Concrete anons. The soil below the blocks that my well water system sits on is eroding and the stuff is starting to tip. Part of this is because I don't have a gutter on this side of the house, which I do intend to install. Anyways, not to make this a blog post but I want to DIY my own concrete pad that encompasses all the water system and also goes up to the power meter. This is approximately 20 feet. I want the pad at least 3-4 feet in depth to accommodate that water storage tank and a future generator. What's the best way to do this if I don't want to hire a cement truck? Time is not a problem. Should I do it in 8 foot sections? How do I prep the ground under the concrete? Slope? How thick should the concrete be? What's best practice for laying concrete around the grounding rod below my meter (should I put a 4-inch half cut of PVC around it to give a buffer?)
This would be the general shape of the pad
>>2859611So the entire building just sits on topsoil?Lmao did you build this? Whats your background?Make some big blocks on the left side of the yard then get long beams and attach them to the exterior wall of the building for stabilization.Then divide the length of the building into 3 and divide those sections into 3 too. Now do one of the small sections for every big section every week.Idk about frost depth in your area but you have to place gravel underneath and stomp it with a stomper.The reason:Soil ALWAYS contains moisture, if this water freezes it expands if it expands it will lift your building and then also lower it.Gravel is also cant be eroded because the water washes just through it.
>>2859619The house is on a concrete foundation. The well water system is on pic rel. what are you talking about long beams?
>>2859623You said the soil underneath is washing away which will make it tilt.While you do the Unterfangung you have to give the building something to lean on, use long beams as a Spreize between house and a newly made concrede foundation you can later remove
Getting high security vibes.
>>2859684Hurricane shutters, we just had Milton
>>2859725with a name like milton you know it was gonna be a dud...thats even worse than hurricane timmy
Lily pads with dg French drains and AstroTurf between. AstroTurf affliction system will determine space between pads. I took a full concrete pad then cut it to increase the drainage in the backyard this kept the pads level I used landscape staples to hold the AstroTurf, after heating and stretching it so it was installed like fabric. Any piece meal thing will have leveling issues. I think concrete shrinks so might need to build a small test area, Ada complice should give you some tolerance numbers so it might not matter. If your pouring Lily pads in a cold climate under pad insulation can prolong lifting.
>>2859623What does the concrete foundation sit on is the point!You said the soil underneath is being washed away.There needs to be gravel until you reach frost depth, i.e. the depth that the soil freezes to every winter, there also needs to be gravel around the building to avoid this washout.What you need to do now is called Unterfangung, idk what the name is in english im a german master bricklayer
>>2859923I've seen old videos of houses being built where they basically just stuck forms ontop of graded soil, poured concrete in them and woolah there's your foundation, no footings deeper than the dirt
Sounds like a project!
>>2859976Is there any problem with this? seems based
>>2859976>>2861759Concrete was different then, no flyash, more portland cement, fewer fines
