New Addition - Crawl Space Foundation 
Hi Tonga, I'm in the planning stages of expanding my home to accommodate a great room that will have a cathedral ceiling. My home has a crawl space …

apartment complex balcony and stairs 
Question: I've got ten balconys and stairs to build for a low Income apartment complex. there are no plans for this project.what I have come up with …

Spanned concrete strength and support deflection 
Question: I have a stamped concrete porch that spans approximately 12' by 40'. The concrete was poured on metal decking with 4" angle irons supporting …

Shear walls and Clerestories 
Question: We want to build a small office addition to our detached garage. If we put a clerestory (glass just under the roof) all around on all four …

Steel Posts Embedded in Concrete & Block wall 
Question: I like your website but I still have 3 questions: 1. How do you cap a block retaining wall with ?” thick steel to provide the substrate to …

Thickness of Concrete pad needed  
Question: I'm installing a water tank with an 8 foot diameter. It will weigh 20,000 pounds when full. I want to put it on a pad 10 feet by 10 feet. …

Steel Support for 4 Inch Slab 
Question: As a steel estimator my concrete knowledge is little or none, but I have a contractor that has asked for a number on providing beam and pour …

Compacting "overdig" under footing 
Question: Naturally, at the excavated elevation of my footing, there were several large fieldstones. I had to dig lower than intended to remove them …

How do you add a footer to a carport to garage conversion with walls already in place? 
Question: I would like to know how to fix a carport to garage conversion that was done without permits and has no continuous footer? Is it possible …

Concrete Piers Above Floor Slabs 
Question: I have a project that requires the placement of 6 steel columns. We cannot penetrate the existing basement slab. Can a reinforced pier be …

Above ground monolithic detached garage slab and rebar 
Question: I have had a contractor to construct a 14' x 20' d detached garage. It has trusses and is framed on 16" . The area was filled with slate type …

Footing size 
Question: Will a 24 inch wide, 8 inch thick, Footer work on my two story home when we don't know the soil condition. The Blue Prints say around 14 inch …

Footing to support 20,000 pounds water 
Question: Hi ,how deep does concrete have to be for a 16 by 16 floor to hold 20,000 pounds of water for fish on half of it ? Answer: Thanks …

Suspended Garage Slab 
Question: We have a block wall foundation that measures 21'4"X20' with a block wall dividing the 21'4" side. Block is 8" with the cores poured with …

Suspended concrete deck cover 
Question: I am building a suspended concrete deck using angle iron as a border. How do I keep the concrete and/or water from running underneath and …

Appropriate footing size based on column load 
Question: If the soil bearing capacity is 2,500 lbs/sf and the column load on a footing is 15,000 lbs., calculate the appropriate size of the footing …

Basement wall bottom plate on uneven concrete 
Question: I was under the impression wall base plates should be attached to basement concrete floors with lag bolts. The builder in my case pressed …

I beam requirements calculation 
Question: I followed thru with Lou's example calculation of I beam size for supporting concrete ceiling-- but find myself questioning my results... …

Angle Iron size and thickness 
Question: WHAT SIZE AND THICKNESS OF ANGLE IRON WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR SUPPORTING A 3-5" GRANITE VENNER WALL 5' HIGH. THIS ANGLE IRON WOULD BE SET …

Monolithic foundation on a slight slope 
Question: I am thinking of using a monolithic foundation for my shop, but there is about a 1 foot drop in elevation where we will be locating it. Will …

Beam Connection Detail 
Question: Hi, I am designing a house and I have 3 main beams in the basement that the I-Joist set on top of. The beams will set down in the concrete. …

concrete slab compaction, settlement, and cracking 
Question: My builder is going to use sand as the top layer for a concrete slab for my new home. And he said that the tractor will compact the soil, …

Live and Dead Load for a thin conc slab 
Question: On a pedestrain footbridge, what would the expected LIVE and DEAD loads on a series of concrete slab (1.550m x 1.550m) support on two RSJ's …

Basement house 
Question: I'm thinking about building 900sq ft basement and will live in it for a while before finishing the top of house later down the road. What …

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Steel Detail for Concrete Footing 
Question: I am building fire escape. There is no steel detail included in the plans. We have no clue what the description is calling for. It reads …

Mow Strip/Mow Curb/Continuous Footing 
Question: Can you tell me the difference between the terms: Mow Strip Mow Curb Continuous Footings as it might pertain to a fence project? …

what is the capacity of ST4x4x.250 
Question: I need to reinforce an old platform will be 20x12 feet 3 post 4x4x.250 in each side 3beam across ST4x4x.250. What is the capacity 8 feet …

Monolithic pour 
Question: I want to do a monolithic pour for an addition the crawl space is 40" there will be an 8"deep by 24" wide footer and poured with a 4" slab …

thickness of concrete on metal decking 
Question: I am pouring a slab on a suspended metal deck. I am using Three inch decking with a maximum span of nine feet. The steel supplier told me …

