2 post anchored in concrete beam

[rjacobs]

Getting ready to get a 24x29 garage/shop built. I would love larger but my city has made going larger very onerous with the concrete requirements over 700sq. ft....

ANYWAY.

I know I will REALLY need to ask the concrete guys(who this shop builder sub contracts with) what they think, although they likely wont know or will say "oh its fine" which I am pretty sure its fine.

I was going to have them pour me a 2' wide, 12' long, 12" deep section of extra concrete to put my lift on 14' from the back wall. Min clearance is 12' and I am going to have my tool box and work bench against the back wall so 14' minus say 2' is 14' give or take. The sales guy for the building in his quote has an 18" beam(i dont know the width) at the mid point of the building(14.5 feet).

Does anybody see a reason why I couldnt use this 18" deep beam, assuming its wide enough(which is a question I need to ask) to anchor my lift to?

 

[mike93lx]

Why is this beam there?

A lift just needs a properly spec'd, consistent thickness slab. Thickening for the post bases is not necessary at all

 

[rjacobs]

Why is this beam there?

A lift just needs a properly spec'd, consistent thickness slab. Thickening for the post bases is not necessary at all

Beam is there because our dirt so ******.

If I was to go larger than 700 sq. ft. the beams and footers are required to be 30"d x 18"w.... its bonkers IMO and most of the building manufacturers agree, but the city demands it for some odd reason. Its in the 2021 residential building code I guess and they have chosen to adopt it for anything over 700 sq. ft... My buddy who works for a large infrastructure company did a huge project down by me and he pulled their dirt analysis and said "yea I wouldnt put a straight slab down, but I also think 30" deep is excessive". He said 12" footer and beams would be more than sufficient. The building guy said they do 18" in our area as a norm.

My only thought on doing extra concrete originally where I was going to put my lift was that most "4" slabs" end up at like 3-3.5" so this would ensure I had plenty of concrete. I could probably ask for 8" total in that area. What I originally was thinking(12" deep x 24" wide x 12' long) was only about .5 extra yards of concrete plus a bit of labor to dig it out since its really only an extra 8". Im only doing a 9k or 10k 2 post, so nothing real crazy.

 

[Rusted Nut]

If your dirty is ******, then you to make your thickened Concrete a grade beam. I’d recommend you consult a structural engineer, or excavate and bring in good fill material.

 

[wssix99]

Read the lift instructions first. They are written by engineers who know best.

I know I will REALLY need to ask the concrete guys(who this shop builder sub contracts with)

They will know how to place concrete. Anyone who works onsite won't know anything about how a foundation should be designed.

I was going to have them pour me a 2' wide, 12' long, 12" deep section of extra concrete to put my lift on 14' from the back wall.

You won't see this in the instructions for good reason. Its really dangerous. Just follow the instructions and the advice mike93lx gives above. Lifts need a flat slab of a proper grad and thickness. That's it. Backwoods designs can lead to bad outcomes with concrete.

Does anybody see a reason why I couldnt use this 18" deep beam, assuming its wide enough(which is a question I need to ask) to anchor my lift to?

Read your instructions. Understand the bit about cracks. (this includes control/saw cut and contraction joints) Make sure your slab isn't post tensioned like many others in Texas. If so, you need to consult an engineer. (The instructions should say that also.)

 

[Rc_Guy]

Why is this beam there?

A lift just needs a properly spec'd, consistent thickness slab. Thickening for the post bases is not necessary at all

I agree with this.
If you do a “beam” of concrete the lift will be balancing on that, not a problem with an empty lift, but I think I problem with a car being wrenched on, on the lift.

 

[rjacobs]

I agree with this.
If you do a “beam” of concrete the lift will be balancing on that, not a problem with an empty lift, but I think I problem with a car being wrenched on, on the lift.

I dont believe a "beam" in this sense is separate from the actual slab, more like a monolithic footer. I obviously dont want the beam cut out from the rest of the slab and then try to put the lift on. I agree with you that then you are only relying on, say, a 24" wide piece of concrete.

 

[rjacobs]

Read the lift instructions first. They are written by engineers who know best.


They will know how to place concrete. Anyone who works onsite won't know anything about how a foundation should be designed.


You won't see this in the instructions for good reason. Its really dangerous. Just follow the instructions and the advice mike93lx gives above. Lifts need a flat slab of a proper grad and thickness. That's it. Backwoods designs can lead to bad outcomes with concrete.


