PT Foundation Questions 1

[txinspector]

I am considering completing the construction of a residential building on a a new abandoned project foundation. This is a PT foundation atop drilled piers. The plans do not indicate either the presence of or requirement for void boxes (carton forms) and there is no mention in the engineer's notes regarding geotechnical test reports in an area of know expansive soils. Would these two issues not be addressed as standard engineering practice in writing in the original plans?

Thanks.

 

[AustinStructural]

The presence of void forms below the foundation would indicate high swell potential for the on site soils. This information should be addressed in the geotech report that the engineer of record used for the slab design. See if you can get a copy of the geotech report from the engineer, or see if the geotech report number and contact is listed in the general notes and contact the geotech directly.

I'm curious how you will design the super structure for an existing foundation if you don't know what the allowable pier loads are that it was designed for.

AS.

 

[txinspector]

I have the original plans. The engineer's notes are so minimal as to be nearly meaningless. There is no mention of void boxes and there is nothing in the notes, plans, or the engineer's letter regarding geotechnical testing or reports.

My original question was whether or not this information is included in the foundation plans as a general engineering practice. All other plans I have seen within the past 30 years have had the information included.

 

[AustinStructural]

Typically I show the void-forms generically in the foundation details and call them out per geotech, and on the foundation plan I will call out something like "blah blah slab on x" voidforms per the geotech". Then we will list the geotechnical report information in the general notes. Sorry if this doesn't help. Maybe contact the architect/owner and ask them for the geotechnical report. If one wasn't conducted, then I wouldn't do any design until I received one.

 

[txinspector]

Thanks AustinSturctural!