Concrete slab tools 
Question: I am planning to pour concrete slab at my backyard. Can you tell me the tools and material i need. Answer: Hi Ron, Below are some of …

footing/foundation cross section 
Question I am general contacting my own house. I have extensive building experience from the after framing stage onward, so I have hired a contractor …

beam size for 20ft by 20ft shed 
Question: What beam size to use for 20ft by 20ft shed? Answer: Assuming the beam size you're looking for is for the ridge beam at the highest …

Basement Footings 
Question: I am remodeling a basement and have to support two columns which are schedule 40 rated for about 20,000 Pounds Each. I am installing a …

Retaining wall footing for patio  
Question: How deep and wide should the footing be to act as a wall retainer for a patio in Chicago? Answer: Hi George, If I understand your question …

disadvantage of monolithic concrete pour 
Question: what are the disadvantages of mono pour? Answer: The biggest disadvantage of monolithic concrete pour is the amount of concrete waste …

fence footing detail 
Question: How does fence post detail look? Answer: A fence post detail look similar to detail 17 below minus the reinforcements. Most fence design …

how do you connect a w-shape column to concrete footing 
Question: how is a w column connect to concrete footing? Answer: Wide flange column, w or I column all refer to the same column shown on detail …

how to build concrete footing forms 
Question: what is the best way to build concrete footing forms? Answer: Since most concrete footings are buried beneath the ground, their finished …

ledger angle steel 
Question: What are ledger angles for? Answer: Ledger angles serve two purposes one to support vertical load. as shown on detail 29 below, ledger …

placing concrete on a composite deck 
Question: Is placing concrete on the ground different from composite deck? Answer: To an iron worker or those that work mostly in commercial construction, …

what size 30 ft steel beam  
Question: how deep would 30ft long steel beam? Answer: The rule of thumb in beam design is length divide by 2 in inches as the beam depth. Use …

concrete pier footing 
Question: How do I build pier footing? Answer: A pier footing is often higher than it is wider and longer. As shown on details 15 and 18 below, …

concrete post footings 
Question: how does concrete post footing look? Answer: Depending on the type of post, the footing can be anything you want it to be. If the post …

Garage Floor & Steel Beam Support 
Question: I'm in the process of designing a house for a challenging lot which will require a garage suspended well above grade. The garage and part …

suspended concrete slab with steel beam over metal deck 
Question: I'm planning a small two story garage with a living space (recording studio) in the basement with a suspended concrete floor on the main level. …

concrete step reinforcement detail 
Question: Are concrete stairs required to be reinforced, if so where do you put the reinforcements? Answer: Such professional designers such …

how can i add a column to existing foundation 
Question: how do i add a column to existing foundation to support a roof deck Answer: The function of a column is to transfer the load from beams …

Are load bearing walls bolted down? 
Question: Are load bearing walls required to be bolted down to the foundation wall or concrete slab? Answer: Not necessarily but it depends on …

attach wood beams to concrete 
Question: how does wood beam attach to concrete? Answer: Depending on the height of the wood beam, there are several ways wood beam can be attached …

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calculate cost cement patio 
Question: how do i calculate the cost of cement patio? Answer: When planning for a cement patio, here are the things that will affect the cost: …

calculation of width of continuous footing 
Question: What's the procedure for calculating the width of continuous footing? Answer: In order to calculate the footing size for any structure, …

what size i beam for suspended concrete slab 
Question: what size i beam for suspended concrete slab? Answer: The size of i beam to support suspended slab depends on the length or span of …

asphalt foundation for sheds 
Question: Can asphalt be used as foundations for a shed? Answer: Hi Jon, The short answer is no, asphalt is not considered a structural material …

monolithic pour backfill 
Question: Do you backfill monolithic pours? Answer: When it comes to concrete monolithic pours, there are two types of backfilling. One is during …

Basement Walkout Addition 
Question i want to build a 16 x 34 room addition from walkout basement,free standing with only a structural posts support on each end & one in the …

location of termination of concrete pouring 
Question where is the recommended location of termination of concrete pouring? Answer Hi Awi, The concrete termination point you're talking about …

preparing the finished dirt elevation for a new concrete slab 
Question: I have my footers and stem walls poured, I am back filling the dirt and packing it as I go. What is the finished elevation of the dirt for …

shed footing 
Question: I am using shed footing det.8 shed footing is 10ft x 12 ft. I will do slab seperatly. using 94 lb portland cement bags w a half sac mixer. …

How to correct a poured slab with no footing 
Question: I have an existing patio slab adjacent to my house. How do I go about adding footings for a patio cover? Answer: The answer is dependent …

garage floor level vs concrete driveway 
Question: Should garage floor level with driveway? Answer: Driveways connect the city street to one's home or property. Ideally the driveway should …

Roof trusses diagrams 
Question: What are the details of trusses? Answer: Hi Nathy, Roof trusses are difficult to build at the job site because they require tedious …

Adding on to shed slab  
Question: Is it possible to add 2 inches to the side of a shed slab? I have an existing slab that need to be extended about 2 inches on two sides to …