Read your instructions. Understand the bit about cracks. (this includes control/saw cut and contraction joints) Make sure your slab isn't post tensioned like many others in Texas. If so, you need to consult an engineer. (The instructions should say that also.)

Yea all the lifts I am looking at say a 4" slab is the minimum. I want a bit thicker than that, obviously tied together into the main slab. The lift manufacturers say no closer than 24" to a joint. Shouldnt be hard to do unless these guys put control joints exactly at the beam, but I dont think they will do this as that completely defeats the purpose of the beam if they just cut a control joint at the sides of it separating it from the main slab.

How is securing a lift to an 18" deep section of concrete thats poured monolithic with the slab more dangerous than attaching it to a 4" slab? You'll have to explain that one to me. I've seen plenty of lifts installed on 3'x3'x24" or so squares cut out of a slab and then a big box is poured, not connected to the box on the other side, etc... and things have been fine(my buddies 14k is in stalled this way).

Not post tensioned. Just rebar on 18" grid. Not sure how they rebar the footers or beams.

 

[rjacobs]

If your dirty is ******, then you to make your thickened Concrete a grade beam. I’d recommend you consult a structural engineer, or excavate and bring in good fill material.

Did you read what I posted? Thats exactly what they are going to do and I am wanting to install my lift into it, but I dont know if thats verboten and I need to have a specific spot poured for my lift vs. using a structural beam. It just so happens both(where I want to put my lift and the structural beam) are in the same place so if I can install my lift there I will.

 

[kwb]

Rather than limit yourself on the building, do the proper thickened edge slab required by code. At whatever size you want and your floor with consistent thickness with bar throughout and you will be much happier in the end.

Don't be pennywise and pound foolish. A few extra yards of concrete and the work now will save you from kicking yourself for years.

 

[ConCretin]

I think some may have assumed the grade beam was being installed for the lift rather than for the structure in general. I understand that lifts are generally designed to be bolted to a flat concrete plate but I have a hard time seeing how a beam below makes the install unsafe.

 

[rjacobs]

Rather than limit yourself on the building, do the proper thickened edge slab required by code. At whatever size you want and your floor with consistent thickness with bar throughout and you will be much happier in the end.

Don't be pennywise and pound foolish. A few extra yards of concrete and the work now will save you from kicking yourself for years.

I didnt elaborate because it doesnt matter. I wanted to build a 40x40, that would be my "dream" shop. I had a quote to do it for ~65k for concrete and building. What that company didnt realize is that my city now(since 2024) requires 30"x18" perimeter footers and grade beams on anything larger than 700 sq. ft. as they require you to follow the 2021 home building code(30x18), not the regular IBC(I think is what I was told, IBC) code which is 12" deep footers and beams. The rebar is also like 2x as thick and quite a bit more. The number went up into the 90k's real quick when that was figured in. My neighbor that built his 30x50 last year said he has 110 yds of concrete and almost 50k just in his foundation. Everybody but the city says its ridiculous to require that on a metal building. My one neighbor that built his building prior to the code requirement change has 18" footers and beams and his building aint fallen down yet, but I guess it will one day LOL.

SO with that in mind I tempered my expectations and build to what I really actually need and I can stay under 700 sq. ft. with this building. At that size I really dont have to comply with any concrete codes at all and I can put the building on the dirt and secure it with 60" mobil home anchors. HOWEVER if I am pouring concrete I need to comply with IBC code of 12" footers and grade beams, at a minimum. The quote I have for this concrete is 18" footers and grade beams so we exceed it. This building is a 2" cold formed galvanized steel frame building vs. red iron so the building is "self supporting" as it was told to me vs. a red iron building that has point loads at the main structural beams and requires more substantial concrete which I understand.

Im looking at spending 25k on this building based on my quote vs. 90-100k on a 40x40. I cant math out a roughly double the size building(I know 1600 is more than double 700) costing roughly 4x the amount.

 

[rjacobs]

I think some may have assumed the grade beam was being installed for the lift rather than for the structure in general. I understand that lifts are generally designed to be bolted to a flat concrete plate but I have a hard time seeing how a beam below makes the install unsafe.

Thats what I was getting at, but probably didnt describe it very well.

It sounds like your opinion is that mounting a lift on a structural grade beam wont affect the actual purpose of the beam.

