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Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

Bryan Holland

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
241
Location
SW Florida
I have a series of questions that are addressed by the code but are practiced and enforced widely from jurisdication to jurisdiction. Please reply with your code references and/or comments.

1. Can rebar or other metallic materials be used as depth gauges and / or conduit support in footings? Meaning, the rebar or conduit is driven into the earth and will also be encased in the footing (burning the form)...

2. Can vertical steel reinforcement be "wet-set" into footings, or should the rebar be "tied-in" to the footing steel?

3. Can non-treated wood products be in contact with masonry or concrete without other forms of decay protection such as felt paper? This includes locations above 6" of grade.

Thanks in advance for your opinions..
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

OK, I'll take a shot at it...

1) No. ACI requires embedment in concrete by 2" on the sides in contact with earth.

2) Yes I allow wet-set. There is no need to tie the footing reinforcement to the wall reinforcement.

3) Non-treated lumber cannot be in direct contact with concrete.

It's early and a short day, so I'm not going to dig in for code sections right now.
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

[ 1 ]. While ACI requires it, we do and have allowed it.

[ 2 ]. We are typically not there when the anchor bolts are installed, but DO allow the "wet setting".

In the 110 mph and above regions, it should be a practice to actually wire the ( correctly

sized, ...length moreso than the actual diameter ) anchor bolts into the concrete.

[ 3 ]. Agree with Big John! Concrete and mortar cannot be in contact with non pressure treated

or a naturally preserved type of wood - - See Section R319.1 in the `06 IRC. We don't allow

it here.
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

Item 1 is regarding the supports to keep the rebar above the grade. I have never seen conduit used but pieces of brick, concrete brick and metal stands I have seen. They generally use the metal stands when pouring concrete on metal decking but I have seen some used in pours on grade especially in the slab area. The metal stands have a rubber sleeve over the feet to keep the stand’s feet from punching through the vapor barrier for slab on grade pours. Our Structural engineer illustrates the use of concrete brick for the footings. I am sure that his specifications for forms and installation allows this as well and is most assuredly referencing some ACI spec.
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

1 No Can't quote a code section but heard (Dade & Broward inspectors late 70's) it would cause the rebar and conduits to rust quicker depending on the soils type. Don't know if that is true.

2 No for pier foundations IBC 1812.4 Residential yes but all commercial in this seismic zone the engineers will not allow wet sticking of vertical rebar or anchor bolts

3 Yes for slabs

No for walls unless .05 clearance on top, sides and ends.

R319.1

3. Sills and sleepers on a concrete or masonry slab that is in direct contact with the ground unless separated from such slab by an impervious moisture barrier.

4. The ends of wood girders entering exterior masonry or concrete walls having clearances of less than 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) on tops, sides and ends.
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

1. Don't know about ACI not allowing it but we allow them to use rebar to support the beam steel. I've also seen conduit used to support various items also and have never written it up! I have heard the same thing that mtlogcabin has that if rebar is driven into the ground that it will cause the rebar to rust quicker. However, I've seen a lot of old rebar that was dug up on occasion that is still in pretty good shape! I think the house will rot and fall before the rust will cause a problem with the foundation!

2. Yes we allow wet setting of anchor bolts but not rebar. We require rebar to be tied to the foundation steel.

3. No
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

ACI 301 - Specifications for Structural Concrete for Buildings; American Concrete Institute International; 2005.

ACI 318 - Building Code Requirements For Structural Concrete and Commentary; American Concrete Institute International; 2008.

www.ihs.com is a site to view some ACI standards but you will not be able to read the whole standard just a taste.

CRSI (DA4) - Manual of Standard Practice; Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute; 2001.

CRSI (P1) - Placing Reinforcing Bars; Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute; Eighth Edition.

http://www.crsi.org/

http://www.crsi.org/contractors/placing.cfm

Bar Supports

“The amount of concrete cover over the rebar is very important. If it's constructed properly, the concrete protects the rebar. Bar supports are used to hold the rebar up off the formwork or the ground to attain the proper depth of cover. They range from as simple as plain concrete blocks to plastic chairs, to wire bar supports.”

Hope the above helps.
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

1. Can rebar or other metallic materials be used as depth gauges and / or conduit support in footings? Meaning, the rebar or conduit is driven into the earth and will also be encased in the footing (burning the form)...

2. Can vertical steel reinforcement be "wet-set" into footings, or should the rebar be "tied-in" to the footing steel?

3. Can non-treated wood products be in contact with masonry or concrete without other forms of decay protection such as felt paper? This includes locations above 6" of grade.

1. If the re-bar is supporting something that is listed for direct burial then I don't see a problem.

2. Wet setting implies that the concrete will be stiff enough to hold the steel or anchor bolt in place. This can result in voids around the item and no adhesion of the concrete to the item. If it is done under optimum conditions it should work but who knows when it gets done by looking at the finished product. Here in earthquake country, anchor bolt placement is specific to braced wall segments and mistakes can result in lots of all-thread epoxy anchors. Both vertical steel and anchor bolts are part of the foundation inspection so we require that they be tied in place.

3. Some have made the argument that sills not exposed to moisture should not require treated lumber but what about the ever-present termite?
 
Re: Misc. Policy and Practices Questions

I agree with tigerloose abot the wet-setting. If you've got serious lateral loads (earthquake, hurricaine) the voids can be a problem. There is no way for you to inspect stab-in items unless it is continuous inspection during the pour. I am not a buildng offical, but most of our specs require the anchors to be tied in place, not wet set.
 
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