Is it possible to "foot" a floating slab building?

[foggy1111]

Wow, already some good input! Thanks.

Yes, the building is heated, although to a fairly low temp, like 40 degrees F.

The expansion joint idea is kind of the default plan if nothing else seems workable. for the joint, I was thinking building the house with atttached breezeway pretty close to the garage, like a foot away, and around the doorway there would be an extension that could screw to the footed breezeway side, like a large extension jamb, and a layer of foam on the side where the garage door would be.

Glad I don't live in Texas, with soil conditions like that.

It still seems that the only method of filling under the slab, inside the thickened edge, is to pump it in there, pouring it will not make it flow uphill underneith.

Jim, I wonder if, as you said, to build a foot or so away....and then use a foam surround - similar to what is used for a semi trailer seal - at a truck warehouse. This set up would allow some float and be quite weather-tite. The foam seal usually has a vinyl or a nylon covering....and I have seen various colors used. I bet a dock seal company would make one to fit your situation....and it would be LOTS cheaper than the alternatives.

I think you would have trouble putting a foundation wall under an existing floot...but I spose it's been done.

 

[jimgerken]

Jim, I wonder if, as you said, to build a foot or so away....and then use a foam surround - similar to what is used for a semi trailer seal - at a truck warehouse. This set up would allow some float and be quite weather-tite. The foam seal usually has a vinyl or a nylon covering....and I have seen various colors used. I bet a dock seal company would make one to fit your situation....and it would be LOTS cheaper than the alternatives.

After spending about a day considering the other plans of footing the garage building, moving the garage building to a new footing, insulation around, etc., I am leaning toward the breezeway idea again. That was the original plan. Build the house (footed of course), build an attached footed breezeway connected to the house, close to the non-footed garage, then come up with a flexible link. Now as I think about it, I am thinking that if I go this route, I need at least two feet between the buildings (the footed house/breezeway building and the non-footed garage), for serviceability of each. So of course each building has a door, and the flexible link idea goes between, around the doorways. And the link should be removeable, so if a door/frame, or siding replacement situation comes up, its out of the way. Your idea of the trailer seal is a good one. I think it may factor in to the final solution.

 

[Egon]

Other option is digging down locally and use sona tubes at, say, 4 foot centres to provide concrete piles. This wouldn't give you a continuous foundation but it might be enough to do the job. And it would be a lot less work. Depends, again, on thickness of slab, load on it and how much reinforcement it contains.

Using this type method you could jack up the building and pour:thumbsup: a grade beam on top of the floor but supported by the Piles.

 

[AHNC]

I did something similar on one side of my garage. House is on a slope and I wanted to level an addition floor on the low side. My problem was undermining the slab, which was not very well done by the previous owner. I supported the building temporarily, dug down to grade level, dug in carefully, put up a form against the the slab edge, core drilled 6" holes in the garage floor and pumped concrete into all the voids. Lotta darn work for not a lot of gain, but everything stayed in place so...:thumbsup: Good luck!