Advice on new barn construction needed

[RedNeckGeek]

I think I'd rather have five inches of reinforced concrete over a good foundation than eight inches over a sinkhole.

Yep, but to really decide on how strong a floor you need, decide what you're going to use for. If you want to put an automotive lift on it, contact the lift manufacturer and they'll tell you what floor you need. Parking your tractor in there? Call the concrete supplier and ask them. Anything else? Google is your friend, but get references from more than one source...

 

[farmer2009]

Around here mostly seems like lifts have a general requirement of 6 inches of concrete. Some will say 4000 or 5000 psi but most just want the thickness for the anchors. Talk to your contractor friend. But I'd say either one will be enough. My building has 4 inches of a 4000 psi mix. Now my lawn mower is the heaviest thing I will have in there. Doors are not big enough for anything else.

Let it cure for a week or more before parking on it. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's cured. You can see it cure. It'll have a color change.

The grain bins for my poultry barns have a spec sheet of 8 inches. I've heard of guys talk of having to move the bins and when they drill back through the slab it's 2-4 inches thick.

 

[LD1]

My floor is 4" 4000psi stuff. Handles me 12k truck when loaded up with ballast and snowplow. Thats probably my heaviest load in terms of PSI. The backhoe is 18k but lots larger tires to spread the weight over a greater area.

People tend to overthink concrete. I agree, the base is what is important. And proper reinforcement via rebar or remesh. Most factories are lucky to get 8" of concrete, with most general being 6-8" range (aside from equipment footings). And handle 35k-40k forklifts day in and day out. And forklifts put the load on a much more concentrated area.

I say for general garage and loads up to 20k, 4" with a proper base and rebar/remesh is plenty. :2cents:

 

[daugen]

well this did not go as planned. I need to alter my plans radically. I spoke with a realtor who discussed my situation at his office, the largest in town, and told me that he didn't think I'd get a penny ROI on an expensive new building. With what I have already done to my place, apparently the local real estate market will not support higher market values.
Very discouraging.
Plan B.
I have reduced all my desires down to the minimum, found a 15X40 space behind the barn where I am going to pour a level concrete pad and put an open air roof over it, what I call a "Carolina garage".
Am working on getting quotes on that now. Should be about ten grand.
Going to spend the difference on a nicer used boat. That I can get most of my money back out of, strangely.

I think five inches of concrete is plenty. Going to install a diesel fuel tank at one end and then run two rows of implements down the concrete. Light easy to roll stuff in front. Not going to access heavy box blades, etc, on back row that often,but now they are on dirt and it's just too hard for me to hook this stuff up. will still make rolling jigs for the heavy implements. Rear access is limited due to main farm ditch back there.

Sure wish I knew how to weld. Am going to put a 275 gallon tank in at one end of the new pad, and it really ought to be elevated several feet in addition to the normal legs on a horizontal tank.
Had a nice chat with the local municipal folks who seemed really appreciative that someone might ask before vs after. Apparently environmental rules kick in at the 1100 gallon range and I'm just small fry. I told them what I was going to do and he suggested I elevate the tank a few feet since I was right next to a major ditch, which will flood in a hurricane. Seemed sensible, I sure don't want my investment floating away...actually I want to sink some kind of hold downs in the cement when the pad is poured.

Was told $1.92 per gallon for offroad ULSD diesel at 200 gallons or more. That might even come down a bit more by the time I'm ready for it.

Sometimes you don't get what you want but you get what you need...

I was quoted about 600 for a traditional single wall 275 gallon diesel tank made not far away in NC. With a good coat of paint on it, and a roof overhead, it should last a long time. Similar tank is about 800 in the Northern Tools catalog, so that makes sense, and I'm likely to spec a US made pump and nozzle setup here.
That plus pump, filters, nozzle will probably bring it to about 900-950 for the whole setup and they charge fifty bucks to deliver it. That sure sounded reasonable.
And they will warranty/service all the equipment. Am going to get a firm quote and ask for pump info/model numbers, gpm, etc. I want 12VDC here and 8gpm is plenty.
I have an extra large battery and a smart charger for it so getting power to the pump is easy. Probably would leave it in a small cart.

So I'm working on Plan B now. My local contractor said they were happy to requote the much smaller project, but I doubt it. Am going to chat with a local metal building company on the main road in town, looks well established, and have a little chat with them. I just want a pad and a roof, and am very interested to see what they will promise for underlayment and site prep, plus if they even speak of such pesky little technicalities like concrete psi which my current contractor seems to leave entirely in the hands of the concrete sub. I'm looking for someone who can talk specs with me, like how much rebar per foot they use, or the depth of the underlayment in sandy soil. 20 feet from a six foot deep ditch. The plot thickens as hopefully will the concrete....

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Drew, sometimes we just have to settle for what we need.

If you're having concrete poured anyway, give some thought to having a raised perimeter wall type support formed up for the Diesel tank at the same time. Since the crew and trucks will already be on site for the floor, the incremental cost is likely to be fairly low. And it won't budge an inch no matter how high the water gets. Lift the tank high enough, and you won't need a pump, further offsetting the cost of the raised concrete.

You made a good move talking to the building department about the fuel tank, so make another one and talk to them about the shed. You may be surprised what they have to say, not just about what the codes require, but what contractors do the most work on that kind of thing. They won't say who's good or bad, but the busiest ones are busy for a good reason.

Whatever you end up with, I hope you'll still share the adventure with the rest of us!

 

[farmer2009]

Drew. Have you given any thought to a fabric or "carport" style building. Might be able to get those down to the point ROI is null. There's another thread on here about them currently.

 

[daugen]

Drew. Have you given any thought to a fabric or "carport" style building. Might be able to get those down to the point ROI is null. There's another thread on here about them currently.

funny, I just emailed the contractor and said to stop making this so complicated; I needed a basic carport type roof. The roof will be metal, not sure about the rest of it, and frankly am looking for function over form. Going to be totally hidden by barn.

 

[daugen]

Good progress today on revamped storage shed, now a 15X40 open shed with a concrete floor, vs. a much bigger enclosed blg.
I dug the first several four foot deep holes, then let the contractor take it from there. He was tractor savvy which was good.
Was supposed to be four poles in the rear and three in the front; they goofed digging and dug five holes in the rear and had to go out and get another 6x6. 50 bucks a piece for those poles... With all those poles and trusses 18" on center, I don't think this thing is going anywhere. Metal roof and red trim to match the barn.

I didn't understand why the contractor wanted to set the poles, then let the concrete guy come and pour concrete afterwards, including whatever site prep needs to be done. Why not do the prep first? Apparently these guys have done it this way a long time, but I was worried about getting the roots out from underneath apparently more than they were. I took my FEL forks in there and dug up some big roots but why would someone want to run an excavator around poles?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

straps, that is what I was missing setting my poles. need to get some of those....

nice tractor pic.

 

[daugen]

they ordered a load of dirt, allegedly good clay dirt, and what gets delivered? "field sand" aka dirt. If you say so...
thankfully the little bridge held just fine. Getting some new plywood in before the concrete truck plus the field is getting chewed up with rain coming in later today.