Browse Forums General Discussion 1 May 13, 2010 11:08 pm Hi We are going to be building a new house soon (when all the plans etc get finalised). We are getting the plans drawn up at the moment and I went to see the engineers today about getting the plan for the slab done... Now I got two totally different stories from the engineers I spoke too and I don't know who to believe, I know who I felt more comfortable with as they spent the time to explain things but found it very confusing that I got totally different responses to the same situation. We had a soil test done which came back Class HD - Highly reactive deep drying (which was expected). There are also trees on the block which will be removed. We have positioned the house on the block to miss most of the trees however 2 of them are located under where the house slab will be located, as we need to be able to get down the side of the house to access the shed/yard and want to maximise backyard space. We want a waffle pod slab as that is what was recommended for the site. Engineer 1: - Didn't like the soil class (its a fairly common one in this area) - I only have a floor plan at the moment with elevations to follow, said he would need the elevations to work out the alfresco and garage areas. - Asked me what type of slab was needed in the garage - after I had said waffle pod for the house so I asked what was standard for a garage, he wanted me to check with the building designer which I thought was odd as he is the engineer shouldnt he know what is standard??? - I asked about the trees he said they were a problem and we shouldnt build on the site for at least 12 months after removing them I said that was not practical so he said to move the house away from the trees which is also not practical. Engineer 2: - Soil class didnt seem to be an issue - Asked a few questions about the slab, said that if waffle pod is used with the soil class to then use a lower waffle pod for the alfresco/garage areas (so you step down into these areas) - Had no issue with the trees, said they could be removed anytime (up to a week before doing the footings) just needed to ensure that all the roots were removed to prevent termites. - Said that if needed that some fill and compaction may be required in those areas where the trees were removed, and possibly in other sections of the site depending on the soil test report. We know that the trees will impact on the site costs and have factored in the fill and compaction in the quote as after discussion with a builder (before we had the soil test done) it was assumed that this would be required along with a heavier slab. So if anyone can help me out with the differing responses from the engineers that would be great? Also can anyone thing of anything else that I need to check? Re: Engineering for HD soil and trees 2May 18, 2010 12:39 pm Your engineer should be working with plans which are fairly close to final. I would go with the 1st engineer given he wants ALL the info before providing a qoute/calculations. Engineers do more than just foundation calculations. All the loads and bearings should be included. Rook, lintel and wall calcs are also done by engineers. Assuming you've modelled the TB8, TB10, TB12, TB2 & J1 joists/LVLs there, it appears as per drawing to me. There maybe should be an additional J1 between TB10 and T12 if… 3 27589 Thanks for all replies. I just noticed now the pictures I added to post right on top of page were wrong. I attached pictures showing "current" and my "suggested" floor… 9 11841 A survey must’ve completed by a certified surveyor. This form part of every DA requirement 3 178711 |