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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / building a cabin, need help deciding on foundation
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bogee
Member
# Posted: 3 Feb 2024 18:39
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I'm getting ready to build a 16x32 cabin this spring. Trying to decide on foundation. Really shitty ground with lots of roots and big rocks. Thinking of leveling ground, scraping off top vegetation, pouring 10 two foot by 2 foot 1 foot thick little slabs on 7'6" centers 14 ft between the 2 rows of 5 and then sitting those post blocks on them with 4ply 2x10 beams on them. Thinking any settling it would be easy to jack and shim. I'm in northern Pa. any advice on this?

bogee
Member
# Posted: 3 Feb 2024 18:50
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This was my original thought but dug a hole and soil was still shitty at 4 feet and figure the tubes would still settle. The little pads seem like they would work. Any thoughts?
foundation
foundation


bogee
Member
# Posted: 3 Feb 2024 18:51
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oops the 4 posts in the front are for a future deck

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 16:00
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That is a mighty big building to put on a 'floating foundation'. That said, in this south central part of WI we had a lot of old farm outbuildings done on big rocks (which this country has lots of) as piers. And some held up better than others.....
You have to have the stack high enough to crawl under and jack/level.
Concrete is waayyy expensive here; I got a quote for a garage type 'beam' floor pad last fall, 12'x28' of $3500 (and that likely to be more come spring when I need it.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 16:06
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4' has to be below frost line in NE PA. Dig below frost no matter how crappy the soil is. Putting blocks on will have the building always moving every spring/fall.

If you use something like a simpson HETA wet set anchor in 12in sono tubes it gives you the ability to shim the beam if ever needed.

DaveBell
Moderator
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 16:20
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What size joists are going to span 16'?
Frost depth on N. PA?
I think you may need third row of piers.
Then your span would be 8'.
16/8=2
32/8=4
8 foot long 2x10's may be cheaper than longer lumber.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 16:36
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Building inspector going to be an issue?
Imo, don't try to 'fly under the radar' on anything, especially if you plan to build more. Once you run afoul of the authorities you will be on their potential naughty list for anything you try to do.

bogee
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 20:30
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DaveBell my beams will be on 14 ft centers,with a 1 foot cantilever. my floor joist will be 16 inch centers, so it fits the #2 southern pine span charts and the building code. Since my beams will be a full 6 inches wide I could call that a 13 foot 6 inch span.

bogee
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 20:33
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Quoting: gcrank1

Building inspector going to be an issue?

Building as a recreational cabin, no codes enforced or inspections required, other than sewage. Just got my permits approved on Thursday

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 4 Feb 2024 20:59
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Quoting: DaveBell
What size joists are going to span 16'?
Frost depth on N. PA?
I think you may need third row of piers.
Then your span would be 8'.
16/8=2
32/8=4
8 foot long 2x10's may be cheaper than longer lumber.

I also would do 16' span on floor joists..and if your going to add another girder the expense to make the building 20' wide isnt that much more.

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