Soil/Geo Tech Test for 75' x 40' Pole Barn

[Huffduf41]

Hey guys-

I'm getting ready to start clearing trees for my new barn and I'm not real sure about soil. What tests could I have done that will tell me if helical piles are necessary? If they are I'm considering just pouring footings on top of the pilings and going stick built. Thanks

 

[bmxdad]

Why would you think you need something like that?

 

[Huffduf41]

I live on a lake and the footings for my house have pilings throughout. The barn is going to be further from the water but the soil is by no means hard.

 

[PT Doc]

You need to have some soil testing done and have structural engineering report generated off these tests. It should be pretty straightforward. They do this for every lot that builders build on so that risk is minimized and the right foundation is put down.

 

[AndyCBR]

A local Geotech firm can do a soil boring and analysis. Based on the Geotech report a Structural Engineer familiar with the area can make a recommendation for the foundation design.

It will cost some money but foundation design is critical for a long lasting structure. Foundation failures are very expensive to fix after the fact, it's money well spent.

 

[KELLHAMMER]

A geo-technical engineer , structural engineer or civil engineer know the proper methods for determining the load bearing capacity of the soils where you intend to build. Usually, real soft soils will require a specific type of foundation system such as helical piles. If you soils are lacking, it pays to have the engineer determine the type of foundation. Guessing at what you think you need could result in a expensive experiment. Without any real knowledge of foundations and foundation systems it would be wise to leave it to the professionals.

 

[dynahoe]

us dept of agriculture has charts that show soil type by region and county.you could get some idea from that so you know what to expect from some professional.the charts were dead on with my soil.I wouldn't do anything without an engineers design

 

[theoldwizard1]

Location ? Check with you local building department and see if it is a requirement for the permit. Probably a good idea anyway. Very soft (sandy/ deep organic) are difficult to dig in. The sides fall into a trench very easily.

If you are planning on the whole structure having a cement floor, I don't think a pole building will save you that much money.

Is part or all of the building going to be heated or cooled ? If so, you should look into using SIPs. They are not cheap, but install fast and you will have a well insulated building when you are done.

Last, if you are going to heat and/or cool the building, install insulation and vapor barrier under the floor !

 

[Huffduf41]

I emailed the township tonight to see if they had a past soil analysis from when the house was built in 2002. Guessing I might be better off going to the county but we'll see. After I see if anything already exists I'll contact a Structural Engineer I know.

Thanks guys!

 

[Huffduf41]

The results of the 20' soil analysis results are in....not pretty. They folllowed with a test helical pile and 55' was required to hit 15-ton loading.

 

[Jagmandave]

Is your location a secret? Are you really Batman?

 

[owenst7]

What water content did the proctor test give you?

20% existing is crazy high even where I was in Alaska. We would have had to create drainage and/or backfill with DG material to get the required 95% compaction (usually around 5-8% for the clay we had).

 

[hoppsxc140]

How did the requirement for 15 ton loading per pile come up? In the previous drawing it looks like your have 17 piles for a total of 255 tons or 510,000 lbs.

In our area where groundwater is high and soil is a sandy silt, footings will be over excavated 3-4 ft and quarry spalls, 6-8 inch rock, or ballast, 2-6 inch rock will be placed in fabric envelopes. This method has been used for a lot for cold storage construction where slabs are poured flat on the ground then stood on a footing.