Planning a tractor shed - some questions

[PaWoods]

I'm cleaning up, improving and working towards making the recently purchased camp property the somewhere-down-the-road future homestead. That plan incorporates the stars aligning, the money coming in from somewhere and the code enforcement office signing off on everything. Or, I can try to be frugal and do most of it myself which brings us to.....

the tractor shed.

The first purchase was a 2 year old Kioti CK30 that had been repossessed by a finance company. i was shopping for a 20 hp tractor but this was too good of a deal to pass up. I certainly don't regret the extra 10 hp and I can't imagine not having it. Last winter it was tarped behind the small shed and now it needs a more suitable home.

I have some nice mature hemlocks on the property which are being eaten up by the woolly adelgid. Some are already too far gone and I am going to have what I can cut into lumber for the pole barn. I'm handy but not a carpenter or construction guy so I thought maybe you all could help me flesh out my plans and give some feedback.

I'm planning a 24'x30' building with 6x6 PT supports at 10ft spacing. My plan is to put in a gravel floor now and concrete later. Along those lines I'm thinking that I'll pour concrete footers and set the posts on top of them then pour the floor to incorporate the footers when I can put in a concrete pad later on.

The rest I plan on doing with the hemlock including the rafters. I was thinking 2x8 (true size) rafters on 24" centers with 2x10 or 2x12 double headers on a 5/12 pitch with a steel roof. I had been planning on 1 foot overhangs but am leaning towards 2ft at this time. This seems like plenty of support in my mind but after poking around here some and finding some span charts I read that I should be doing 2x10's or 2x12's on 12" or 16" centers. This seems like complete overkill in my mind. We are in the 25 to 30 psf snow load range here.

Also, going with rafters instead of trusses, I'm wondering about the roof pushing out on the side walls. Any thoughts on that? Stringers across the support posts from side to side? nothing?

Any other thoughts or pointers are also appreciated. I'm probably about 6 to 8 weeks out to get everything ready and have the lumber on site but I'll be sure to update and post pics as I go.

Thanks!

 

[tommu56]

search pole building on here they are a ton of them!


some conventional plans

http://www.cobblumber.com/PDFs/machinery%20shed.pdf

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/ut_plans.htm#Anchor72045

timber

How to Build a Modified Post and Beam Frame (with pictures) - wikiHow

 

[BeezFun]

I'm planning a 24'x30' building with 6x6 PT supports at 10ft spacing. My plan is to put in a gravel floor now and concrete later. Along those lines I'm thinking that I'll pour concrete footers and set the posts on top of them then pour the floor to incorporate the footers when I can put in a concrete pad later on.

You can't leave posts sitting on top of footers until you pour the concrete, you need to backfill with gravel now. Also need some kind of cleats on the bottom of the posts to prevent pullout. The only thing stopping the wind from lifting your whole building is the posts pulling up on the ground (and of course the weight of the building).

The rest I plan on doing with the hemlock including the rafters. I was thinking 2x8 (true size) rafters on 24" centers with 2x10 or 2x12 double headers on a 5/12 pitch with a steel roof. I had been planning on 1 foot overhangs but am leaning towards 2ft at this time. This seems like plenty of support in my mind but after poking around here some and finding some span charts I read that I should be doing 2x10's or 2x12's on 12" or 16" centers. This seems like complete overkill in my mind. We are in the 25 to 30 psf snow load range here.

You need to pay someone to tell you what size rafters to use. It would be cheapest to find a barn plan close to what you want, then pay the extra $100 to have them spec it using your rafters. I would use the largest overhang you can, it will save weather wear on siding, windows and doors. Also keep water away from foundation elements.

Also, going with rafters instead of trusses, I'm wondering about the roof pushing out on the side walls. Any thoughts on that? Stringers across the support posts from side to side? nothing?

Yes the rafters will push the walls out, so you either need collar ties or you need to support the ridge beam at both ends to provide vertical support for the rafters. Also something an engineer will tell you, don't guess.

Any other thoughts or pointers are also appreciated. I'm probably about 6 to 8 weeks out to get everything ready and have the lumber on site but I'll be sure to update and post pics as I go.
Thanks!

Pay an engineer to modify drawings so you know how to build it. You can't guess at structural elements like rafters, collar ties, and associated fasteners.

 

[joeyd]

I recently had a pole barn the same size built BT (before tractor). The biggest regret I have is putting one roll up in with the man door on the front and not two roll ups in front and the man door on the side. I park my truck in the pole barn and have to put the tractor outside under a tarp.

 

[rambler]

Well, you asked for opinions....

1. 6-8 weeks, don't you need to let the cut wood season & dry a while?Don't wan to build with wet wood?

