New Barn/Shop Build

[MickeyDBC]

We started building a new barn/farm shop at our ranch to replace a couple of older buildings that are about done. The first phase is going to be a 40' x 100' central building (16' side walls with a 4/12 pitch roof) and then add 24' shed roofs coming off of each side for equipment storage. The location I chose was about a foot out of level from one end to the other, so not too bad, but we still had to have about 20 dump truck loads of sand mix to level it all out. We did get lucky with a bit of a drought so the ground under the slab was hard as a rock.



I hired some local concrete guys who do most of the work in the area and they set the forms, rebar, pretty much all of the labor involved. They brought out a bobcat and mini excavator and the dirt guy used a vibrating sheepsfoot roller to pack the fill.





Ended up going with a 6-7" thick slab with 1/2" rebar on 12" centers and 12" x 36" deep perimeter beams, center beam, and then cross beams every 20 feet with 5/8" rebar (12,000 pounds of steel). Used 6000psi concrete with fiber so I hope to keep any eventual cracks small and moisture away from the rebar. BTY, concrete guys like to start early - like 4:30. In the morning when it was 35 degrees.

 

[EddieWalker]

View attachment 637187

View attachment 637188

Love seeing forms built when cost isn't a concern, and your rebar is just perfect!!!!

 

[MickeyDBC]

I forgot to mention that we poured on New Years Eve. We had about 16 concrete guys, 2 inspectors from the concrete company and a supervisor. Ended up using about 129 yards and got the last truck out at about 10:30 in the morning.







They used a gas powered vibrator to help get the air and voids out and seem to have done a good job.



They used a couple of power trowels to get a very nice finish on it. Kept it wet for a week per the concrete company and pulled the forms off last Friday so I figure it has a pretty good chance. I will get more pics this weekend (spent last weekend planting 70 pecan trees and have 60 more to go this weekend). The building kit is supposed to show up in a week or tow and the the real fun begins.

Still not sure which way I am going to go on the insulation - my building supplier says that they have soured on spray foam after seeing some disasters and they have gone back to recommending fiberglass despite it not insulating as well. A buddy did open cell on his addition and he said the he regrets it because it is starting to rot out parts of his roof. At least fiberglass can dry if you get a leak.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Love seeing forms built when cost isn't a concern, and your rebar is just perfect!!!!

They did a nice job laying out the rebar and I got lucky on the form wood quality. Spent about a grand on it but we are going to reuse it on the next pours.

 

[drivesitfar]

Mickey: looks like a good project so i'm happy to follow along. were there any drains or other items to install with this big slab pour or does it just drain out the side with a slope and how much?

 

[MickeyDBC]

Mickey: looks like a good project so i'm happy to follow along. were there any drains or other items to install with this big slab pour or does it just drain out the side with a slope and how much?

No through holes in the slab because I did not want to make any weak points and I was not sure where things were going to go. When a bathroom goes in it will have a rear flush toilet and the drain pipe will run on the outside wall. Much easier to maintain later. I will put an equipment washdown bay under one of the side wings with a sloped floor - just did not want to be tempted in the main area. I also don't want to take the chance of someone spilling oil that goes into the septic system.

 

[drivesitfar]

Mickey: sounds like you've done your homework!! i'm used to looking at garages with extra footings for lifts, holes with eye bolts and steel plate covers and usually never any septic issues.

that said i'm looking forward to your build so best of luck especially this time of year. doesn't the wind always blow hard in Texas?

 

[EddieWalker]

Still not sure which way I am going to go on the insulation - my building supplier says that they have soured on spray foam after seeing some disasters and they have gone back to recommending fiberglass despite it not insulating as well. A buddy did open cell on his addition and he said the he regrets it because it is starting to rot out parts of his roof. At least fiberglass can dry if you get a leak.

Closed cell is the best by far, but it's also the most expensive. What's most important on the walls is to keep the air out. If you can stop the air, fiberglass works great. If air is going to be a challenge to keep out, an inch of closed cell makes a huge difference against the exterior wall, and then fill the rest of the wall cavity up with fiberglass.

If you will have an open, vaulted type ceiling, it's going to be very hard to find something better then closed cell foam. If you will have a flat ceiling, then the best value for your money is blown insulation. R30 is a foot thick, R60 is two feet thick.

Insulation is something that has become big money by inventing ways to gain a smidgen better improvement that is rarely noticed. I'm a huge believer in doing the basics to the very best level possible, and avoiding anything new, fancy and unproven.

 

[ovrszd]

I agree with Eddie. Pay very close attention to air transfer and insulation. They are the difference between a machine shed and a shop.

I'm a bit concerned about sand fill on your pad in regards to what's exposed outside the slab. It's great under the slab. Not so much outside the slab. It is trying to move away from your slab right now. You need to get some compactible dirt up against the slab as soon as the forms are removed to stop that "flow" of the sand away from your slab.

 

[MickeyDBC]

I agree with Eddie. Pay very close attention to air transfer and insulation. They are the difference between a machine shed and a shop.

I'm a bit concerned about sand fill on your pad in regards to what's exposed outside the slab. It's great under the slab. Not so much outside the slab. It is trying to move away from your slab right now. You need to get some compactible dirt up against the slab as soon as the forms are removed to stop that "flow" of the sand away from your slab.

The perimeter beams are 36" deep and 12" wide so at the shallowest they are well over a foot down into the base dirt. The sand around it is just what they pushed up after they removed the forms and I am going to move it to make it easier to get a scissor lift close to the outer wall (going to boom it down onto the trailer and drag it around the perimeter with the tractor).