steveray
SAWHORSE
20 minutes with a big excavator.....
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brick and block foundation
- Thread starter buck33k
- Start date
north star
Sawhorse
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2009
- Messages
- 4,596
= & = & =
Not too difficult at all !..........How expensive would it be is
another story !
Also, ...who determines the "good workmanship manner" ?
= & = & = &
Not too difficult at all !..........How expensive would it be is
another story !
Also, ...who determines the "good workmanship manner" ?
= & = & = &
buck33k
Registered User
Yes, that is a good point.
ICE
Oh Well
I don't know how the footing has been constructed so I can't say if it needs to be removed. Everything above it appears to be worthy of removal.
buck33k
Registered User
Sorry CDA...I see now that you have asked this before. Slabs are very common here, and raised slabs are quite common. However, mine is raised more than normal... to 28"...to conform with other homes on the street which have crawl spaces. This makes my foundation a bit out of the ordinary but not much so...really nothing that presents a big challenge. Truckloads of sand will be placed in the foundation walls and will have to be compacted prior to the slab pour. According to the engineer, 12" of fill should be compacted down to 10" ....then another 12" of fill compacted down to 10". and so on in those stages....and then he added, "but nobody does that."
How would the compaction be done on my job? I don't know based on what has happened so far...maybe adequate, maybe not.
buck33k
Registered User
Ice: Here is a link to the footing picture. Once again, I hope my link works. It is a trench in the ground (no forms) with concrete poured in. In the photo you will see rebar stuck into the footing as they ran out of threaded rod. The original intention was to use an adapter to convert the rebar to threaded rod. Later they drilled into the footing and epoxyed in threaded rod. Seems to me it would be a mess to remove all of this stuff which is fused together with concrete.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNkXpIfrYJLh5UL-DFWt1uycxx69fbr4dKF7GPa
ICE
Oh Well
Last edited:
ICE
Oh Well
The footing is an unknown. Considering the work that we can see, there may not be any steel. Of course I am not familiar with the requirements in your locale and from what I can tell those requirements are less than what I would expect. Assuming that the footing is sufficient it can be saved.
There is plenty I could say but you need to reach that conclusion on your own.
There is plenty I could say but you need to reach that conclusion on your own.
buck33k
Registered User
Yes, there is steel in the footing as seen in this photo. I hope to finalize this soon. The codes and common practices seem to be understood by professionals nationwide. I don't like being the exception to the standard. Thanks ICE for the input.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO_BCRD08lsrQKmzE0NBn60VHHOT3NwEGvE6jzl
conarb
Registered User
Buck:
I have hesitated to comment on your situation because our California codes and standards are so much higher, but at this point I would ask if your state has a contractors' license board? I've volunteered as both an industry expert and arbitrator on cases here, many times work can be code compliant yet it doesn't meet industry standards, I've been assigned to write reports addressing industry and minimum workmanship standards, if you have a license board I'd file a complaint. Just to give you an idea here is one of my foundations.
I have hesitated to comment on your situation because our California codes and standards are so much higher, but at this point I would ask if your state has a contractors' license board? I've volunteered as both an industry expert and arbitrator on cases here, many times work can be code compliant yet it doesn't meet industry standards, I've been assigned to write reports addressing industry and minimum workmanship standards, if you have a license board I'd file a complaint. Just to give you an idea here is one of my foundations.
buck33k
Registered User
Many thanks Conarb for your sound advice. I will take it seriously.
Your photo looks like it could possibly be a bank vault. Very good work.
Msradell
Sawhorse
LOL, there's nothing heavy about that rebar mat. A bank fault probably has about 6 or 8 layers of bars spaced at about 6"! It certainly heavier than what you we see in a residential situation in most places but California is much different than most places.
So keep us up to date
Show us the fill
Show us the floor forms
Show us the poured floor
buck33k
Registered User
buck33k
Registered User
UPDATE: I spoke with the contractor. I told him that I was not going to accept the foundation. He said that was fine. We meet Monday to discuss resolution.
buck33k
Registered User
Got an e-mail asking to please put in writing why the foundation is not acceptable.
conarb
Registered User
Buck:
Workmanship standards are different in differing areas, even differing areas within a state, you need to hire an engineer in your area to evaluate it and write a report. As I recall you are in North Carolina? If so which city? If you don't have a local source perhaps I can give you a name, if he's out of your area perhaps he knows one who is.
ICE
Oh Well
Show him the pictures.
buck33k
Registered User
Conarb Thank you for the reply. I did hire an engineer but have not gotten a written report back yet. He did tell me that the workmanship was not good and that the foundation was not "conventional". One of my big concerns was the small cut down blocks supporting the brick structural wall. He thought this to be acceptable but agreed that it did not represent note AA on the plans. At this point I am afraid to state the name of my town on the web for fear of litigation against me. This is a very tight coastal community and my two year residence here carries little influence. That they now want something in writing from me is troublesome. I wanted a standard well built foundation but as you say, workmanship standards are different in differing areas.
You do not need to id your city. And like you said not a good idea.
Sounds like your engineer is resnable
You might if you like, send him a link to this thread. He can see some of the concerns and maybe put them in a report.
If you have not, ask the engineer to make the report for removal of existing ,and install of new foundation.
Not just a general report
This is from one of your responses.
Not sure if it is your observation or builders??
Just an update. It seems the footing wasn't poured level so the brick outer wall was shimmed to make it level. The bottom row of half bricks were cut to act as shims while the inner block wall followed the contour of the footing. The slab will be poured up to the top of the brick wall which is level, then both walls will support the load.