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csintexas
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Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 1919
Location: USA
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 Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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Did you see that 800 dollars a yard part? There goes that 250 per foot budget ;^)
It would be easier to maintain I suppose. Floor loading would not be much of a problem most multi-level steel building use concrete floors.
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Chris Stewart
Modern Texas Home Project |
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birgco
Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 302
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | You know though, another feature that I REALLY like about this "raised" home is that it seems that I might have a chance of keeping from being over-run with ants and other crawling bugs. Of course, this might be wishful thinking. |
Hi EngRMP
Congrats, you are making great progress. Keep up the good work.
Now as far as the problem with ants on the island, once the red army ants start marching, there is virtually nothing you can do. Throughout my travels in South America, I had witnessed only one successful attempt to defeat the "Wall of Death". This amazing feat was achieved by a local Brazilian farmer who came up with the idea of importing a hoard of black army ants. The carnage was great but the black army prevailed and the farmer and his lands were saved. I would seriously consider keeping some around. Best of luck! |
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djswan
Joined: 17 Aug 2007
Posts: 834
Location: Montana, USA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:54 am Post subject: |
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Amazing progress. The couple of dudes from DC set a great example of what not to do. Silly boys doing silly things. The "plan" was flawed from the start. They would have been better off having the tree fort builder, just building the whole sha-bang. I'm guessing the bulldozer took out the tree fort too. Another oportunity to lead by example lost to bad plans. Spend the money on a couple of tree fort buiders.
More concrete should do the trick. A don't forget the pool. GO ANTS!
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:21 am Post subject: |
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Hi djswan,
I knew you'd love the Bongo Bongo tree fort...yes, they maybe should have quit while they were ahead. I read most of it (I found the writing style very entertaining), and it sounds like the anxiety factor was quite high. I don't like sustained, high anxiety.
But (boldly speaking, and thumping chest), I'll do better than that, for I am an engineer! Actually I'm cringing thinking about the equally idiotic things that I'll probably end up trying.
What I've learned from you folks though is that I'm going to have to find an architect who shares my "style". Everyone has ideas; and they're all very different; and they're all very good for the set of style values that the originator is working from. But, if they don't match my style, then I either won't be happy, or, I'll have to change my style values. If you like BBQ potato chips, will you really be convinced to like celery instead (well OK, if you ate the celery instead of the chips you might be healthy enough to stand a few stairs now and again, and it might make the house building easier and cheaper... BTW, MX2, before you get any ideas, I actually prefer the celery, workout every day, love to walk, am not overweight, but still have bad knees at 50... the thought of stairs at 60 worries me)?
So, I've been thinking about how to go about choosing an architect to work with. I want them to know my ideas, but I want to know that they share my vision. So, I'm thinking that I do a lot of listening and very little talking in the beginning. Try to assess if they would come up with my ideas independently, or maybe have some ideas that I didn't even think of. I'd also like to hear the architect independently raise the same concerns that I have. Hopefully, at some early point in time, I feel comfortable enough to show my ideas (if need be) and see where that takes us.
There is a USVI forum for folks moving to the islands, visiting, already live there, etc. I posted a question about renting a chainsaw and ladder for my next trip. I got a lead on a landscaper who seems reliable (after reading the Bongo Bongo blog, I'm biting finger nails a bit). So, I think I'll ask him to clear a path through my lot for my next trip. I should already have my topo map and 3D SketchUp model of the lot, with my initial house concept. Then I think I'll see if a local architect/builder/engineer is willing to walk the lot with me and discuss my concept. I'm willing to pay to explore issues like: can the cistern be where I think it should go? what are the potential issues of the truss foundation concept (ground composition at my lot, construction difficulties, etc)? What do we do about a septic system? Can I extend the deck in front of the living room? |
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djswan
Joined: 17 Aug 2007
Posts: 834
Location: Montana, USA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Of course I would love it. The good idea's were gone after the tree fort. Bulldozing and bolshevic was all that was left after the good ideas. Careful what you bulldoze.
I'm not an architect for your information. I'm a timberframer. My architecture is based on good ideas. You go rent that chainsaw and prove me wrong. Make a blog, tell the world about it. Or go hire someone who can carve thier signature with a chainsaw. Tree forts are cool.
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Hi folks,
I know it's been a while... I just didn't have anything new to report. BUT, now I have a few developments... and of course, I could use some advice, opinions, wise cracks, bamboo-logic... however the architectural spirits move you.
So, here is a summary of new info:
- I now have a topographic survey. Underneath all of that scrub brush, it turns out that the lot is not quite as steep as everyone thought... but it's still plenty steep in places. (see attached)
- I have been working with a local government building inspector, who is starting his own building company. I have been bouncing ideas off of him, and we chat by phone almost once/week. He knows the zoning laws, the local building culture, and has experience with buildings on the islands.
