Two story Shop on steep grade - Help me Design/Build it!!!

[airbiscuit]

Beautiful property, nice plan. I like the 40', but I am wondering if you might end up wishing you went 26 0r 28' wide?

 

[dragoneggs]

As for running I-joists near or almost at grade, you can run them in hangers, like this:

Roll the Joists Ep.40 - YouTube

Thanks for posting... I am subscribed to Essential Craftsman channel but have not seen this one. I think this is what I will use and do and hang them. May need to put a post and beam in the center of the lower floor to keep floor cost and thickness reasonable. Dunno.

I can see now there is going to be far more engineering necessary to accomplish my desired hi ceilings design! :smiley_aafz:

 

[Industrial Toys]

VERY attractive property! You do realize that the laws of diminishing returns will come very much into play with your plans. Are you O.K. with that?

 

[BukitCase]

"it was old and had a significant problem with hydrostatic pressure from the hill and runoff behind it."

Mentioned in post#17 Tom, but is important enough to bear repeating, thanks... Steve

 

[dragoneggs]

Beautiful property, nice plan. I like the 40', but I am wondering if you might end up wishing you went 26 0r 28' wide?

Are there any cost thresholds that one needs to be aware at certain lengths where it jumps? I am a bit tight with trees and bearing soil going wider than 25ft. Might be able to go 26ft but already feel I am building somewhat of a monstrosity in our quiet private neighborhood of 4 properties on 1.5 acre each. Again, hoping I can do this without posts/beams 'polluting' my lower floor.

This will be such a luxury as I am graduating from a two car garage already stuffed with 'other' crap along with my metal and woodworking tools. I don't want to get too greedy! :laughing:

 

[dragoneggs]

My very first shop was built into a slope. I didn't build it ..just rented it. But it was old and had a significant problem with hydrostatic pressure from the hill and runoff behind it. If I were to do a walkout type garage like it. I would spend significant time designing it to eliminate that type of problem.

Yes, this is definitely a concern I will be sure to properly collect and divert the water. Gonna require a Geotech Engineering analysis I know. Not looking forward to that bill. There are a few small underground springs just below the footprint that I found in cutting some trails with my BX so I know I might have some wetness!

 

[RNeumann]

The 12ft bottom floor height is in part because of the existing grade and wanting a gantry of some sort.

Not sure what you mean about 'making the downstairs smaller. They are both 25ft x 40ft. Here is lower floor plan view...

View attachment 621333

Yikes on price! I was hoping to get er mostly done at about $100K! I am trying to design it such that if someone wants to convert some day to some living space, it could be done without major changes other than the addition of plumbing/septic.

I get what you are thinking but, like I said, it won’t save much. By the time the equipment gets out there and tears into that hill you will quickly realize you aren’t saving much. I’d make the downstairs and upstairs the same footprint- instead of chasing the slope with the downstairs.

You are building a 30’ tall, two story building, half underground, oh and the upstairs needs to support the weight of a shop- it’s going to cost WAY more than you think. 60-70% of conventional construction costs are materials. The rest is labor, overhead and profit. You aren’t doing the dirt work, concrete and trusses for sure. You probably aren’t framing this 30’ behemoth or running the siding 23’ in the air either- most homeowners aren’t setup to do that type (size and height) of work. With all that, combined with the engineering and permits and I’m guessing 200k plus. I don’t think You won’t touch this for $100k......let’s hope I’m wrong.

 

[the old grind]

Mark, I gotta check in, and I will tomorrow. (AKA read last page & 1/2, too .. :drink .. (btw, Occam's Razor sez you're '>95% there' :thumbsup

W-Trusses can sub for I-Joists (eg: my house, 20" x 28' clear span on 24" ctrs.) You could insulate, heat smaller lower wood-shop (comfort control 24/7/365, AC/de-humdiify, worth it .. other reasons .. 16" trusses for your setup?) Crazy room to run ducts, drains, wiring, in-wall vacuum/dust removal & smooth or dropped ceilings if you like super-tidy. (Suspend by top chord, btw. )

You can add floor jacks under specific loads on the top level My piano sits on a slate floor meant for under a wood-stove. Downstairs, you'd never notice the $45 jack was there.

Any road/path from upper level to lower is your "elevator" from day one. How many days/yr do you need to trade floor-space on both levels to move stuff completely indoors out of the rain, hail, lightening, meteors, nuclear fallout, and safely indoors?? :scratchchin:

jon

(I Admitted I was :confused2:-drinky, but so was Hemingway )

 

[dragoneggs]

I get what you are thinking but, like I said, it won’t save much. By the time the equipment gets out there and tears into that hill you will quickly realize you aren’t saving much. I’d make the downstairs and upstairs the same footprint- instead of chasing the slope with the downstairs.

You are building a 30’ tall, two story building, half underground, oh and the upstairs needs to support the weight of a shop- it’s going to cost WAY more than you think. 60-70% of conventional construction costs are materials. The rest is labor, overhead and profit. You aren’t doing the dirt work, concrete and trusses for sure. You probably aren’t framing this 30’ behemoth or running the siding 23’ in the air either- most homeowners aren’t setup to do that type (size and height) of work. With all that, combined with the engineering and permits and I’m guessing 200k plus. I don’t think You won’t touch this for $100k......let’s hope I’m wrong.

This is the challenge... $200K or even $150K is going to be a hard sell to the wifey. Should I just go with stand 8ft ceilings? Are my 12/10ft stories adding a whole lot to construction costs?

My assumption though is my cost per sq ft will go down with increase in footprint. Sometimes I wish I had a bunch of flat ground. But then I wouldn't have the view I do!



From my deck and basically the same from my shop from those windows along the NW end.

 

[the old grind]

I've been told that extra height is way much cheaper to add than extra sq ft, and have never doubted it. (Ask! :thumbsup I'd want to be sure.

7' clear is OK if trussed deeply-enuf for ducts/drains/elec to and drop-ceiling added, but that is such a bare minimum for a wood or metal workshop. (Got that limitation, too. )

Please plan for 8-9' minimum clear height on each level. Doors don't need to be that tall/full-height, but gear might want it, once inside. (Got/want crane or hoist?) Heating/cooling won't be much more, either.