Question for all you construction guys...
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Northern Virginia
Question for all you construction guys...
I'm getting ready to start building a detached garage on my side yard. The problem is that the is a slight "fall" in the grade from the proposed front to the back of approx 4 feet over about 25 feet. What is the best fill to use? Any opinions are appreciated!
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
What I might do:
Drive piles or sink cement/rebar columns (with footers) down to at least 8 feet below ground level, lay steel support beams across the piles/columns like a grid, fill with space in between with sand, then stone, and pour your slab as normal and have the weight of the slab supported entirely on the criss cross piles/columns, using rebar.
I would consult a structural engineer from your area.
A four foot chunk of six inch cement floor 25 feet long will weigh over 9000 pounds.
I have seen people build upon, basically, retaining walls and sooner or later the wall fails, cracks, and it costs more to correct it then to do it right the first time.
imo, The best thing is to build a cement rebar wall 12 inches thick that can support the wall on top of it and the slab.
Drive piles or sink cement/rebar columns (with footers) down to at least 8 feet below ground level, lay steel support beams across the piles/columns like a grid, fill with space in between with sand, then stone, and pour your slab as normal and have the weight of the slab supported entirely on the criss cross piles/columns, using rebar.
I would consult a structural engineer from your area.
A four foot chunk of six inch cement floor 25 feet long will weigh over 9000 pounds.
I have seen people build upon, basically, retaining walls and sooner or later the wall fails, cracks, and it costs more to correct it then to do it right the first time.
imo, The best thing is to build a cement rebar wall 12 inches thick that can support the wall on top of it and the slab.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Homer, Alaska
Just my opinion-Attach it to the house? You did not say where you live, but there is nothing better than getting out of you car and walking into the house. Especially if the garage is heated. Just make sure there is plenty of drainage.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
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the componity that i work for crushes old concrete then uses it to build grade with , man this crush is great if you add some water before you pack it when you are done packing it ,it is so hard that if you messed up you pretty much kill yourself trying to lossen it up again.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 785
Likes: 1
From: colorado
what about renting a bobcat with a tamper and using it to even out the grade, then tamp the part you raised up? if your worried about the tamping you can get a compaction test to make sure it won't settle.
Last edited by bassdude; Dec 13, 2003 at 11:35 PM.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Northern Virginia
Thanks for the posts guys, but the garage is going to be stand-alone (detached). The garage attached to the house just isn't enough!
Besides, the Crewcab just doesn't fit! LOL!
Rebocardo, won't the sand eventually leak out, since it's so fine?
Besides, the Crewcab just doesn't fit! LOL!Rebocardo, won't the sand eventually leak out, since it's so fine?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,619
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From: Forest Hill MD
I live near Bethlaham steel and Build houses for a living. Slag froma steel mill is Great for this purspose. or just use stone #2's
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Lenexa, KS
I think what you might have to do is build it like you would a walkout basement. Basically pour footing walls on all four sides of the structure. Once the walls are set, backfill the center with some sort of aggregate or stone being carefull to compact it as you go. Fill a little, compact the whole surface, then add some more, compact again. Repeat this until you bring the interior up to the height that the floor will be poured on. Make sure you set wall anchor bolts in the footing walls to attach your walls to later. Anything short of the foundation walls on the low side might wash out or settle later. Just my thoughts.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Duluth, Mn.
What I would do is called a 'High Form'
Scrape the topsoil down, fill the area level, with good fill. Then cut the bank straight down, 12" back from the garage wall line. Follow the natural ground, all the way around the structure. Then stand up your high forms 12" from the dirt bank. Follow your garage dimensions. 1/2" rebar every 2'. Snap grade 5" above the dirt in the center of the slab. Then fill up the forms.
What you get is a 12" foundation, all the way around your garage.
'High Forming' requires signifigant bracing, to take the weight of the concrete.
Scrape the topsoil down, fill the area level, with good fill. Then cut the bank straight down, 12" back from the garage wall line. Follow the natural ground, all the way around the structure. Then stand up your high forms 12" from the dirt bank. Follow your garage dimensions. 1/2" rebar every 2'. Snap grade 5" above the dirt in the center of the slab. Then fill up the forms.
What you get is a 12" foundation, all the way around your garage.
'High Forming' requires signifigant bracing, to take the weight of the concrete.
Last edited by fonefiddy; Dec 14, 2003 at 09:44 PM.
New User
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I would suggest a building a 2' stub wall that interlocks with the 18" wide footing.
Use weeping tile around the perimeter next to the footing to insure the clearing of water out of the area.
You would then be able to slope your floor according to the stub wall.
You would also be able to use a larger (24" taller) Garage door.
Use weeping tile around the perimeter next to the footing to insure the clearing of water out of the area.
You would then be able to slope your floor according to the stub wall.
You would also be able to use a larger (24" taller) Garage door.
! Right after I started clearing the space of trees and brush! I'll get out there to get a better look once this stuff melts...
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Ventura CA
Get a geotechnical consultant out and do a soils report. We do a lot of construction here at the landfill and soils reports are are a must before an engineer can design a foundation/slab that's going to stay put. Also have a soils tech monitor any engineered fill you place for compaction and moisture. Improper fill/compaction will kill your new garage. Spend the money up front or you will spend more later.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Los Angeles safe and warm
Re: Question for all you construction guys...
Originally posted by Diesel Daddy
I'm getting ready to start building a detached garage on my side yard. The problem is that the is a slight "fall" in the grade from the proposed front to the back of approx 4 feet over about 25 feet. What is the best fill to use? Any opinions are appreciated!
I'm getting ready to start building a detached garage on my side yard. The problem is that the is a slight "fall" in the grade from the proposed front to the back of approx 4 feet over about 25 feet. What is the best fill to use? Any opinions are appreciated!
If you go this way be sure when grading to exceed the dimensions of the structure by a couple of feet for stability at the footing.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
> won't the sand eventually leak out, since it's so fine?
Water can flow downhill under ground along the path of least resistance. Your whole garage is going to be surrounded by dirt, this retains the sand while you pour. It is just for under the floor itself so surface water can pass through down to below frost level.
Water can flow downhill under ground along the path of least resistance. Your whole garage is going to be surrounded by dirt, this retains the sand while you pour. It is just for under the floor itself so surface water can pass through down to below frost level.
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