- I have some drawings of a notional house that is long, so as not to stick out too far over the steep land. I still want to elevate the house to capture the breezes and the views (see attached).
I'm having problems finding any info on steel beams and posts to support my house. In particular, I'd like to find out:
- the basic engineering terms used to define load capacity of posts and beams (I'm just an electrical engineer, but I think I still remember basic physics). I'd like to be able to understand the load calculators, or load tables. Does anyone know where I can find info on reading load tables.
- are there free load calculators online that will help me understand what size of steel I will need.
- I can't find a steel post and beam company that I might talk to, to bounce ideas off of. "Steel Welding", out of FL is also in St. Croix, but they don't do projects this small (I think they mean they don't do residential work, because they didn't even return my call). Can anyone recommend a steel company that I might talk to about my design. I'd like to try to get some basic info from them: is the idea even feasible? Do they carry the required material? Ball park cost? Technical issues? Construction issues?
I know that I should be talking to a structural engineer. But, before I do that, I'd like to understand some of the basics. Otherwise, the engineer will constantly be about 5 sentences ahead of me, and we'll just both be frustrated.
OK, I'm having problems adding pics as attachments.. it's complaining about size. I'll send pics, shortly. |
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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OK, I think you should be able to see the pics at:
http://s321.photobucket.com/albums/nn369/EngRMP/
Also, you can see a temporary road that I'd cut to get equipment in to build the steel foundation. The septic field gets put in after the construction is done (I don't really want a road here).
I know I'm lacking detail, so feel free to ask questions about the pics. |
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csintexas
millennium club
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 1919
Location: USA
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Chris,
Thanks for the info. And, BTW, happy 4th of July.
It looks like we've got a rain-out on fireworks in Northern VA, so I can settle in and read through the PDF that you recommended... so far it looks perfect. |
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Chris,
OK, I read through the PDF load tables for beams and posts. That was an excellent intro.. the examples helped a lot. Here is what I got out of this:
- for my 20ft x 100ft, single story house, I might almost be able to get away with W10x30 for 20ft x 10ft posts. This spacing would be good for aesthetic reasons (less posts to hide with landscaping); and would allow me to drive trucks/etc under the house at a later time if I needed to.
- but, I want a 6" thick concrete floor to get sufficient weight (and rigidity) for 150 MPH hurricane winds (I don't want the house sailing away like a kite). So, I don't think the beam tables apply because I'll get significant rigidity from the concrete floor (ie, I probably can get away with smaller beams). I think that the post tables work even though my concrete floor dead weight is 75 psf (I'll use their 3-story tables: their 3-story live load + dead load > my one story live load + concrete floors).
- But, ofcourse, my case is more complicated because I have some posts that need to be effectively 25 ft high. So, I need to figure out calcs for some type of "segmented, supported posts" - either square frame or diagonal frame. Do you think this is covered in the books, or better yet, online somewhere? |
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csintexas
millennium club
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 1919
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know, that is getting a pretty specialized. You might be better off looking for information on bridge design.
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Chris Stewart
Modern Texas Home Project |
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1716
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Good to hear from this poster again.
I think any engineer should be able to make his meanings clear to any bright layman who speaks the same language. So, I wouldn't use too much time or energy trying to "clean the house before the housecleaner shows up" (if you get my meaning). Of course, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to educate yourself, on anything that will come in handy in building your home.
Your new drawings are miles ahead of what the typical client is able to prepare, and will go a long way toward saving the professional's time (and your money) and seeing that your desires are met. Good work. . .
SDR |
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EngRMP
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 45
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hi SDR,
Good to hear from you again as well. I know what you're saying... but, I'm still afraid that the house cleaner might do what I said, instead of what I meant! It seems like this info should be readily available... I'm guessing that I'm just not using the correct lingo in my google searches.
BTW, I was happy to see that the electronic version of the topo survey was easily read and rendered by Google's SketchUp. So, I have a 3D model of my notional house, sited on the 3D model of the lot. It's very cool to be able to rotate this model around and look at it from all angles. I'm working on cutting the temporary road into the model to see what kind of issues (retaining walls, etc) I might run into. |
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SDR
millennium club
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 1716
Location: San Francisco
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| Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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I can't imagine an engineer being persuaded by an client who clearly didn't understand the engineer, to do something not in either one's interest -- can you ? That isn't how you do your business, I'm sure. . .
I imagine some information is available to, and best interpreted and explained by, licensed professionals who are trained and experienced in it -- just like medical information -- though we're now in the era of pop CAT scans and do-it-yourself radiology boutiques, I suppose ! Anyway, I do admire your earnest and hands-on approach to your interesting problem. Don't stop now. . .
SDR
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"I'm the commander . . . see, I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation." GWB |
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