 

[Rusted Nut]

Did you read what I posted? Thats exactly what they are going to do and I am wanting to install my lift into it, but I dont know if thats verboten and I need to have a specific spot poured for my lift vs. using a structural beam. It just so happens both(where I want to put my lift and the structural beam) are in the same place so if I can install my lift there I will.

Yes, read what you posted. But pouring a chunk of concrete on poor soil will not much good. A grade beam has reinforcement (rebar).

 

[wssix99]

I think some may have assumed the grade beam was being installed for the lift rather than for the structure in general. I understand that lifts are generally designed to be bolted to a flat concrete plate but I have a hard time seeing how a beam below makes the install unsafe.

If we are talking about a real "beam" there would be isolation joints around it or a lift would be adding point loads and moments to the beam that it wasn't designed for.

 

[rjacobs]

If we are talking about a real "beam" there would be isolation joints around it or a lift would be adding point loads and moments to the beam that it wasn't designed for.

Why would a beam that, from what I understand, is designed to strengthen and reinforce the overall slab, have joints cut around it and thus de-coupling it from the main slab its designed to reinforce? Makes zero sense to me. Why put them in in the first place then?

That would be like pouring the 18" deep footers and then cutting a joint at the inside edge all the way around the building de-coupling it from the rest of the slab... I dont think its done that way. I know my house has beams(probably the 30"x18") and there were zero control/expansion joints put in it. The beams certainly werent cut at the edges to decouple from the main slab.

Were getting way far off the rails here and, shockingly, the only person who really answered is the pro concrete guy. I tend to trust his opinion on concrete stuff around here as he is rarely wrong.

 

[ConCretin]

If we are talking about a real "beam" there would be isolation joints around it or a lift would be adding point loads and moments to the beam that it wasn't designed for.

It's very common to place a grade beam integrally with a slab. Isolating it would defeat the purpose it's presumably being installed for. While the grade beam probably wasn't designed with a lift in mind, it's hard to imagine that it couldn't handle loads that a 4" slab can withstand.

 

[rjacobs]

Yes, read what you posted. But pouring a chunk of concrete on poor soil will not much good. A grade beam has reinforcement (rebar).

Im not suggesting pouring a random 12" deep piece of concrete. I would probably have them throw some extra rebar at it... but its a moot point because my main question is "can I use the grade beam to anchor my lift to without compromising the purpose of the grade beam"...

 

[ConCretin]

It sounds like your opinion is that mounting a lift on a structural grade beam wont affect the actual purpose of the beam.

Obviously making assumptions here but yes. Having an engineer take a look might not be a bad idea though.

 

[wssix99]

Im not suggesting pouring a random 12" deep piece of concrete. I would probably have them throw some extra rebar at it... but its a moot point because my main question is "can I use the grade beam to anchor my lift to without compromising the purpose of the grade beam"...

Theoretically, you could but you would need to consult your engineer. The question is could you get a civil engineer, who is designing your slab or foundation to design such a thing or sign off on it after it was designed. I am 99.99% sure, the answer to that is, "No."

Have you done the layout of your shop yet? The exact center of a space is usually not an optimal place for a lift. This could all be a moot point.

It's very common to place a grade beam integrally with a slab. Isolating it would defeat the purpose it's presumably being installed for. While the grade beam probably wasn't designed with a lift in mind, it's hard to imagine that it couldn't handle loads that a 4" slab can withstand.

It would depend on what forces the grade beam is holding back and what it was designed for. I have had grade beams doing duty to hold up walls and shore foundations. These could not take the extra loading. If the grade beam here is to provide extra support to a slab on grade foundation only, maybe it could but the A/E would need to confirm. (But they likely wouldn't.)

Shouldnt be hard to do unless these guys put control joints exactly at the beam

You'll want to plan these cuts out with your contractor once you have your layout done. Easy to plan. Impossible to put back after its done.

How is securing a lift to an 18" deep section of concrete thats poured monolithic with the slab more dangerous than attaching it to a 4" slab? You'll have to explain that one to me.

Concrete is not like steel. It shrinks when it cures. Areas across the cross section that are different can develop differential stresses and crack. (These cracks are the enemy of a two post lift and weaken the areas where the bolts go into the slab.)

If you have a grade beam integral to the slab, the engineer designing it has a careful balance and placement of steel inside the beam and slab to prevent this type of cracking. (Most people go at this with homebrew solutions that don't account for these things.)

I've seen plenty of lifts installed on 3'x3'x24" or so squares cut out of a slab and then a big box is poured, not connected to the box on the other side, etc... and things have been fine(my buddies 14k is in stalled this way).

