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cabinnewbie
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# Posted: 20 May 2022 10:07pm
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hey there,
I'm working to build a cabin in new england area, semi mountain area with lots of snow and clay/rocky soil.
Frost depth is said to be around 5' here. Carpenter friends have told me i could get away with 4' with a footing.
Problem is to do the concrete myself, i don't have much access to water unless i truck it in. And the dirt road wouldn't support a concrete truck. Thinking of using this pre-cast pier but it doesn't have rebar inside. Would make the job much faster though. But long-term would that be a serious issue?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EZ-Tube-5-Section-54-in-Stackable-Precast-Concrete-Pier-F ooting-EZTUBE5/300649621#overlay
I'm also considering building up with concrete pier to 2' above ground so I can have a underneath crawl space. But seems like everyone does concrete piers only to ground level and then does a post and beam on top. I'm guessing it's because the strength of the pier is compromised above ground?
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Brettny
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 06:16am
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$200 a pier vs about $75 for a sono tube pier.
Concrete actualy dosnt take much water to mix and home depot rents a prety good sized cement mixer that should mix enough to do a 12"x5ft pier.
The problem I see with those pre cast ones is the only thing keeping them from shifting side to side is the single bar in the middle. There are plenty of nice cabins that have junk foundations..thus making them a junk cabin. The foundation is not the area to do "good enough" just because doing it correctly is a bit harder.
How many piers and how thick and tall are they?
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rpe
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 09:29am
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Clay soil plus 5 ft frost depth is going to knock those pre-cast piers over in short order. The side loads during freeze/thaw cycles can be significant.
To minimize concrete being mixed, you might consider building piers out of stacked bull-nose pier blocks. The two cavities are filled with concrete, with rebar extending through each. Backfill excavated area around each pier with gravel or coarse sand.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 09:46am
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Wasn't there some kind of lightweight expanding concrete foam footing stuff mentioned on here awhile back?
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Brettny
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 07:03pm
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Quoting: paulz Wasn't there some kind of lightweight expanding concrete foam footing stuff mentioned on here awhile back
The stuff for fence posts?
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paulz
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# Posted: 22 May 2022 08:20pm
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Oh yeah, that was it. Sorry..
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Tim_Ohio
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# Posted: 23 May 2022 11:56am - Edited by: Tim_Ohio
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Quoting: cabinnewbie But seems like everyone does concrete piers only to ground level and then does a post and beam on top. I'm guessing it's because the strength of the pier is compromised above ground?
I'm not sure why you think this. Plenty of people do piers above grade that go below grade to below the frost line. I personally ran the rebar (4 lengths tied together in a square profile) about 2" below the top of the concrete.
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 24 May 2022 04:22pm
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Given your site conditions, I would not use those precast blocks. Pour concrete piers with rebar and go up to whatever height you intend the bottom of your cabin to be.
Weight-wise there won't be much difference.
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