Site Prep For Pole Barn

[stengelkr28]

I know there are several threads regarding this but I feel they aren't specific enough to my questions. Maybe I am being overly detailed.

I am building a pole barn in WI so frost is a critical factor here. One corner is about 2 feet lower, one is about 8 inches lower, and the other two are essentially level. I plan on building a retaining wall on the low side. I plan on having sand then limestone then crushed limestone added as the ground floor for horses. I have a couple questions regarding site preparation.

1. Do I dig into the high side and relocate it onto the low side to level it out? Can I place the grass/sod onto the low side as well or just get rid of it? Or do I just keep the high side and have someone bring in sand to fill the lower end?

2. I need the poles to be 48 inches below grade. Does part of that 48 inches include fill and limestone? Or 48 inches of undisturbed soil? Or do I need to make the poles that will be placed on the lower end ~2 feet deeper than poles that will be on the higher end?

Thanks

 

[speed bump]

Scrape everything down. You want to get rid of the top soil and then use something like road mix which is odd shaped rocks and compactable soils to raise it up high enough that everything drains away from it. Also you will want a level compacted build site to start.

 

[kbs2244]

The best site for free pole construction is

https://www.pole-barn.info/how-to-build-pole-barn.html

They will answer questions you did not know you had

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Sand makes pizz poor fill,.....

The base of the poles, need to be below the frost line,.....
That measurement starts at Finish grade, not wherever it was before,....

 

[pmiranda]

I don't know a ton about pole barns other than what's at that link, but the big thing is the pole is only as good as the ground it's set in.

 

[ghlkal]

Good luck with this build. I have a pole barn for my horses in SE Wisconsin.

1. Do I dig into the high side and relocate it onto the low side to level it out? Can I place the grass/sod onto the low side as well or just get rid of it? Or do I just keep the high side and have someone bring in sand to fill the lower end?

2. I need the poles to be 48 inches below grade. Does part of that 48 inches include fill and limestone? Or 48 inches of undisturbed soil? Or do I need to make the poles that will be placed on the lower end ~2 feet deeper than poles that will be on the higher end?

1. level it off, but don't "count" any fill as part of the measurement for depth of the post.

2. 4' down from the finish grade, as Bondo stated.

 

[rburke65]

No expert, but sand never dries out and, in my opinion, a poor fill. It will wick moisture for ever.