I found a blog post that I had written back in late February, but not ever posted. So, here it is.
Finally, something to blog about. January wasn’t nice weather to work in like it was last year. If it wasn’t freezing cold, it was raining in downpours. I don’t mind working outside with temps in the forties if it’s not too windy, but temps in the thirties with wind…no, that’s not for me. So, we wait for better weather; one of the advantages of being both the owner and the builder.
So, last week I had nice weather for three days and got the girder beams pretty much “built”; notice I did not say they were finished. Right now they are held together with 3” screws (four screws per 2x10) and I will go back in and nail them with 16’s (two rows, six inch spacing, both sides of each beam) before putting floor joists on.
The girders are three 2x10 thick and the joints are staggered every four feet lengthwise. The distance between columns is 10 feet, so according to my calculations I will have a nice, solid floor with no bounce.
The columns are all concrete block except the one wood column in the basement room. Rebar runs inside the columns and the cells are grouted up with concrete. I will use ¼” Parasleeve bolts (two per column) to anchor steel straps to the column tops. The other end of the steel straps will be nailed with three 16s per strap. By my calculation it will give me 600 lbs of strength (in tension) per strap, roughly twice what the column and footer pad weighs. I don’t like the idea of girders just sitting on top of columns. I want them to be connected, and connected well enough that if a storm comes the uplift winds will have to pick up the columns and footers too. I’m sure lots of contractors would call this overkill, but all the Parasleeve bolts and straps cost about $20; to me it was money well spent. On the ends of the girders they will be bolted/strapped to the foundation walls the same way.
Finally, something to blog about. January wasn’t nice weather to work in like it was last year. If it wasn’t freezing cold, it was raining in downpours. I don’t mind working outside with temps in the forties if it’s not too windy, but temps in the thirties with wind…no, that’s not for me. So, we wait for better weather; one of the advantages of being both the owner and the builder.
So, last week I had nice weather for three days and got the girder beams pretty much “built”; notice I did not say they were finished. Right now they are held together with 3” screws (four screws per 2x10) and I will go back in and nail them with 16’s (two rows, six inch spacing, both sides of each beam) before putting floor joists on.
The girders are three 2x10 thick and the joints are staggered every four feet lengthwise. The distance between columns is 10 feet, so according to my calculations I will have a nice, solid floor with no bounce.
The columns are all concrete block except the one wood column in the basement room. Rebar runs inside the columns and the cells are grouted up with concrete. I will use ¼” Parasleeve bolts (two per column) to anchor steel straps to the column tops. The other end of the steel straps will be nailed with three 16s per strap. By my calculation it will give me 600 lbs of strength (in tension) per strap, roughly twice what the column and footer pad weighs. I don’t like the idea of girders just sitting on top of columns. I want them to be connected, and connected well enough that if a storm comes the uplift winds will have to pick up the columns and footers too. I’m sure lots of contractors would call this overkill, but all the Parasleeve bolts and straps cost about $20; to me it was money well spent. On the ends of the girders they will be bolted/strapped to the foundation walls the same way.
In the basement room I wanted the girders to be as high as possible for better head room, so you will notice that the basement room girder sits on top of it’s cousin. I will use joist hangers to attach those floor joists. Otherwise all floor joists will sit on top of the girders.
posted by Tony @ 10:27 AM
1 Comments:
Additional info not in the blog:
Those are Simpson StronTie 8" straps that are anchored into the top of each column. They are anchored with a Parasleeve 1/4" expanding bolt. There are two straps per connection (stacked one on top of the other) and there are connections on both sides of the column.
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