![]() Recommendations of the IRC are summarized in a table (referenced in the code as 401.4.1). Hard-packed gravel may be able to handle as much as 3,000 psf while soil with high clay content or lots of organic material will support much less weight. The standard design load in the International Residential Code assumes a 40-pound live load dead load is commonly calculated at between 10 and 15 pounds per square foot, depending on the materials used for construction. The number and size of the piers depends on how much weight the underlying soil can hold. At the end of the building’s useful life, the site will be easier to restore to a natural state than a site with a full basement. ![]() Excavation can be performed with a shovel, and existing roots and soil organisms remain mostly undisturbed. To some green builders, one advantage of pier foundations is that they cause minimal disruption to the soil environment. But more complex foundations incorporating very deep piers or helical screws can support much greater loads. Pier foundations can be as simple as concrete-filled cardboard tubes dropped into hand-dug holes. ![]() Pier foundations are unlike more conventional concrete footings and walls in that they support structural loads at a number of distinct points, not continuously.
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