Phesants to cattle: A complete barn conversion

[dcyrilc]

Cyril,

Great project. Loving all the pictures and comments.

I'm confused about the big post in the middle of what looks like it should be a HUGE doorway. Is it big enough on either side to get yoru trailer through it, or am I looking at the back side in those pictures?

Why the concrete walls instead of block?

Congrats on your progress so far. I'm looking forward to your updates and future posts.

Eddie

Hi Eddie,

Thanks for the kind remarks. Looking at the pix, I think I'm going to need to get some more current ones. It seems that I've done more than I thought I had since the last pix were taken.:laughing:

This pic is the front of the barn. The center area you see is 14 feet to the botom of the trusses. It will have a 12x12 roll up door and a standard walk through door to the right of the roll up. The two posts for the roll up area are 12'-3" apart and visually about 16 feet tall in this pic. As I said in an earlier post, the finished floor will be about 5" above the top of the concrete columns and the top of the roll up door will be 2 feet below the trusses. The plywood you see across the top is just temporary to protect the trusses from the weather until I'm ready for siding.


This picture is the back of the barn. There will be an 8x8 drive through door on the left where the cattle panel is. The open area on the right will be another stall after the concrete is poared. The wooden framework across the center was to get me up high enough to put the plywood on the trusses.


As for concrete vs block for the lower wall...
I considered using block, but couldn't figure out an easy way to tie it into the posts or get the spacing to work out evenly for the various post locations. For me, it was easier just to form it up and poar what I needed for each wall section. As an example of the spacing differences, going down the side wall, it is 12 feet from outside of the left post to the center of the next post. Then 12 feet center to center. Then 12 feet center to outside edge again. This makes the openings between the posts 11'-3", 11'-6", & 11'-3" respectively. As you add the openings for the doorways, they begin to vary even more. As I said, for me it was just easier.

As for tying in the concrete to the posts...
I drilled into the concrete columns and inserted rebar between them. When I got up to the posts, I installed 1/2"x10" galvanized lag bolts, cut off the heads, and tied the rebar to the bolts. I think this picture shows the framework fairly well. Another thing I did to save money was to start with the longest walls and work toward the shortest. That way I could keep using the same forms and just trim them as the walls got shorter.


In theory, I could have the bottom 6" of post completely rot away and still have a structurely sound wall.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Cyril,

Thanks for he explination. I must have looked at the pictures wrong with the post for the roll up door and walk through door. In that latest picture, it makes perfect sense.

I also like your reasoning for not using block. I don't know that I would have given it the thought that you did, but really like the solid concrete way much better.

Keep up the great work,
Eddie

 

[dex3361]

Cyril
that is a great looking barn. I like the concrete posts and walls. Good job.

 

[dcyrilc]

Thanks guys. I'll try to remember to snap some more current pix in the next few days.

 

[dcyrilc]

I got some current pix, but my camera has a low battery and doesn't want to let me download them. I have the battery on the charger now and will post after I get the battery charged.

 

[dcyrilc]

Ok, finally got the pix downloaded.

I always end up having an arguement with my camera when it does this. I tell it to download and it puts on the screen "Busy". I yell at it and say "You are not. Now download the bloody pix." It responds "Busy".

Well, here they are.:thumbsup:

 

[jcaron2]

Cyril, it's really coming along nicely! I'll bet when this is all done you'll be happy if you never see another bag of concrete mix for the rest of your life. :laughing: I can't wait to see the walls up.

Also, I'll bet if you really needed to get to that rear blade, you could get it through the back gate with a boom pole or FEL if you have one.

Josh

 

[dcyrilc]

Thanks for the compliment.

As for the RB. I don't know, it gets pretty muddy back there. Eventually I'll get gravel in, but that will be a few years. If it were summer, no sweat.

I'm going to be using the nongroved T1-11 for the walls and I've got 8 outside sliding doors to make. I like the design you came up with. Think I'm going to copy it. Any modifications you suggest from what you did for your doors?

 

[dcyrilc]

Update time....

DONE POARING CONCRETE!!!!!!!!!! Approximate total.........

Drum role please.........



70,000 lbs.:shocked:
All from 60lb bags.:duh:


Here's some pix:

 

[Pete Judd]

Holy poop, 1150 bags of concrete, makes my back hurt even thinking about it. Why, not have a ready mix truck deliver? I understand the need to build on the same footprint as a "remodel" as you are in King county, and a new construction permit would cost to many bucks, and other problems. But looks great, and my wishes for you to continue, in an area where subdivisions are invading.

 

[JoeBuyer]

I am impressed, I thought doing fourteen 80-lbs bags in a wheelbarrow was more work than I wanted last weekend.

 

[dieselscout80]

What did you use to mix the concrete?

Ps the barn looks great.

 

[dcyrilc]

You can see my old and tired mixer in the fifth pic on post 10.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...tle-complete-barn-conversion.html#post2097170

 

[dcyrilc]

I suppose it's time to update this thread with some new pix...

Finished all but one wall foundation that I don't know what I want to do with it yet and Mucked out the floor down to good material this spring.

 

[dcyrilc]

The local gas company was replacing the gas main this summer and I got the Pit-run fill excavated from their trenching. Awesome material. Almost straight course sand with some minor rick mixed in.

 

[dcyrilc]

And finally, it's time to start framing walls again.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks like you are getting close to finishing this project. Are you still planning on using it for cattle?

Eddie

 

[dcyrilc]

For now. I don't expect to poar the concrete floors until next summer, so I figure that we're still at least a year from using it for livestock. We've talked about getting out of the cattle, but haven't made any moves in that direction yet. If I can get the walls closed in and doors made this winter, I'll be happy.

I think my next step needs to be figuring out how I am going to make the sliding doors and verify that they work properly before tying in the flashing over the track. I think I'm going to be limited to about 1-1/2" thick for the 8'-6" wide x 8'-3" tall sliding door. Got any ideas Eddie?

I may have to fur out the track some. I'll post some close-up pix shortly.

 

[dcyrilc]

Here are some close-up pix of the track for the door.

 

[dcyrilc]

A bit of redesign work, and I think the first door might be ready to hang this weekend. No pix yet. Let me make sure that my redesign works first. If not, you'll get pix of the demolition. LOL