Need Opinions on A Small Work Space

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm resurrecting this old thread to ask for more opinions. I've revisited this idea occasionally throughout the years since the last post. True to predictions, the plan has grown. I'll make a few posts here to break the idea down into a few component parts.

First of all here are some pictures of the lot as it is now and some shots of what I think the finished product may look like. The plan has changed since the original concept. I did some figuring and found that building a 12' X 16' area wasn't much more expensive than building a 10' X 10' because I can use full sheets of material. I added the poles to to the cantilevered parts to support the structure. I'm planning to add a course of block to the old root cellar to allow me to stand up in there. You'll also notice the added roof to create some covered storage area.

The next post will include a few more proposed details of the construction.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Now here are some details of the construction.

The first picture is of the root cellar after the old roof is removed and the new course of block is laid. This picture also shows the corner poles that will help support the overhanging structure. This bottom root cellar area will be for storage only. I plan a lot of shelves and maybe some racks along one wall for lumber.

The second picture shows how the joists will go. This is where I'm not sure what the best way to do it is. I toyed with joists running the short length, but this seems like a more solid design. The weight of the building will be supported on the poles at the corners, but the cantilevered Joists will help strengthen the whole structure. My current plan calls for 16' 2X8's for the joists.

The third picture shows the wall framing, but it also shows how I'm planning a counter to help accomodate the head space needed for the door to the bottom floor. A note about the rollup door: I plan to have this rollup door be about truck bed height. I see this door being the access for bringing larger projects in or out of the workspace. I can either do this with the truck or the loader of the tractor. I'm still not committed to the garage door idea. It will depend on if I can find a very small door for very cheap.

The fourth picture show the rafter roof. I may do joists if I can find some for cheap, but it seems reasonable that a 12' span shouldn't be hard with homemade rafters.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Now that I've boosted my post count with some details of the idea, I'm looking for input.

1) Do I need to tie the new construction to the existing garage structure somehow? There's about a 4' x 4' section of the existing garage that will contact the new workshop.

2) Any opinions about the direction the joists run? I have them running the 16' direction, but would I be better to run them the 12' direction?

3) Is the idea to use poles to support the portion of the building that overhangs the block foundation a bad idea?

4) What size poles would you recommend that I use for the shop corners? What about for the open shed area? (The shed roof is 12' off the ground.)