Do it Yourself: [DIY] foundation destroyed by quake??

22 October 2014

[DIY] foundation destroyed by quake??

I'd like to research that house foundation without rebar that got destroyed by the earthquake..perhaps purchase..what city is it in? Remember what earthquake that was?year? address of property by any chance since you

must have had good eyeballs on to see foundation had no rebar...

TIA,

Rich (in EQ country for 35 years!)

____________________

Forever bonded We Band of Brothers

\

Ad Inexplorata; De oppresso liber

From: "Dave Uebele daveu@sptddog.com [DoIt_Yourself]" <DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com>
To: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2014 10:43 AM
Subject: Re: [DIY] porch/deck footings

There have been several good replies here, covering some of the issues.
Perhaps consider spending the money for a consultation with a soils/structural engineer.

Footing size and depth will depend on your soil type, severity of winters (frost line).
Different soils can support different loads per square foot. If done wrong, think "leaning tower of Pisa".
Shallow footings can experience "frost heave" if the soil underneath the foot freezes (and water expands).
We have no idea what your local soil type or weather patterns may be.

Spacing of support posts will be dictated on expected load, type of wood commonly
available in your area, size/type of beams used, etc.
Other factors may also need to be considered. Do you have seismic or weather events
that may suggest rebar, tying footings to support posts, or how the the support posts
and beams are tied together.
Also which materials may be at risk of earth/wood contact and require pressure
treating or other protection from local insect damage.

Yes there are web pages that can provide some project planning suggestions.

I may grumble about all the building regs living in earthquake country,
but I'm glad someone has done the engineering to figure what needs to be
done. I saw a house that someone started to build without considering local conditions
or building codes (they had recently moved some midwest I think).
An earthquake happened, and that foundation with no rebar fell apart. The family that was building
at that site just up and abandoned the whole project, including the trailer they were living in during
construction.
My point being, it pays to be aware of local conditions and "lessons learned" that
may be either codified into law, or at least in the awareness of local professionals.

dave

On 10/20/14, 7:34 PM, 'Michael Baldwin' mbaldwin577@gmail.com [DoIt_Yourself] wrote:

Hi,

I am replacing my collapsing front porch. I am making it bigger and adding on a deck. I have no building department to ask my questions to. The only approval I needed from the town was for zoning to make sure I am not too close to a sidewalk. Please do not answer my questions with "go ask your building inspector".

I am trying to figure out how many peers and footings I need. I am probably going to use the Sonna tubes.

Foot print will be 12 by 30 with a 18 long 6 wide extension around to the side door.

12x18 of it will be walled, roofed and insulated, to act as kind of a mud room. Leaves 12x12 deck and the little wrap around part.

One side of course is going to be anchored to the house. I will pay to have the footings done, and doing the rest myself, so I'd rather spend a little more on larger lumber instead of more on labor for additional footings.

If I go with 2x10 12 foot long, would I have enough footings parallel to the house if I put them every 10 foot. This would give me 4 posts.

Other thoughts were also 5 footings, spaced every 7.5 foot, and 6 footings, spaced every 6 foot.

I do not mind over building, but I don't' want to way over do it either.

Joists would be 2x10 12 foot 16 on center. Doubled up rim joists, and doubled up where it will switch from mud room to deck.

thoughts?

Michael