New shop build, beginning stages with questions

truckdiagnostics · Apr 28, 2020

The inspection kinda mucks up the works. We are able to completely set the corners then fill in the middle. Get why the concrete needs to be there and the fresh soil at the bottom. He could end up having to pour a lot of concrete. If the poles are not long enough then yes you would have to bring it up with concrete. When we ordered our poles there was enough extra. The day of inspection, could he just punch all the holes the extra 1/2 foot, then throw the patio block in and be done with it?
If concrete was not so expensive! Ours is just a machine shed, so gravel floor was the plan. 1/4 is filled in with concrete now, so...... setting the poles for us was ugly labor intensive. I could have formed a slab with a grade beam in the length of time it took to put the poles in. Then bolt the poles to that. It was the cost of the concrete that was the issue. The slab would cost as much as the building!

rangerfredbob · Apr 29, 2020

Got the tractor going, it was just the low pressure fuel pump inlet screen, looked like it had sawdust in it for whatever reason... no idea, but it runs great now. Just gotta make it a habit to do that every year or something I guess...

All holes are covered with plywood now except the junk hole, took a tractor bucket of wood scraps to the burn pile last night, there'll be more but everything on top is out. Now it's supposed to rain almost an inch this weekend so that puts a damper on some things...

rangerfredbob · May 4, 2020

It rained about an inch this weekend so no progress other than I sucked about 80 gallons of water and dirt out of 4 holes with a shop vac... the rest didn't have standing water. I think we're going to try to dig again on Tuesday.

truckdiagnostics · May 4, 2020

Getting the poles in was not my idea of a good time. Around here if you are going to have a concrete floor inside your Pole building they pour a monolithic slab, using a large grade beam around the outside. You are not that far along that you could not do it that way. In your area there may be a code requirement keeping you from going that route. The route it sound like you are going uses less concrete a grade beam uses a lot of concrete. However I think you are going to end up using a lot in the holes with the water. Not enough to off set what is in a grade beam. :2cents: Getting the poles in is a hurdle. I feel your pain. You will sleep better when that is done, know I did. The inspection is what is screwing you up otherwise you could punch the hole put the post in and it would be no big deal...... go on to the next. Thinking out load. Not sure how many you have getting ground water. Throw some gravel in and put in a submersible pump? 14 pumps would be a bit pricey, however if you only had a couple that where bad. Could always buy them then sell them on Craig's list when your done

rangerfredbob · May 4, 2020

The water isn't that bad, it just rained a lot and the low holes got all the water... only 4 holes had water in them yesterday. I'm feeling good about where I'm at, just hoping I can get enough help to get it done in a timely manner so I can start using it

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As long as the lumber hole doesn't go too much further down I'll be set.

rangerfredbob · May 6, 2020

All holes are now 4' deep, 13 went just fine, the lumber hole is still a mess and we haven't hit "native soil" yet so it'll be a fun one...

pmsmechanic · May 6, 2020

Would you be allowed to dig the "lumber hole" hole to native soil and back fill to grade with compacted pit run?

rangerfredbob · May 7, 2020

I looked through the state approved plans and only under the slab, not under the posts. I'm pretty sure I'm close to the bottom, I dug a couple holes while the auger was still on the tractor close to that one outside of the shop and I think it's pretty localized. So the plan is to get to "native soil" in a small footprint for the concrete footing for the post, add the necessary concrete to build it up to the same level as the others (44" from current ground surface) then pack layers of 3/4" minus around the posts and some of the dug up clay into the other void on that one post, it said something about being able to pack soil in other areas in 6-8" layers.

rangerfredbob · May 17, 2020

Haven't gotten much further but my kit did show up on Thursday, so things will go quick soon...

So far on the one hole I've pulled two tractor buckets (small tractor, probably 3 wheel barrows between the two) before and 6 wheel barrows of lumber today and who knows how many nail plates, nails and staples... The hole is now about 6' diameter at the top so far and about 4' deep by the time I got to "lumber soup" (water, dirt and lumber if you hadn't guessed) so I'm hoping it doesn't go too much further...