Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 25, 2012 4:15 pm Hello, I am an owner builder in the process of getting structural engineering plans. I am having issues as my architect and engineer continue to disagree. Architect wants a waffle pod slab foundation. Holds its cheaper and more modern. Structural engineer has designed a pier and concrete slab. Says the soil classification is H in the area and thats the best foundation (we don't have a geotech report but the engineer has been working in the area for 35 years and says he knows the soils is H-highly reactive). Any suggestions of what I should do? Should i get a geotech report? Thank you for your reply. Re: Owner Builder - Quakers Hill: Best slab types 2Jan 25, 2012 4:22 pm Yes. I had to get one and it confirmed that I needed pier and beam foundations. Engineers say get the foundations right and anything else that goes wrong can be repaired. Get the foundations wrong and you can get into a lot of trouble with soil movement, contraction and expansion. Re: Owner Builder - Quakers Hill: Best slab types 3Jan 25, 2012 4:35 pm WE have H/P soil in the hills area and have a waffle slab with 32mpa concrete and 450mm piers. All OK with engineer, the majority of homes in close proximity are all waffle pods. Council has stipulated that we need 32mpa concrete due to soil. Re: Owner Builder - Quakers Hill: Best slab types 4Jan 25, 2012 6:56 pm Hi Glee, We moved from Quakers just over a year ago and lived their about 8yrs. Our previous home was slab on ground and it moved like a bastard! We had cracks in the external brickwork and slab and the house would move about 10mm between hot and cold temperatures. As others have said, get it right now! Good luck, Scott ----------------------------------------------------------- Monte Carlo Grande Elite with McDonald Jones http://mdjatvermont.blogspot.com/ Re: Owner Builder - Quakers Hill: Best slab types 5Jan 25, 2012 7:52 pm scotta_74 Hi Glee, We moved from Quakers just over a year ago and lived their about 8yrs. Our previous home was slab on ground and it moved like a bastard! We had cracks in the external brickwork and slab and the house would move about 10mm between hot and cold temperatures. As others have said, get it right now! Good luck, Scott Hey Scott, hope you werent in my old house, I built there back in 1984 with Beechwood, wouldnt be surprised if there was a problem with it Hi VK, Think it's worth investing time in an Owner Builder course to equip you with basic knowledge on Australian Building Industry and its regulations. Also, I suggest… 11 23735 Hi all. Anyone know when the $11,000 limit was set in legislation for renovations in QLD? Ive been renovating for 5 years now and this was the limit back then. As we know,… 0 4252 |