These are repair slabs and different from a brand new slab. The manufacturers provide specs on how to make these and they are made after-the-fact for slabs that don't meet the required thickness or quality specifications. These things are pinned or keyed into the original slab to tie them to the remainder of the old slab.

For a newly poured slab, all that is needed is the proper thickness, cure, and spec of concrete. (The footer-style foundations of the repair slab look different because they are different.) A new slab acts like a continuous plate under the lift.

 

[firebirdparts]

Im not suggesting pouring a random 12" deep piece of concrete. I would probably have them throw some extra rebar at it... but its a moot point because my main question is "can I use the grade beam to anchor my lift to without compromising the purpose of the grade beam"...

Yes.

 

[rjacobs]

Have you done the layout of your shop yet? The exact center of a space is usually not an optimal place for a lift. This could all be a moot point.


It would depend on what forces the grade beam is holding back and what it was designed for. I have had grade beams doing duty to hold up walls and shore foundations. These could not take the extra loading. If the grade beam here is to provide extra support to a slab on grade foundation only, maybe it could but the A/E would need to confirm. (But they likely wouldn't.)


If you have a grade beam integral to the slab, the engineer designing it has a careful balance and placement of steel inside the beam and slab to prevent this type of cracking. (Most people go at this with homebrew solutions that don't account for these things.)

Yes, shop is 29' deep. 2 post lifts all seem to require 12' from the nearest wall(front to back). In a 29' building this grade beam is 14.5' from either end. If I put a tool box and 24" deep work bench on the back wall of the shop, 12' then magically becomes 14' and this just about right where the grade beam is going to go.

I honestly dont understand the beams at all on this building. These buildings are only basically using the concrete as an anchor to keep from blowing away. You can anchor them to the ground with 60" mobil home anchors, so they arent using the slab as any kind of structural component like a red iron building does and its minimal point loads. I mean im sure to a point they are using the foundation, but nothing like in a red iron building.

And this is not really a personally engineered slab(by that I mean its not custom to my building, its an off the shelf engineered solution they scale to the building). It exceeds the IBC code which is 12" footers and zero beams(as I read it) required on a slab. So having extra deep footers(18") and beams of any kind exceed the IBC code and are basically there to help account for shifting of our garbage soil down here. The soil down here in the summer dries out and shrinks and massive cracks open up. We have to have sprinklers around the perimeter of our house foundations to keep the soil from pulling away and causing issues.

 

[wssix99]

Yes.

Yes-Yes or Yes-Probably or Yes-Maybe?

This type of thing is off the script for the instructions for any 2 post lift out there. (assuming it is indeed, OK) Its important to be clear about this because people, for some reason, will believe "the internet" as absolute fact above what manufacturers give us.

 

[rjacobs]

Lets be honest about 95% of the lifts a home owner are going to buy also... made in china...

You think the Chinese have engineers that have checked any of these specs or they have just stolen the recommendations from other lift manufacturers? I can tell you what side of that I am on...

And also, the heaviest thing I am going to lift is probably a 3800lb mustang on a 9-10k lb capable lift... If I thought I was going to bump up against the lift capacity I would be a little more "concerned" about getting the concrete 100000% correct.

 

[wssix99]

I honestly dont understand the beams at all on this building. These buildings are only basically using the concrete as an anchor to keep from blowing away. You can anchor them to the ground with 60" mobil home anchors, so they arent using the slab as any kind of structural component like a red iron building does and its minimal point loads. I mean im sure to a point they are using the foundation, but nothing like in a red iron building.

If you have a drawing handy folks here can help you sort what they are for. If they are grade beams, they can serve several purposes. They could be there to anchor the slab from moving around but are also commonly used to tie the thickened edges together into a more solid shape. If you don't have a deep foundation; think of your slab as a giant piece of processed American cheese. When the wind blows, you have positive pressure on some walls and suction on the other side of the building. With the walls tied into the edges of the slab, it could pull that slab (American cheese apart or cause it to distort.) Beams can help stiffen it all up.

Yes, shop is 29' deep. 2 post lifts all seem to require 12' from the nearest wall(front to back). In a 29' building this grade beam is 14.5' from either end. If I put a tool box and 24" deep work bench on the back wall of the shop, 12' then magically becomes 14' and this just about right where the grade beam is going to go.

That feels like a good measurement. My lift is at 13' with a 3' bench and I wish I had a little more room. I would ask your architect/engineer about this.

