Post construction homes

[ssmith3]

OK, here's one out of the Twilight Zone.

House was built supported from 16 "telephone poles". All floors were supported from the ceiling. 2 stories tall. Foundation type? None reported.

I gottta tell you this was an interesting house.

[Carl A. Brown]

Do they get free long distance?

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Are you insinuating wood piles that simulate telphone poles.??

Marcel

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

I'm surprised that more pole homes aren't built in areas with hillsides that require a lot of expensive foundation work.
From an inspection standpoint, if it were an older home you might want to recommend Resistograph testing to determine the condition of the pole cores. Replacing those poles because the cores were badly decayed would be expensive. -Kent

[lewens]

Scott
The foundation is pilings. Although it is unusual to hang a building from the foundation it is not unheard of. If you research it you will be suprised at the number built this way. I have personnaly seen a house suspended inside a barn in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It was designed and built by a structural engineer. It still stands and is in very good condition.
Larry

[David A. Andersen]

This is not much different than post and beam construction.

Beach houses are constructed like this as they are on shifting sand and potential high water areas. This allows for the pile to be driven down to supporting soil so you don't have to dig, drill and pour support for the foundation to sit on.

In the event of earthquake, a house on poles may stand up better than one on a foundation as a quake causes lateral movement and liquefaction of the soil which may destroy other foundation types.

[Doug Edwards, CMI]

Here in our coastal towns there are thousands of homes built up on treated "poles" that we refer to as pilings. These are significantly larger in diameter that your standard telephone pole and underneath the home it is a virtual maze of supporting poles, cross-ties and beams. I have done a number of these homes and frankly like doing them. I would say that most of the homes built on the beaches and waterfront properties here are built just this way. Some are closed in around the base with break out walls in the event of surge waters but many of the older ones still use this technique, and many of the poles are still there from the last 3 or 4 hurricanes. Homes are gone but the poles are still there.

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Scott, did the bottoms of the poles enter the ground or were they fastened to concrete pilings above grade?

[ssmith3]

Originally Posted by kshepard

Scott, did the bottoms of the poles enter the ground or were they fastened to concrete pilings above grade?

Straight into the ground. There are 5 of these houses in this neighborhood.

I think it's neat the way they "hung" the house off the top of the pilings.

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Sorry, I can't resist. Speaking of liquefaction...

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Kenton,

Where the pile Engineers Liquidated on this scenario?? ha., ha.

Marcel