[Shop-talk] Pour your own footing?

[steve hochschild]

I think you are correct.  I found a concrete calculator that came up 
with similar numbers, and even worse, I have decided to extend the 
footers another 10' while I am at it, to allow me to make better use of 
the available site in the future...

I have been quoted a $900 up charge for the pump by my two bidders, but 
it will be worth it, to have it done by someone who knows what he is 
doing, and to save me from the  hard labor in the hot sun.

I appreciate the insight.



On 6/10/2012 12:36 PM, Mark Miller wrote:
> (apologies if this goes out twice: wrong account first time)
>
> I did a bit of math here: if you are going to follow the recommendation for
> the footing size you listed (19"x24"x30'x2 plus 8"x8"x25'x2) than you are
> talking about just over 200 cubic feet of concrete.  I believe it would pay
> to have someone bring it in premixed and pump it in rather than trucking in
> all that mix, hauling it to the site (I assume there is no access for a
> truck or you would have no need to pump it), mixing it, and and and.
> You should be able to get a pumper for just a couple of hundred dollars
> above the cost of the material (and you'll save on that if you buy it in
> bulk instead of by the bag or pickup-load).
> I think you should consider building all the forms and then have a truck and
> pump show up and fill 'em up.
>
> Mark Miller
> Tiny garage, big mouth.
>
>
> <<<
> Big Thanks to all of you who responded!
>
> Soil cement is what I was asking about, and after the suggestions here,
> I looked at a number of sites and documents.  An especially helpful one
> is a pdf from UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, /Using
> Soil-Cement on Horse and Livestock Farms/, Steve F. Higgins, D. Spencer
> Guinn and Donnie Stamper, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
>
> I got a footings-only bid of $3500, but at this point I am probably
> going to do the job myself.  Once I staked it out, the two trenches
> didn't seem so daunting.
>
> I think I can figure out the scraping, trenching, form building, and the
> wiring up of the rebar/stirrups - My remaining big question is how to do
> the concrete.  The big reason these bids are high is that the concrete
> would have to be pumped, but if I do it myself I would rent a cement
> mixer and mix it at the site.
>
> I know it will take many batches per footing, and it will be over 95 or
> 100 degrees when this happens, so I am worried that the concrete will
> set up before I get the footing filled.  One way would be to try to do
> the batches quicker, keep the mix in the trench moist, and mix them as I
> march down the footing.  But another suggested approach is to put in
> some dividers in the form, and do the complete height in each segment,
> let it set up, then remove the divider and pour the next segment.
>
> Doing it myself is partially penance for my lack of planning, so I
> acknowledge that it will be a lot of hot, sweaty, dirty work, but I
> deserve it.
>
> I am excited about finally getting a shaded space to work, and I
> appreciate the advice and counsel.
>
>
>
> On 6/6/2012 8:02 PM, steve hochschild wrote:
>> I have a 25'x30'x12' self supporting metal building (really a tunnel,
>> as it has no ends) on the truck coming my way, as the first baby step
>> towards my own shop.  For now it will be used as trailer storage, a
>> carport for my three dead cars, and welding space.    I live on the
>> surface of the sun in Austin, Texas, so a shaded space is necessary.
>> The building only cost me $4500, and I don't plan to have any
>> plumbing, heat or AC now, but eventually I could add the ends,
>> insulate it, and air condition it, but not for a good while.
>>
>> So I started meeting with concrete contractors today, and I have
>> sticker shock.    I asked for a bid on a 'standard' slab for a metal
>> building: the vendor specifies 19"wide x 24"deep footers on the 30'
>> sides, 8" footers across the open ends, and a 4" slab, basically, with
>> compressed base, re-bar, vapor barrier and so on.  One bid was for
>> $6500 and the other was $11,500.