Deleting the STEP (not the "S")

[alobartn]

This seems to happen every time I place a crawlspace addition next to a full basement. I'm convinced it's me, and not the program, so anyone who can shed some light on this will be most appreciated. And I don't mean the "S" which is simple to uncheck.

There is always this step in the crawlspace foundation ending vertically at the bottom of the basement's footing. I just want it to die into the basement wall, where it will be pinned.

[zoome]

I don't think it is anything you are doing. The way it is shown is the way we do them on new construction with a block wall. Here, in Northeast Ohio, that is a realistic detail. However, when we do poured concrete walls, that is not the way we do them. Typically, poured walls do not have continuous footings and there would be a gap between the upper footing and the basement wall that it connects to.

I do not know if there is a way to change it in Cheif, but there sould be a way to properly create or modify the footing to show correctly.

Sorry for not helping ... Just wanted to let you know that you are not in the boat alone.

Zoome

[alobartn]

What's odd it that it only happens on one side of the addition, consistently!

[frwillia]

Originally posted by zoome
I don't think it is anything you are doing. The way it is shown is the way we do them on new construction with a block wall. Here, in Northeast Ohio, that is a realistic detail.

Do you bring the foundation down on top of the lower level footing, or do you bring the vertical footing down so you stick wall in to the edge of the lower footing the way that Chief does it?

Just curious.

Thanks
Fitch

[Larry Kumpost]

Fitch:

You can change the way Chief does it by adding a break in the bottom of the foundation wall...the point being it is really the way you want it done.

For an addition to an existing building there are a number of factors to consider: soil conditions, condition of existing walls, distribution of loads, etc.

The main issue for an addition is how to deal with differential settlement for a building that has already settled in and an addition that has not. That's why God invented geotechnical engineers.

[mcqueenhomes]

And I'd recommend using said invention.

I live in a 1935 home that's 888 square feet, and fully the whole back 1/3 is an addition built about 40 or 50 years ago. Well, now somehow the floor slopes down in that section towards the ass-end of the house. It's luckily only mildly annoying because of the way that part of the house is laid out.

[zoome]

Fitch,

If I build a block foundation, the footings are continuous. Specifically, the frost (upper) footings are connected to the Basement (lower) footings. Ther are formed with a chute between the upper and lower levels connecting the two levels. Typically, the footings also include two rebar horizontally within the two footings and the within the vertical connecting footing.

Cheif draws the continuous connecting footing striaght up and down. In reality, the chute is more angular. So, the footing runs at mostly up and down, but it does have a slight angle to it which creates a void under the upeer level wall and the angle footing. The void is filled with mortor and brick/cmu between the footing and the basement wall.

I would prefer that the mason interlace the frost CMU wall with the Basment CMU wall so that the two walls are interconnected.

BTW, most of what I have done in the past couple of years has been poured concrete walls - in that case the footings are not continuous or connected.

Does that answer your question?

Zoome

[frwillia]

Originally posted by zoome
Does that answer your question?

Yes.

We do mostly poured basement walls, and like yours, there is no vertical footing, just a step and rebar tying them together - so I end up going Vu-2-CAD to edit away the vertical footing. Sometimes the garage stem wall is block with vertical footing where it meets with the poured wall.

I've not done any additions, so far its all new construction so I haven't had the old vs new differential settlement probem. If I ever do an addition, I happen to know a good geotechnical PE - I'm doing a duplex and a bi-level for him at the moment. He's fun to work with. I've learned enough from him to know when to call him!

Fitch

[PFHB]

I get this every time I draw a new home,

Here is another example of the same thing, I have just always figured it is just a goofy thing CA does and does not know how to handle it.

This spot is where the garage wall meets the foundation wall at the main part of the house.

Note 2 places it is where it should not be. :-(

It should NOT be there, but EVERY house I draw has it.

David

[alobartn]

What's suprising is that this problem has existed forever, as far as I know. Even more strange is that it doesn't always happen to both footings. Has anyone been able to overcome this without manually drawing the the foundation level?