New concrete floor in barn

[fishpick]

I mentioned in another thread that I was starting to prep for a concrete floor in my existing 30x40 pole barn. This weekend I made great headway. Here's a link to my status and some images: Bluebird Meadow Farms

Bottom line is - I have been using the boxblade + FEL to do most of the work... I'm about 80% done now...

And I expect more updates over the week - as it needs to be done by Saturday.

And I don't think you could work in this kind of small space as easily without a small SCUT like the BX24!

 

[VABlue]

I suspect you had far more work in cleaning out the barn than the grading you needed to do! The floor looks good...

 

[fishpick]

Don't you know it... (actually the far left corner of the barn needed almost 10" of fill to get close to my 4" depth grade)

Tonight the wife took me out to dinner - so nothing to report - but tomorrow expect more photos...

 

[EddieWalker]

What are you using for fill, and how are you compacting it?

Sand is the only material that self compacts, everything else needs to be worked in order to make is solid. If found that the front tires of my tractor with a full load of material in the bucket gives me the best compaction when I'm building up an area. I just spread the dirt in layers and keep driving over it over and over again.

Eddie

 

[fishpick]

EddieWalker (Texas Ranger?) - It's sandy sand... a few cobble stones of pea to fist size... but mostly sand. but - as fate would have it the high areas that don't need compaction are in the middle and the low areas that need compaction are along the sides... making it difficult (and impossible in the corner) to really drive over it effectively.
BUT - the bonus of sand is the fact it self compacts (as you said) and the process is accelerated with water and body weight... so - that's what I did Sunday evening - and it's mostly dry on the surface now - and hard as a rock! Of course - that shows me I'm not done grading it in some spots I thought I was!
There's a more detailed description here (second half of the post)- Bluebird Meadow Farms: Dog's eye view

 

[Zinno87]

Interesting project. I just put up a steel building in Ashland, NY, no floor through, just a pier foundation. In retrospect, it probably would have been less expensive to go with continuous frost-wall and a slab, as opposed to the piers. I'd like to put a slab in down the line, but I'm a little concerned with cracking, etc. How are you planning on dealing with that in your barn? Are a lot of expansion joints and good drainage enough?

Thanks
Sal

 

[fishpick]

Interesting project. I just put up a steel building in Ashland, NY, no floor through, just a pier foundation. In retrospect, it probably would have been less expensive to go with continuous frost-wall and a slab, as opposed to the piers. I'd like to put a slab in down the line, but I'm a little concerned with cracking, etc. How are you planning on dealing with that in your barn? Are a lot of expansion joints and good drainage enough?

Thanks
Sal

The barn went in back in 2000 - so the ground - except where I'm adding fill - is like a rock - the guy who's doing the work (great guy - trust him - know his family) - says that with a 4" slab I'm in great shape to pour on what I have.

I am doing some very specific things in the prep to help minimize cracking - like sill sealer on the posts... full compaction of the new fill... and I'll cure this ohh so slowly... and yes - there will be lots of cut joints - stay tuned and by Sunday you will see the whole story!

New update tonight - with photos (because they are worth 1000 words!) Bluebird Meadow Farms: Prepairing for the pour - part 2

 

[fishpick]

Completed grading tonight - got in conduit tonight - getting ready for this to be done...
Part 3 - with photos... one (if you are a Kubota fan) looks like a marketing shot... Bluebird Meadow Farms: Preparing for the pour - part 3

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Fishpick,
Are you sure you want to be running that water line under the slab. When the contractor put my water in he just automatically said he would take it around the outside of the building to where I wanted it instead of going across the inside. This is just in case anything should happen to the water line and you need to repair it.

It sounds like you have the same Palmyra rubbly loam I have. I have two other sandy loam types around my property but the Palmyra is the pure sand with rubble in it. When I had it tested none of it actually had loam just sand.

 

[fishpick]

Eric_Phillips... I'm sticking the water line in now - but no water... so - IF - and that's a big IF I ever get around to running water - if the pipe under the slab is shot... then - no biggie. I just figured since it's easy to do now - might as well do it... I could always use it as a run for my compressor too if I wanted to!