Post/Beam Carport: Masonry Work Cast Pier Footings

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An interesting place to get help! My question is coming, but first here is what I am doing; 20X40 Post & Beam Carport built with 6" lumber on a small ranch near the Sequoia Forest in central California. The posts (or columns to be technical)will be bolted to Simpson Metal Column Bases set in concrete. I designed this dual shed design and recently obtained a building permit. We are doing this project ourselves. My son and I have some construction experience, but neither of us have done footings or even slab floors. We have already leveled (using a neighbors dozer) a pad 40 by 60 ft for the entire project which will eventually be three of these 20x40 buildings tied together, for a 40 by 60 garage. Each 20x40 module is clear span. THE QUESTION: Besides using a string level, what should I buy to make sure that we have the eleven footings all lined up and level? The footings are spaced 10 ft apart around the perimeter. The garage entrance is a 20 ft clear span. It seems to me, if the footings are not level, the columns will require trimming and when we eventually add a concrete floor and the enclose the structure for a garage, any out of level condition will be a real pain.

P.S. For those of you with serious interest, I can email a digital foto of my model or even send you image files of the plans.

-- Russ Peters (peters@attglobal.net), January 02, 2002

Answers

String is a good way to line up posts. Several ways to level your footers. Water level, laser level or go to rental and rent a transit level. They have inexpensive small laser levels that you can mount to a 4 ft bubble level that work all right. You still will probably have to cut your post a little but you could get close. You are going to want some pitch in slab to get your water to drain out in the right directions. Away from your house, toward your garage doors. I would try for 1 inch for every 8 to 10 ft. How will you connect three 20x40 buildings together and still have a decent looking roof that sheds water in right direction? Good luck Sounds like a fun project.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), January 02, 2002.

Laser Level: Would the less than 50 dollar "Torpedo Boy Laser Level with Tripod" being sold on Ebay do the job for leveling the footings? A seller has several auctions going for them on Ebay e.g. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1317230705

Joining the Carport/Garages together: I am assembling the post and beams with Simpson Column Conectors and Header Hangers. The design is a two 20X20 shed design sharing a common center. The rear shed roof sits on a beam which is on top of a 14 ft post, slopes then down to another beam sitting on top of a 12 ft post. The front shed roof sits on a beam at 12 ft in the center and slopes down to a beam resting on a 6 ft foot post. Thus, two slopes. Connection from one 20x40 shed structure to the next is by bolting beams to column conectors rather than terminating the structure with End Column Conectors. The structure uses 3 6x16" beams 20 ft long. Each module is bolted to the three column connectors. At 10 ft and 6 ft heights, are 6x10 beams forming the wall structure. The next module is attached to these walls with Header Hangers. I think my design shows 5 connections for these. Footings are larger in three places where the modules connect. The final building will look like the first module, except the roof will be 40x60 rather than 20X40. Rain water runs toward both the rear and the front of the building.

-- Russ Peters (peters@attglobal.net), January 02, 2002.


Get a long piece of clear plastic tubing, a funnel that will fit into it, and a gallon of water with a bit of food coloring. The water will become level at each turned up end inside of the tubing. This is accurate for hundreds of feet distance.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 02, 2002.

I have a good quality string level I use, which is good enough for what your doing. You can pull your string "fiddle string tight at any height over your line of piers, then use a tape measure to set up your height of concrete. That way your not bothered with it being right down in your work area. I put mine a foot or so above. Don

-- Don (dairyagri@yahoo.com), January 02, 2002.

Yes, the less than 50 dollar "Torpedo Boy Laser Level with Tripod" being sold on Ebay would do the job for leveling the footings. Read the directions for leveling tripod. You could use a yard stick to shoot laser beam at. Measure down to get the correct elevation for footer. After footers are poured cheek again. If they are off a little you can adjust your post length by that amount to correct.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), January 03, 2002.


mitch, you have a wonderful store of building knowledge!

-- helen (all@the.time), January 03, 2002.

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