Can i beam cased in concrete form? 
Question: Can i beam cased in concrete form? Answer: The short answer is yes but you have to make sure there are at least 4 inch thick concrete …

attach wood beam to concrete pier 
Question: How do I attach wooden members to poured concrete piers? Answer: It depends on the function of the wood member. If the wood member …

Concrete wall penetrations or sleeves for plumbing 
Question: I need pipe penetrations for electrical, drainage, and water lines thru my basement concrete walls, how does this works? The pipes need to …

Pour new concrete garage floor over existing concrete pad 
Question: Is it ok to pour new concrete slab over existing concrete pad? I have an existing 20ft x 24ft slab that I would like to turn into floor slab …

How to fix concrete beam 
Question Please see attached picture. This is a beam in a basement of a renovated house. Basically, there was a huge concrete patio that is now an …

Is column footings and pier and post the same thing? 
Question: Is column footings and pier and post the same thing? Answer: Great question. Sometimes footings and foundations can refer to the same …

Raise Aluminum and Steel Awning 
Question I have an aluminum awning with steel 9 steel poles, 35'L x 35'W x 10'H. I need to Raise it by 2 more feet. Can it be done and how is it done? …

Detail for connecting new foundation to existing 
Question: How does new foundation connects to existing? Answer: The detail below is typical connection between new and existing foundation, footing. …

Diamond blockouts, are they necessary?  
Question: What is the purpose for diamond blockout and how do they work on slab and columns? Answer: That's a great question. One of the reasons …

Buried post and footing vs pier 
Question: Is it ok to bury the post with the footings? What does building a pier do? Answer: The most common post materials are wood and steel. …

Monolithic pour 8"x42" trench foundation with 4" slab 
Question: I live in the Chicago area. I'm building a 3 season room addition to my home. I would like to have the room built on top of an 8" concrete …

patio design 
Question: hello , i am wanting to build a paito cover on the rear of my home which is a brick 2 story. will i have to use 4 posts with the two closest …

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Tub platform pier footing settlement 
Question: I built a hot tub platform 10' x 10' with nine pier footings (8-inch diameter holes) using 4x6 treated posts. The tub retailer placed and …

Do footings installed on wet soil cause future foundation wall problems?  
Question: The excavation for the foundation for our Cornwall Ontario home was dug about a week ago and it has been raining off & on ever since. Though …

Column to column connection 
Question: Can you explain me details about column to column connection? Answer: Hi Azry, Column to column connection is called column splice …

Precast Column and Foundation 
Question: Is there any problem encountered before/during/after precast is being installed? Answer: Hi Fadzil, Without knowing the type of …

function of columns to foundation connection 
Question: what is the function of the elements on connection of columns to foundation base/slabs? Answer: Hi Lisa, The main functions of …

Build a shed foundation after construction 
Question I have a shed which was built on blocks sitting on the ground. It has begun to sink making it impossible to open one of the doors. The …

foundation 
Question: what does it mean when it is said 18" below grade with a 6" stoop? Answer: Hi, Thanks for visiting Without a little more information …

Footing Depth for garage 
Question: I live in North Idaho and believe it is in zone 5. How deep do the footings have to go below grade on an attached garage? If I have 4' stem …

Gravel for a base 
Question: Should there always be gravel in the base of a concrete patio? If there is enough drainage in the soil, is it OK to not have gravel as a …

capacity of square tube steel 
Question: what is the capacity of 2x2 or 3x3 tube steel? Answer: Hi Tom, The tube steel capacity is calculated by using the formula S=M/Fy, where …

Formula For Calculating a spread footing 
6/2/2011 Question: Hello. I have an 18'-0" wide x 26'-0" High x 3'-0" Wide Pylon to Install. How would I calculate the size of footing I would need …

Monolithic foundation with sloped garage floor 
Question: I want to pour a Monolithic foundation for my garage but I need to understand how to form it based on the need to slope the floor. How do …

new foundation under existing cottage 
5/14/11 Question Is it possible to pour a quality foundation footing in sections to replace a failed cottage foundation? Existing cottage is 18'x32' …

Do I need a footing? 
April 16, 2011 Question Building a 18' by 12' concrete patio, with a cover...will I have to put a footing down? Answer Hi JC, The footing depends …

Anchor Bolts at Mono Pour 
Question HOW ARE THE ANCHOR BOLTS PUT IN A MONO POUR Answer Hi John, that's a great question. You probably talking about anchor bolts at the …

monolithic cement slab 
Question: What is a monolithic cement slab? Answer: The term monolithic is used in concrete construction to define pouring different concrete …

precast concrete connection between column and footing 
Question: How is precast concrete column connected to the footing? Answer: Hi Bill- great question. Given that I'm not sure what type of column …

Reinforcement at continuous footing corners 
Question: How does the footing reinforcements work at corners? Answer: Per code the reinforcements at corners of continuous footing need to be …

Footing keyways 
Question What is the purpose of footing keyway? Any tip on how to install them? Answer The idea behind footing keyway is to aide the steel reinforcements …

step footing detail 
Question: Is it ok to build my house on sloped footing? What does step footing look like? Answer: Step footing is one of the least understood …