01-23-2010, 05:20 PM
Barbara,
In my opinion when you set out to build a home choosing the type of foundation comes after choosing what and where you're planning on creating.
One might say you actually work backwards with considerations being the type and style of home you wish to build, site specific details, will it be multiple stories, elevations, soils report, seismic zones, building codes and budget to name a few.
Once you blend the above worst case might be your engineer of record might not give you a lot of options in choosing your foundation if you desire his stamp.
Not to confuse the issue but I think the basic Slab vs. P & P debate really revolves around the single story Hawaiian home possibly dating to the older beautiful Plantation style homes. Nothing wrong with P & P here. Many benefits as previously stated with cost savings an important factor.
In my case, I'm looking to pop up with a 3rd story office - deck, my site is level where the house will be placed, considering that my living quarters will be elevated I'm not concerned with elevating my lower floor as one would with a single story home. As well viewing plans for over 30yrs in CA I've come to realize strong footings & slabs are how it is done in seismic areas. Possibly what has not been mentioned in the previous posts is the slab does not support the house, the footings do. The slab just ties the whole mess together as a unit. Especially in pre-stressed slabs as Mark pointed out. P & P sitting on individual piers does not typically benefit from this but could calc just fine for a single story home.
Closer To Free
In my opinion when you set out to build a home choosing the type of foundation comes after choosing what and where you're planning on creating.
One might say you actually work backwards with considerations being the type and style of home you wish to build, site specific details, will it be multiple stories, elevations, soils report, seismic zones, building codes and budget to name a few.
Once you blend the above worst case might be your engineer of record might not give you a lot of options in choosing your foundation if you desire his stamp.
Not to confuse the issue but I think the basic Slab vs. P & P debate really revolves around the single story Hawaiian home possibly dating to the older beautiful Plantation style homes. Nothing wrong with P & P here. Many benefits as previously stated with cost savings an important factor.
In my case, I'm looking to pop up with a 3rd story office - deck, my site is level where the house will be placed, considering that my living quarters will be elevated I'm not concerned with elevating my lower floor as one would with a single story home. As well viewing plans for over 30yrs in CA I've come to realize strong footings & slabs are how it is done in seismic areas. Possibly what has not been mentioned in the previous posts is the slab does not support the house, the footings do. The slab just ties the whole mess together as a unit. Especially in pre-stressed slabs as Mark pointed out. P & P sitting on individual piers does not typically benefit from this but could calc just fine for a single story home.
Closer To Free
Closer To Free