If your beams are just there for stiffening, it may not be an issue. Your A/E could also move the beam in the slab! (Or maybe they would put in two smaller beams spaced further out, etc.) You have lots of possibilities if you haven't built the thing yet!!!

 

[wssix99]

Lets be honest about 95% of the lifts a home owner are going to buy also... made in china...

You think the Chinese have engineers that have checked any of these specs or they have just stolen the recommendations from other lift manufacturers? I can tell you what side of that I am on...

We're on the same side. My lift was made in China but the engineers were in the US. (I had some good conversations with them at one point when I had an install issue.)

Indeed any complications (if there are any) would come up during extreme conditions. If it isn't too late, you might see if you can relocate the grade beams. That could be an easy/elegant solution.

 

[dcg9381]

Beam is there because our dirt so ******.

If I was to go larger than 700 sq. ft. the beams and footers are required to be 30"d x 18"w.... its bonkers IMO and most of the building manufacturers agree, but the city demands it for some odd reason. Its in the 2021 residential building code I guess and they have chosen to adopt it for anything over 700 sq. ft... My buddy who works for a large infrastructure company did a huge project down by me and he pulled their dirt analysis and said "yea I wouldnt put a straight slab down, but I also think 30" deep is excessive". He said 12" footer and beams would be more than sufficient. The building guy said they do 18" in our area as a norm.

Honestly, I'm good with your local requirement. Instead of requiring an "engineered slab" for all construction, they require purposefully (perhaps) overbuilt designs. That's fine. Cheaper than perc holes, geology sample, then another $1k for an engineering stamp.

You build to <authority> minimum design spec and then add concrete per the install instructions of your lift. Your concrete guy should know how to integrate any addition bracing, keeping in mind that you need to drill the concrete for the lift.

24" footers here are standard... slabs are different in different places.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Yes, shop is 29' deep. 2 post lifts all seem to require 12' from the nearest wall(front to back). In a 29' building this grade beam is 14.5' from either end. If I put a tool box and 24" deep work bench on the back wall of the shop, 12' then magically becomes 14' and this just about right where the grade beam is going to go.

I honestly dont understand the beams at all on this building. These buildings are only basically using the concrete as an anchor to keep from blowing away. You can anchor them to the ground with 60" mobil home anchors, so they arent using the slab as any kind of structural component like a red iron building does and its minimal point loads. I mean im sure to a point they are using the foundation, but nothing like in a red iron building.

And this is not really a personally engineered slab(by that I mean its not custom to my building, its an off the shelf engineered solution they scale to the building). It exceeds the IBC code which is 12" footers and zero beams(as I read it) required on a slab. So having extra deep footers(18") and beams of any kind exceed the IBC code and are basically there to help account for shifting of our garbage soil down here. The soil down here in the summer dries out and shrinks and massive cracks open up. We have to have sprinklers around the perimeter of our house foundations to keep the soil from pulling away and causing issues.

The red iron buildings on the coast are 24" footers with j bolts holding them down

 

[rjacobs]

The red iron buildings on the coast are 24" footers with j bolts holding them down

yea in probably really sandy soil which I would assume moves or has the potential to move more than our clay soil.

our soil is clay which has its problems.

But if a building in "hurricane country" and on really sandy soil only needs a 24" footing and j-bolts, its crazy that were required to do 30" and who knows what kind of fasteners, but probably something designed to go into space...

 

[rjacobs]

Honestly, I'm good with your local requirement. Instead of requiring an "engineered slab" for all construction, they require purposefully (perhaps) overbuilt designs. That's fine. Cheaper than perc holes, geology sample, then another $1k for an engineering stamp.

You build to <authority> minimum design spec and then add concrete per the install instructions of your lift. Your concrete guy should know how to integrate any addition bracing, keeping in mind that you need to drill the concrete for the lift.

24" footers here are standard... slabs are different in different places.

no I get that they have taken the "easy" way out. Its probably cheaper to have a foundation engineered for each property vs. spending 2x the required on concrete and rebar. My buddy who does concrete said the difference between a 12" footer/beam slab and a 30" footer/beam slab is at least double if not more. He's of the opinion also that its way overkill. He's like "I can buy into an 18" which is more than the minimum, but 30" plus the rebar is getting out there".

I have a neighbor with all the fun tools for drilling concrete so thats not a problem.

