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My engineer spec'd normal footers and then sonotubes for my deck build. I am going to be using bigfoot and sonotubes to do a mono pour instead. I will be using a combination of 36" and 28" bigfoots.

How do I go about creating the rebar structure inside the bigfoot/sonotube structure?

I will be sinking Column Caps in the top of these posts. Can I make the vertical part of the rebar short enough so it does not interfere with the Column Caps?

 

[Gregsoldtruck79]

Good time to tell the Mrs. you just have to have, that new welder now and a 4 in. side grinder with 1/8" metal cut off wheels. .

 

[Nealtw]

Changing an engineers plan is not a good idea with out talking to him.
Put your vertical rebar in wet concrete no closer than 2" from the sides the bottom and the top.
The rebar is there to spread the load out over the foot print of the footing and as the bigfoot is tapered it may not be as important but the square inches of the bottom area may be. I would talk to the engineer.

 

[Photobug]

Good time to tell the Mrs. you just have to have, that new welder now and a 4 in. side grinder with 1/8" metal cut off wheels. .

I would love to have those tools but would not know how to use them.

Changing an engineers plan is not a good idea with out talking to him.
Put your vertical rebar in wet concrete no closer than 2" from the sides the bottom and the top.
The rebar is there to spread the load out over the foot print of the footing and as the bigfoot is tapered it may not be as important but the square inches of the bottom area may be. I would talk to the engineer.

I did pay the engineer to redesign the footers, his redesign only went as far as numbers and placement of the columns. I am now just waiting for the approval from the planning department.

His original plans on the drawing were for normal footers and sonotubes.

I am hoping for a foundation crew to help me out but the one guy I thought could do it has yet to come to check out the project yet, so I am on my own for this bigfoot portion of this.

 

[Canarywood1]

I concur, not a good idea to change the plans.

 

[Nealtw]

Where I live you would get inspections before the concrete is poured the city only needs to see that the engineer signed off on what you have. either by comparing what you have to the engineered plan or having the engineer on site and pass as built.

 

[Gregsoldtruck79]

I would think the engineer would want something like this maybe for rebar in the BF ??

 

[stadry]

greg's probably right but so are the others,,, what's the sidewall height - 8" ? #4 bar should overlapp'd 6" & secured by at least 3 wire ties w/2"between both mats - you need dble mats & it'll be a pita to tuck in 12" rebar pcs

 

[Photobug]

I concur, not a good idea to change the plans.

I did not, the engineer did at my request. When I submitted the plans I was unaware of Bigfoots. In the logistic phase of planning this build I realized the bigfoots might save me a lot of money. That's why I paid the engineer some more money.

Where I live you would get inspections before the concrete is poured the city only needs to see that the engineer signed off on what you have. either by comparing what you have to the engineered plan or having the engineer on site and pass as built.

I do need to get it inspected before the pour. That's why I want to come up with a rebar plan before I approach the inspector, so him and I agree on what it should look like so inspection day goes easier.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

It wasn't the big foot but similar type issue.... the engineer called out a 36/36 footer with a horizontal matt of criss-cross rebar sitting on rebar chairs and a cage for the sonotubes coming up.

We had the cages built at a local yard, did the base matt ourselves, supported the sono and cages on the matt, and did it in a single pour (several lifts)

 

[Photobug]

This is the drawing from the plans on the original engineering. I am hoping to emulate this type of layout, whatever satisfies the inspector. Tomorrow I will try to contact the bigfoot company to see if they have suggestions.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Oh.... you have a drawing.... Have a yard build thase cages (or you can wire it up) and why use a big foot at all.....

(EDIT: matter of fact, with an eng drawing, I would not use a big foot)

 

[Nealtw]

Oh.... you have a drawing.... Have a yard build thase cages (or you can wire it up) and why use a big foot at all.....

He wants to do a mono pour and it can be tricky to keep the concrete in the forms while you fill the tube.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Well brace the sono and get the footer in one lift, drop the sono in and then get the sono carefully....... at worse, you'll use a little extra concrete.

The big foot is only containing/limiting the pad size and giving you a place to pin the bottom of the sono.......but if you get the big foot out of position, you can't pin the sono where you want to.

 

[Nealtw]

Well brace the sono and get the footer in one lift, drop the sono in and then get the sono carefully....... at worse, you'll use a little extra concrete.

The weight of the concrete in the tube will push the wet concrete in the footing box up and out. We often do footing first pour the rest of the house and come back to the tubes when the concrete has set up a little in the footing but even then we have had problems.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

The weight of the concrete in the tube will push the wet concrete in the footing box up and out. We often do footing first pour the rest of the house and come back to the tubes when the concrete has set up a little in the footing but even then we have had problems.

You're either getting allfully wet slump concrete, pouring allfully fast, not waiting enough on your lifts, or have a very tall sono/pier height.

(Yes... your footer is likely to bulge with some extra concrete leakage, but in 20/30 minutes you'll be getting initial set. Mix the concrete hot if necessary for local conditions.)

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

The weight of the concrete in the tube will push the wet concrete in the footing box up and out. We often do footing first pour the rest of the house and come back to the tubes when the concrete has set up a little in the footing but even then we have had problems.

You're either getting allfully wet slump concrete, pouring allfully fast, not waiting enough on your lifts, or have a very tall sono/pier height.

 

[Nealtw]

You're either getting allfully wet slump concrete, pouring allfully fast, not waiting enough on your lifts, or have a very tall sono/pier height.

Yes, yes and yes. As wet as we can get it with out screwing the mix pumped as fast as it can be handled and often 10 or 12 ft high.:biggrin2:

 

[Photobug]

The problem I was having was I was likely going to need a concrete pump, twice to do this. The plan with the bigfoots was to be able to place them in the ground then backfill then pour. If I can figure it out in the next two days, my excavator is out of town but left his mini backhoe is still on site. If I can get the bigfoot approved and installed he can backfill on Thursday, inspect on Friday. Pour on Monday.

The drawing I included was for the old style footers. Lets hope the people at Bigfoot can suggest an alternative rebar schedule to match the one the engineer's drawings. Reading the Bigfoot instructions it says if metal reinforcement is needed, have it engineered. Lets hope they at least have suggested options so my engineer does not have to reinvent the wheel.

I was hoping to use square footers because they seem to have a lot of advantages, more surface area, and the square shape and accommodation for a rebar schedule. The only problem they are not stocked anywhere and are shipped out of Vermont.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Yes, yes and yes. As wet as we can get it with out screwing the mix pumped as fast as it can be handled and often 10 or 12 ft high.:biggrin2:

Heck NEAL... Ya forgot some retarders.:wink2:

(Ya guys up north work too fast.... don't ya get something to eat between post holes... and what "aboot" nap time.):biggrin2:

I'll bet you and I could pour that for him... with a good driver or good pump truck operator.