Pushing the budget..

[bigtiller]

potato - pototto

tomato = tomott o

he said - she said

This is a good thread, find something else to argue about.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Well, if your compaction ends up being off and your pad settles let me know. I can lift it back in place and fix the problem for you.

 

[bspeedy]

Hey, OP. Haven't checked this thread in a while. If you haven't built yours yet, I'll be more than happy to share my contractor's info with you. Also, since we're neighbors, I will be happy to let you see my shop and share lessons learned during construction. I had mine built as a shell with doors and then did the floor the following year and the power the summer after. Spread the cost out a bit and allowed me to plan the layout as I went.
My floor is 4" with no rebar or wire. Earth was compacted prior to the build. Gravel floor put in after build and equipment, camper, truck parked a drove on it for about a year. Area was leveled and floor was poured and finished. Control joints were cut the next day. No stray cracks, no movement in the floor. If I had done this in Ohio where I grew up, my floor would probably be a mess. Our sandy clay soil and our lack of freezing weather are very forgiving to things like driveways and foundations.

 

[bspeedy]

Duplicate - sorry.

 

[bspeedy]

By the way, I had the concrete pour done separately from the shop build. And did the electrical myself with help from a knowledgeable friend.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

By the way, I had the concrete pour done separately from the shop build. And did the electrical myself with help from a knowledgeable friend.

round here, Wisconsin, if you were going to have a concrete floor for sure the slab would be poured first, then the building would be built off the monolithic slab. That way the slab and building float together. Pouring the slab inside the building you need to make sure that the slab can not grab onto any part of the building as they are not going to move together. Freezing may not be as much of an issue where you are as the clay/ground getting wet and expanding, so soil drainage and compaction would be what I would be concerned about. Once again 4" of 5" is not going to make any difference if the base is correct!

 

[truckdiagnostics]

By the way, I had the concrete pour done separately from the shop build. And did the electrical myself with help from a knowledgeable friend.

round here, Wisconsin, if you were going to have a concrete floor for sure the slab would be poured first, then the building would be built off the monolithic slab. That way the slab and building float together. Pouring the slab inside the building you need to make sure that the slab can not grab onto any part of the building as they are not going to move together. Freezing may not be as much of an issue where you are as the clay/ground getting wet and expanding, so soil drainage and compaction would be what I would be concerned about. Once again 4" of 5" is not going to make any difference if the base is correct!

 

[Cord]

Micro fiber only controls shrinkage cracks. These are fine cracks that often take on a alligator skin appearance: http://www.overlandconcrete.com/images/asr.jpg The cause is from the concrete surface drying out too fast, usually from the sun or wind. The problem will also show up as "slab curl" where the edges are higher than the center. In addition to the fiber, other ways to prevent this from happening is to use a curing compound or to cover the slab with burlap and keep it wet for a couple of days.

If you see large lighting bolt type cracks running across the floor; those are cause by settlement from a bad subgrade. Micro fiber is unable to control those cracks.

 

[wmonroe]

I didn't read all the replies but when I built mine I went with thicker concrete to support a future lift and any possible heavy equipment (like you mentioned). I went with 16' walls for two reasons, first I wanted a 14' door so I could get anything inside and second I wanted to add a mezzanine. The mezzanine add so much storage and allows for much better use of the "ground" floor.

What I would do differently is go with wider doors, at times it is difficult backing my trailer in if I want it off to the side instead of in the center. You could save a little cost by not getting the taller doors right away, it's much easier in a pole building to increase the door height opposed to the width (I would have to move posts to increase my door width).

Like someone else mentioned doing the upgrades now is painful as far as the extra cost but down the road worth every penny.

 

[fidowanttobe]

The climate is very different in your location but in ND if you don't use 4" of class #5 compacted under a 4" slab with rebar, you're gonna be sorry. The prep is critical here and will not be skimped on by reputables. Sand is not a replacement although not a code violation. Do NOT skimp on concrete as there is no repair and in 5 years when it still looks like new you will agree that thee money was well spent.