2. Trusses are often cheaper than creating your own rafters, even if the wood is 'free' but only needs to be sawmilled.... Look into some trusses, price them, think realisticly what it will cost you in time & materials to do the rafters. Trusses you can space at 10 feet so you don't \need the big heavy planks along the sides, just more 2x4s for under the roof tin set on edge.

3. Be careful placing the columns on top of concrete piers. If this is a true pole barn with 10 foot spacings, the pole either needs to be set in the ground 4 feet or more; OR you need to do a real good joint/ metal overlap between the concrete pier & the bottom of the pole. Ther is tremendous wind load on that joint on a true pole barn, a simple little tie or small angle iron won't do it. I don't know what your exact plan is on this, but I don't feel good about what you are saying, I think you are not doing this part right.

4. Remember your next tractor might be even bigger, and one always accumulates more stuff to put on the tractor, so if you can afford a tad bigger, you won't be sorry at all 5 years from now! I know one has to factor in a budget, but whatever size, you'll think it cramped in a few years. Plan out the doors like the other fella mentioned and for gosh sakes make the roof tall enough, it doesn't take much to wish you had more than a 10 foot high door, which means you need a 12 foot wall....

--->Paul

 

[PaWoods]

Thanks for the replies. On some of the points brought up,

Tom, thanks for the links. Some interesting stuff there and I'm sure I'll get a lot of info from them

Beez,
I hear you but I hiring an engineer wasn't in my plans. I can calculate the deflections and stresses and pull some drawings from somewhere if I need to. I should just do a tour of some farms and look at what they have for their outbuilding. If it's stood up for them for 30 or 40 years they did something right. I will definitely add the collar ties.

Joey,
Ouch. Point noted.

Rambler,
Honestly, I hadn't give much thought to the time needed to season the wood. I'll ask the mill and check around. I don't have to build before fall so I could go out a little further in time. Worst case, I may be able to swap wood with the mill if they have some that's dried.

I'll check the price of trusses, but would like to use the lumber off of the property if I can. Maybe it will end up being a project I do the hard way once and vow to do it differently the next time. This won't be the last structure I build there so it's kind of a learning opportunity for me as well.

On the post-on-concrete: I would certainly tie the posts to the concrete. I know that there are some anchor systems out there. There are a good amount of Amish and small shops in my area so I may have something made locally as well. I'll do a little more homework here and keep both thoughts on the table.

I will definitely plan for high openings. I was thinking 9 or 10' (8ft clearance for the ROPS) but I'll think pretty hard about going to 12.

Dave

 

[flusher]

I'm cleaning up, improving and working towards making the recently purchased camp property the somewhere-down-the-road future homestead. That plan incorporates the stars aligning, the money coming in from somewhere and the code enforcement office signing off on everything. Or, I can try to be frugal and do most of it myself which brings us to.....

the tractor shed.

The first purchase was a 2 year old Kioti CK30 that had been repossessed by a finance company. i was shopping for a 20 hp tractor but this was too good of a deal to pass up. I certainly don't regret the extra 10 hp and I can't imagine not having it. Last winter it was tarped behind the small shed and now it needs a more suitable home.

I have some nice mature hemlocks on the property which are being eaten up by the woolly adelgid. Some are already too far gone and I am going to have what I can cut into lumber for the pole barn. I'm handy but not a carpenter or construction guy so I thought maybe you all could help me flesh out my plans and give some feedback.

I'm planning a 24'x30' building with 6x6 PT supports at 10ft spacing. My plan is to put in a gravel floor now and concrete later. Along those lines I'm thinking that I'll pour concrete footers and set the posts on top of them then pour the floor to incorporate the footers when I can put in a concrete pad later on.

The rest I plan on doing with the hemlock including the rafters. I was thinking 2x8 (true size) rafters on 24" centers with 2x10 or 2x12 double headers on a 5/12 pitch with a steel roof. I had been planning on 1 foot overhangs but am leaning towards 2ft at this time. This seems like plenty of support in my mind but after poking around here some and finding some span charts I read that I should be doing 2x10's or 2x12's on 12" or 16" centers. This seems like complete overkill in my mind. We are in the 25 to 30 psf snow load range here.

Also, going with rafters instead of trusses, I'm wondering about the roof pushing out on the side walls. Any thoughts on that? Stringers across the support posts from side to side? nothing?

Any other thoughts or pointers are also appreciated. I'm probably about 6 to 8 weeks out to get everything ready and have the lumber on site but I'll be sure to update and post pics as I go.

Thanks!

Here's my tractor shed--20x28 ft, 10 ft high sloping to 9 ft in the rear

4x6 PT posts on 18"x18"x18" concrete footings (no frost here)
Doubled 2x12 x 14 ft beams.
2x8 rafters
4x4 side beams
2x4 girts and purlins
28 ga R-panel siding and roofing