Bookshelf (or some version…) vs Barn Girt

[alfy84]

I’ve received a few quotes on my 48x48x12 pole barn. This is going to be built on a full frost foundation wall. I know a lot of people will say just do traditional, but I’m doing barn metal siding so either way I need horizontal lumber to attach that.

Do you prefer bookshelf vs traditional girt? I will eventually finish out the inside with osb or metal so leaning towards bookshelf.

One builder that quoted me was rather unique in his design. I’m not a fan of just toe-nailing the girts and like the blocking between. But this builder essentially builds the wall with a 2x6 on each side and nails through the face into the girts. Then he sandwiches the 2x6 with another and the another on the next wall framing. He nails and glues those essentially creating the pole.

Has anyone seen this before? Is this common?

 

[drumminj]

What's your post spacing? "Traditional" girts flex a lot more over longer spans and is something to consider -- bookshelf girts are more common and make more sense when looking at 10-12' post spacing.

For my barn build I'm going to be doing board and batten siding with posts on 12' centers so been reading up on this a lot. A 2x6 bookshelf girt has roughly 10x resistance to bending under wind loads than a traditional girt (moment of inertia of 20.8 vs 1.5).

Potential downside to bookshelf girt is if it's flush with the exterior face of the post, you lose a nice raceway to run wiring and such between the post and siding. But using a 2x8 bookshelf girt with 6x6 post can address that (make the interior face of the girt flush with interior face of post).

 

[2drx4]

Is it really cold in your location? How/if you plan to insulate would affect things in my opinion.

 

[alfy84]

Post spacing is 8’. I’m in Central IL so it does get cold. However, this won’t be heated 24/7, more of a weekend shop.

 

[racecougar]

One builder that quoted me was rather unique in his design. I’m not a fan of just toe-nailing the girts and like the blocking between. But this builder essentially builds the wall with a 2x6 on each side and nails through the face into the girts. Then he sandwiches the 2x6 with another and the another on the next wall framing. He nails and glues those essentially creating the pole.

Has anyone seen this before? Is this common?

Was it BBL? If so, I am absolutely a fan of their panelized system. https://bblusa.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/BBL_PanelFrame.pdf

That is the path I took for my building. It makes insulating and sheeting a snap. Standard 24" R19 batts plug right into the cavities.

 

[Voi]

I’ve received a few quotes on my 48x48x12 pole barn. This is going to be built on a full frost foundation wall. I know a lot of people will say just do traditional, but I’m doing barn metal siding so either way I need horizontal lumber to attach that.

Do you prefer bookshelf vs traditional girt? I will eventually finish out the inside with osb or metal so leaning towards bookshelf.

One builder that quoted me was rather unique in his design. I’m not a fan of just toe-nailing the girts and like the blocking between. But this builder essentially builds the wall with a 2x6 on each side and nails through the face into the girts. Then he sandwiches the 2x6 with another and the another on the next wall framing. He nails and glues those essentially creating the pole.

Has anyone seen this before? Is this common?

If you're going to finish the interior I would lean towards bookshelf girts.

I see too many people have a traditional pole barn built & then finish the interior themselves by basically building a traditional framed wall between the poles. Seems wasteful.

The lack of a path for electrical is a legit point. I have heard of using 2x8s as previously described.

I'm not sure I'm following the construction outlined at the end of your post. Is it like the BBL link the other poster provided?

 

[alfy84]

If you're going to finish the interior I would lean towards bookshelf girts.

I see too many people have a traditional pole barn built & then finish the interior themselves by basically building a traditional framed wall between the poles. Seems wasteful.

The lack of a path for electrical is a legit point. I have heard of using 2x8s as previously described.

I'm not sure I'm following the construction outlined at the end of your post. Is it like the BBL link the other poster provided?

Yes, it is similar to the link. The horizontal bookshelf girts are nailed through a vertical 2x6. Then two of those sections are put together with another 2x6 vertical in the middle creating the “pole”.

 

[Voi]

Yes, it is similar to the link. The horizontal bookshelf girts are nailed through a vertical 2x6. Then two of those sections are put together with another 2x6 vertical in the middle creating the “pole”.

Interesting. I've seen a lot of different post-frame methods but not this one. At least not that I've noticed.

So each column consists of two, 2x6 end pieces (vertical) with an additional 2x6 sandwiched in between, so 4.5" wide?

Top plate is another bookshelf style girt with additional 2x material forming a T?

I also notice one on the 2x6s forming the column is left short for the truss but it's not the center one which would form a pocket.

I'm going to look at that link on a computer tomorrow if I remember. I'm fascinated by all the different methods.

 

[alfy84]

The only real difference is the fastener into the girt. I’ve seen them toenailed to the post, nailed from the top into a block, and now this nails from the post into the side of the girt.

 

[racecougar]

Another benefit is that the sections can be factory-produced off-site, which lends itself to higher build quality and rapid stand-up at the site. As far as the "sandwiched" 2x6 goes, it's pre-attached to one end of each wall section (each section has two vertical 2x6's on one end and one on the other).

Here are additional framing pics from one of my builds back in '18.