Too many "Moons" ago, I used to build foundations.....alot.     From chasing the backhoe digging the trench for a footer, up through backfill.   Whether it was a simple "Frost Wall" up to   the "Big Jobs"   of 75-100' formed and placed a day.   Thinking of telling the story of just a simple foundation job......say a house with basement?    Most times, I never say a basement job.   So, maybe just a 4-6' tall foundation wall?

 

Take it from the footer trench up to the top, using all the "steps" I went through?    Any interest here for that sort of thing? 

 

Maybe explain all the stuff we did back then, just to see if anything has changed in 13 years.     And.., yes, I am too old to work concrete, anymore.  

 

Side note:   Thomas & Marker Co.  has a 195,000 sqft building going up, on the edge of town.    I drive by there a few times a week, and can pick out just what they are building or placing.   Suppose to be a wharehouse for NEX,  a supplier for the Honda plants around here.    Other suppliers ship to one of the NEX wharehouses,  then as needed parts would be loaded onto a truck to arrive at the assembly line just in time to be installed.  The Honda plants themselves have no actual wharehousing in the plant, other than what just came off a truck. 

 

So, maybe a story of how a simple foundation was built? 

I always like stories

Go for it.

Hmmm, working on a title for it now..

 

Might be a bit "dry"  as I didn't get any pictures for it.    Not sure about doing any drawings, either.   we'll see how this goes...stay tuned..

Sounds like something I'd read.

This sounds like something I'dd be interested in..Way back in the very late 40's and early 50's I worked installing footings and building foundations for homes. It was all Bull work ,but as a teenager, it was fun.

IF the Boss will leave me the H alone for a while today......look for The Foundation Saga to get written up.  Lots of little, easy to read  paragraphs.    By no means a "How-To" sort of thing,  Just a glimpse of how I used to build these things. 

 

Thinking of one story Ranch-style house.....30'  wide, by 80"  should be about the right size for this story.....adjust to fit whatever size or shape needed.    Just remember, the more corners you have to build, the greater the chance of getting things out of square.  

 

Maybe after lunch?   Morris still has to come through and "survey " the ground, and give us a benchmark or two to build the batter boards to.  Backhoe needs to be unloaded, and the WIDE bucket installed on it.    Rest of the supplies are still either on the truck, or on their way. 

 

A "tool list" for each step of the way may get included.    But, go get the 48" level checked, and tuned up.   Find a decent 5 gallon bucket, well get two of them.   Drill holes through the bottom of one ( drainage, always seems to rain on these jobs)  and the other to hold and wash up concrete tools.   Company  provides "bag ties" and twisters,  your choice of using them, or pliers and wire reels.

 

Sooo, waiting on Morris to get his rearend here and do HIS job.    Then we can dig a while, then things will get fun......might even get to like the smell of form oil in the morning....smells like...MONEY.

So, keep an eye out, The Foundation Saga will be out soon...

Just a couple notes, with pictures!

Wire working tools.   A  twister for the bag ties, and the Linesman pliers for form wire & reel.    Stopped by the wharehouse build..

They are up there, installing all the "clips"  and braces between the bar joists, and the gray iron rafters.   "Z" channel Purlins have been installed along the west wall. The concrete posts?  Might be an entrance, or the service pad will go there.  Other corner..

This corner has a step footing.   Where the wall steps down from the frost wall to  the Dock wall.  Stuff piled up?   That would be all the roofing panels.  I never did roofs for these buildings.   I helped on the siding crews.   Dock Leveler pits were where I'd be at.   Place a concrete pad first.   Come back and build a box on the pad.   This would include two guard posts.  Per dock.    Dock wall was formed up, with openings for each dock blocked out in the form work.    Just another day in Paradise?  

Yeah...like stories...especially if they have happy endings. 

Heard too many that didn't end well.

On ‎11‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 1:15 PM, steven newman said:

  Dock Leveler pits were where I'd be at.   Place a concrete pad first.   Come back and build a box on the pad.   This would include two guard posts.  Per dock.    Dock wall was formed up, with openings for each dock blocked out in the form work.

  This is usually where I would be just after you guys would set the forms. We would stub conduit through your forms back to the panel for power & up the wall between garage doors for controls.

Have done a lot of form work myself(not by myself). I'd listen

 

Steve

Well, there is a "Foundation Saga"  of four parts in this section of the forums, you might want to wonder over and have a read.  

For a couple summers while in college, I worked for the state dept of highways inspecting construction work on I-80 and a couple of state expressways.   On a good day, we'd do a mile of 24' wide, 10" deep concrete.   All but the final bull-floating was done by machines that rode on rails that were the side forms.  In the end, it had to be within 1/8" on 10' of surface.