Nov: 14: Pouring final footings. They are 24" wide, and vary from 1-5' high depending upon slope, to be sure final footings all rest on native soil and are level on top. They contain pex piping for hot and cold water, drainlines for the septic system, and conduit/sleeves for future water, electrical, communications, and anything else we forgot or think of later. The vertical rebar will tie in with the module walls, which will be 10" thick. The home is designed around 24' square modules, with no internal supports. The ceiling/roof is also concrete, poured in one piece with the walls, and arches to a 4' dome in the center of each room.
2 comments:
Uncle Mike - what exactly does earth-sheltered mean? Does Bastrop have the same problem with clay soil that Dallas County has? They pretty much have to water the foundations in the summer to keep things from shifting with the contracting of the soil.
Diane
Diane,
Earth sheltered means the house is partially protected by earth covering or berms. In our case we will have about 1/2 of the house bermed (on the north and east sides), in addition to having 3-5' of earth on the roof. The earth moderates the temperature to a nominal 60-70 degrees year around.
As for clay, yes, we have it also. However, the use of french drains around the outside perimeter, excavation down to native earth, and the actual weight of the house (it will be about 500,000 to 600,000 lbs when completed) minimize any shifting of the soil.
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