How To Determine Height and Depth of Foundation Wall?

I've been at this for a long time and thought I could figure it out but I'm stumped.

I would like to draw a footing without a stem wall or at least find a method to change the height of the stem wall but it seems to draw the same height and depth no matter the settings.

I've changed the defaults a thousand times, I've tried mono slabs, short stem walls tall stem walls but there's a default somewhere I'm missing that keeps drawing the footing wall the same depth and height.

Here's what I get.

Attachment 39382

Larry
There are slab tools. Or place a post and the footing should generate.
Delete the post and use the footing.

Might be a better way, I have not done much with just footings..

Thanks Allen and I'm pretty comfortable with slabs but was just wondering and stumped by this 'setting' I could not seem to change.

In the wall BDX you can change the height of the stemwalls.....but make sure you raise the "floor" or crawl space so that it doesn't block the move.

Having said that though....it will still force a 4" stem wall. So if the goal is footings w/o stem walls...use slabs.

I just use a custom wall, typically 16" or 18" concrete, linetype to match footings, and placed on the footings layer. If this is an under slab footing or a crawl space strip footing, then raise or lower it in a backclip to the correct top and bottom heights. If it's a perimeter grade beam, it will already be at the correct top height, with the added advantage is that it is possible to place piers under it.

Thanks very much for the replies. I keep thinking there's a way to deal with custom mono slabs and realize - AGAIN - there's just (weak) work arounds.

Joey I've got a slab foundation so no dbx to change heights. Warren that works pretty well but so sad that it's necessary. The problem is mine though; I had slipped into a universe where Chief dealt with slabs like a mature (version 13?) building software program.

Back to reality - I'll use your suggestions - thank you.

OK...mono slab....set the height of the footing to set the "height" or depth of the stem wall.

Is this what you need?

So sorry Joey, I was really vague in my first post. I'm trying to figure out a way to add a simple footing to an existing mono slab, for a simple remodel room addition. I've worked around it for so long and just had an idea that I could possibly use a foundation wall to draw a footing in. I don't think that's the answer though. I think the slab or wall definition is the best way?

If you are connecting to an existing monolithic slab, then you must be creating a new slab floor system, yes?
Why not use the slab tool to show it where it goes in plan view. Add the dash line depicting the width of the footing below. You know how deep below grade the thickened edge it must be and make the slab thickness that dimension. It will look correct on the elevations. Use the rectangular polyline box tool to make the section view accurately and you can fill it with the concrete fill pattern. Easy to add the rigid insulation using the box tool again if you need that requirement.

That is how I have been doing it and it looks fine on the construction document page where it counts.

That sounds pretty good Geno.

You have to make sure you build your foundation for the main house BEFORE you add the slab, correct? Or else you'll get a continuous slab around the existing as well as the new addition?

And are you saying you place (for instance) a 12" deep slab under the room addition, add dashed lines to show the interior footing perimeter, then modify it in a section view to show the footing as being deeper than the slab?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HumbleChief

That sounds pretty good Geno.

You have to make sure you build your foundation for the main house BEFORE you add the slab, correct? Or else you'll get a continuous slab around the existing as well as the new addition?

And are you saying you place (for instance) a 12" deep slab under the room addition, add dashed lines to show the interior footing perimeter, then modify it in a section view to show the footing as being deeper than the slab?

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For the foundation plan view that will be sent to the layout, show the dashed lines indicating the width of the footing below. I'm assuming this is also a mono-pour like the existing house foundation. I wouldn't mess with the slab. Just make the depth look right for the addition elevations. The section is a separate cad drawing showing the mono-pour foundation as it should look.

I'm just getting the stuff on the con docs to look like they should, not worrying about the model.

I think is is faster to draw a cad detail for the section instead of messing around with the inaccurate section from the Chief generated slab foundation.

For me, it's all about the construction documents

This may be blasphemy here on the Chief site... not caring about the model.

Larry,

If you name your new addition a Garage and then build the foundation with a mono slab, you will get a separate slab for the addition.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by geno742

For me, it's all about the construction documents

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I always go back there too Geno but I'm giving it **** (and wasting an amazing amounts of time) trying to get the model right. I usually give up, view to CAD and get on with things. But if the model can be created quickly and accurately then everything can go really smoothly from there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glenn Woodward

Larry,

If you name your new addition a Garage and then build the foundation with a mono slab, you will get a separate slab for the addition.

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Yeah but ti never looks correct in plan view, or at least I can never get it to look right.

Here's what I get - Post #2 in thread below.

http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?t=48625

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Allen42acj

Larry
There are slab tools. Or place a post and the footing should generate.
Delete the post and use the footing.

Might be a better way, I have not done much with just footings..

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can i ask you a quesation?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joey3032

OK...mono slab....set the height of the footing to set the "height" or depth of the stem wall.

Is this what you need?

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Would be great to have an automatic haunch

Larry
If you just drop the addition floor 1/16," it will give you 2 separate slabs. I'm not saying it will look correct in 3d and, the plan view will have extra lines to cover. That's a very simple slab and it still doesn't work as it should. Please Chief fix the mono slabs. too many workarounds for such a simple slab.