures?

David

[Don_P]

ICF would certainly be the most storm proof. I agree with looking to good local knowledge if any.

Thoughts on what you proposed,
The grade beam in your description, I would just dig a trench 16" wide x 12" deep and pour it 8-12" deep in concrete. 2 strands of 1/2" rebar 3" off the bottom. I would turn up rebar into each poured pier. I would also make the corners poured walls 4' wide x 8" thick, running each way out of the corner forming rigidly braced corners under the building that aren't likely to be toppled if the building gets pushed sideways in a storm. That's really what a continuous perimeter foundation wall is doing.

A post on a pier just adds 2 more hinges into a dubious equation... that was a draftsman. I couldn't get anything to come up on dropbox. Can you weld on site? I've cast flat plates into the top of pours with J hooks welded to the underside embedded in the pour. Later a flat plate and some form of attachment to the wood, straps or a hidden knife plate. Align the bracket on the larger cast in plate and weld. Depending on timber size a 1-2" cutoff of 4 or 6" square tube welded between plates makes a nice standoff and easier site welding.

[Dave Sparks]

There is wood on St Croix to put in a wood shed? Seriously do not remember any but....Maybe you mean a shed built out of wood or a wooden shed.
Sorry....pretty place. We always wanted to be in a bar made of cinder blocks, high up on an island watching our boat deal with it. Good Luck!