 

[dcg9381]

Its probably cheaper to have a foundation engineered for each property vs. spending 2x the required on concrete and rebar. My buddy who does concrete said the difference between a 12" footer/beam slab and a 30" footer/beam slab is at least double if not more. He's of the opinion also that its way overkill. He's like "I can buy into an 18" which is more than the minimum, but 30" plus the rebar is getting out there".

Guess it depends on your local cost per yard. To engineer a foundation, I'd budget at least $1500 on the low end...

I have a neighbor with all the fun tools for drilling concrete so thats not a problem.

And I thought I had some tools I barely use..

 

[rjacobs]

Guess it depends on your local cost per yard. To engineer a foundation, I'd budget at least $1500 on the low end...


And I thought I had some tools I barely use..

My buddy said he could do a 12" footer and beam 40x40 for about 30k. Push that to a 30" footer and beam and he said it would probably be 50k. The rebar requirements also are way thicker and specific amounts in the footers and beams. Its not a simple 18" grid with #3 rebar. I think the footers and beams required #5.

 

[dcg9381]

My buddy said he could do a 12" footer and beam 40x40 for about 30k. Push that to a 30" footer and beam and he said it would probably be 50k.

Woof.. Your concrete costs are 100% more than ours. Do you know what you guys actually pay per yard of concrete?

 

[rjacobs]

Woof.. Your concrete costs are 100% more than ours. Do you know what you guys actually pay per yard of concrete?

When I had my driveway done last spring I think they said a truck was $2000. Thats what 10 yards? So 200 per yard.

We used 7, paid a short load fee of like $300, and my project was 4600(might have been 4300)... 12x30 driveway plus an 18'x6"x12" curb for a sliding gate. Didnt need 12" depth, but they said "we got to get 7 yards of concrete minimum so its either put it here or dump it on the ground".

 

[kwb]

Math isn't working for the buddy with 30x50. 110yds is about double what the dimensions you said were needed for footers on a monolith slab

 

[rjacobs]

Math isn't working for the buddy with 30x50. 110yds is about double what the dimensions you said were needed for footers on a monolith slab

dont know, just going by what he said was in his foundation. He might have been adding whatever flatwork he poured to connect to his driveway, dont know, didnt ask.

 

[wssix99]

My buddy who does concrete said the difference between a 12" footer/beam slab and a 30" footer/beam slab is at least double if not more.

At least! When you dig, you also don't know what other nasty stuff you might find. (...and need to pay to deal with)

He's of the opinion also that its way overkill.

Definitely overkill in Dallas until we get to a point where it snows every week and the ground freezes.

 

[Rusted Nut]

Im not suggesting pouring a random 12" deep piece of concrete. I would probably have them throw some extra rebar at it... but its a moot point because my main question is "can I use the grade beam to anchor my lift to without compromising the purpose of the grade beam"...

Yes, but… If you have a good base, you don’t need a grade beam. Technically a grade beam is a buried concrete beam supported by two or more vertical load carrying members (columns). If you have poor soils, or expansive clay soils; you need to figure out how/what is going to support your slab. Pouring a thickened slab under the lift is great, if the soils will support the load. There is a reason your local jurisdiction has codes for garages over 700 SF, expansive soils can cause a lot of problems.

 

[rjacobs]

There is a reason your local jurisdiction has codes for garages over 700 SF, expansive soils can cause a lot of problems.

They didnt outside of needing an engineered slab/foundation until 2024... So what changed? Certainly not the soil... Did they not want to review engineering plans anymore so they simply went bonkers on their requirement as a catch all? Are all the hundreds/thousands of buildings built before the code change going to fall down? Are they getting kick backs from the concrete contractors?

My neighbor paid to have an engineered slab drawn up in 2020 and I think he said it cost 1500 bucks. Our other neighbors under the new rules have had their concrete costs double to the tune of 10-15-20k+ dollars extra... Is there really a need for the change? I dont know, but I doubt it. I dont know why the push for the change, but city going to do what city wants to do and damn what the citizens want...or are even aware of honestly.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

yea in probably really sandy soil which I would assume moves or has the potential to move more than our clay soil.

our soil is clay which has its problems.

But if a building in "hurricane country" and on really sandy soil only needs a 24" footing and j-bolts, its crazy that were required to do 30" and who knows what kind of fasteners, but probably something designed to go into space...

We have a high clay content here too. Tx gumbo it's called. It shifts around too. If you have foundation problems, they always fix themselves after a good rain. Doors that won't close right in a drought, close fine after a good rain