Pole barn floor

[reman]

Hello gentlemen. I am planning soon to pour a 4 inch floor under half my pole barn. Barn is 40' X 60', so I will be doing a 40 X 30 section. The floor will be a monolithic pour, and independent of the barn. My question is, What dimensions should the foundation portion (footer) of this be for that size pour? Thanks

 

[ConCretin]

While it's not a bad idea to thicken a slab edge a bit especially at doors where you drive in, the slab isn't load bearing in pole structure so there is no need to thicken the edge at all. Give my Guide to Floor Slabs in the link below a look for some additional things you might want to consider as you build your slab. Good luck!

 

[rburke65]

LLwillysfan always has good advice!

 

[reman]

Thank you Willysfan. I had always thought they needed at least a small built up pour all around the edge.

 

[joe_padavano]

I've poured floating slabs in several pole buildings on the farm. I typically use PT 2x12s as the bottom boards and set the tops at the finish height of the slab. I'm in Northern VA, so I make sure I have a well-drained base under the slab, gravel with perforated drain pipes that run to daylight. If there's no water under the slab, it doesn't matter if it freezes. No cracks in over ten years now.

 

[CraigStu]

I would want at least some additional thickness at the edge that is against the rest of the floor. I say that thinking that the top of your concrete will be above the level of the rest of the gravel or whatever is on the rest of the floor. I wouldn't want the gravel to move around and some then leaking out from under the edge of the concrete. If the new concrete surface will be at the same level as the rest of the floor my concern goes away.

 

[toolchaser]

When I poured the floor for my pole barn, the crew dug a cursory "footer" around the perimeter, but Willysfan is correct, not carrying a load. A little thicker at door openings is not a bad idea, as well as extra material at lift location, thats what I did