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If one's going "post and pier" (an ambiguity as used around here), they may as well scrape down to the rock and use a heavy duty post base affixed to an appropriate all-thread embedded and epoxied into the rock forgoing the useless pier block/footing all together (why bother when you've rock to pin to?). What they do around here is post on pier block and its better left to deck construction supports, not at all suitable for houses.
This is "pier".
http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q740...88babe.jpg
These are beam connections to pier.
http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q740...5f09ae.jpg
- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.
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Just curious, how important is it to weld the rebar before you pour the cement? Is it necessary? would it be significantly stronger welded or would the difference once the concrete sets be negligible?
Anyone?
Thanks.
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Welding rebar is not something you should do unless specified. It weakens the bar.
- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.
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steel tie wire effective to tie rebar together
wire mesh and glass fiber added will prevent surface cracks - important to keep the water from penetrating down to the embedded rebar and causing an internal expansion due to rust leading to the failure of the concrete
Concrete comes in many flavors - using a higher grade also increase compressive strength additives also available - my favorite is the lighter than water air entrained concrete
The downside of concrete is that it has poor shear quality --- shear force resistance is what prevents eq damage - mostly seen as shear walls and massive concrete foundations - with lots and lots of steel provided for shear resistance in modern designs
pre stress / post tension steel cabling found mostly on tilt ups....
the referenced documents in this link - will provide way more information than most want to know.....
http://www.astm.org/Standards/C94.htm
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as to the original question I like post and pier because:
Its easier to inspect / repair damage - most critters that will eat my house seem to work from bottom to top - grin
I like the air moving under he house - seems to keep it dryer
I like the ability to trouble shoot the utilities - its all right there
Alarm,phone,tv cabling - additions - piece of cake
downside - three or four steps..... & seems to collect junk.....
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Where can you get structural light steel, like 20 or 18 gauge a full 3.5 x 1.5 etc? I prefer steel, it's so much nicer to work with, but the inconvenience of no local supply forced me to go back to wood. Also the prices I was getting were like three times the cost of wood. Example what should a 20 gauge 8 ft stud cost here, if you bought enough to build a modest house? The stuff at home Depot is only for closets,etc (26 gauge 1 & 5/8 X 3.5) or even smaller.
Side note, I didn't see this mentioned rebar also functions to conduct heat in concrete and reduce expansion stress cracks. Fiber will not do that at all.
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Light gauge steel (LGS) is produced to order on Oahu. It can be ordered through HD but you can also order it from G.W. Killebrew in Honolulu. You can get any size and gauge you want, cut to length and delivered to the dock in Hilo. I generally use 18 ga. and 20 ga. If it is a heavy order you can arrange to have Conen's pick it up from the dock and deliver it.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Thank you Wao nahele kane and Bullwinkle
