Florida slab on grade 3 bed room two bath 2 car grarge on sand (stuckco)
About 8 years old
A lot of stair step cracking on two parallel walls (very small)
No problems with inside dry wall
Some small cracking in grarge wall - no light through - same cracks on outside throught stuckco
Structional engineer call and inspected
Results
Grind out cracks – refill - re stuckco - paint
Possible slab on grade foundation design issue (Not nessaraly related to cracking)
OK
Need information
What are the type and spec of foundation support and when my client digs a sample hole on one side what should the depths etc be?
If there is a construction error my client would like to have a little heads up before he payes for an education from a PE on how things should be esp when my client is doing the digging and measuring (Cuting cost of PE)
I tried to google this subject but need some help from some experts
Have you got pictures to share of stated existing conditions. If not, I recommend your client take good systematic pictures before starting, and as he goes forward with his exploration. He will need a baseline (unaltered existing conditions) for proof, if any kind of legal action is anticipated.
I am no expert on soils, foundations design, installations, etc., especially sandy/sandy loam soils of SE coastal areas. Recommend to your customer to get qualified help/advice. If this situation turns out ugly, he’ll need all the qualified help he can get, especially after 8 yrs.
Good Luck
It should be about 18-20 inches deep on the side. About 12 inches wide before it angles back up to a width of about 18-20 inches. It should have 2-3 pieces of rebar in it.
The only thing your client is going to see is the 18-20 inch depth. I have a diagram on my web site.
He is trying to get permission to did an inspection hole down to the foundation base and under it to see if it has a wide enough base to support a block wall
The PE thinks that it might not
So much for our local building inspector when the house was built
It also goes to prove that in Florida there are two types of concreat
Your client has recognized an unknown variable…from what you telling me he is now trying to find a way on how to bypass using a professional in the future when dealing with a variable that requires a professional to assess same…I am not trying to be mean in telling you that your client is a cheapskate… I am just pointing out the obvious and that you should be careful on what you tell him.
The real problem you are facing is 1) your client is a cheap skate and 2) he is looking for you or himself to possibly make calls that only a PE should be making.
I have 30 year of experience in building homes…and one thing I am not ashame to admit is that when it comes to structural issues I always defer to a PE, regardless of the information I have gleaned from PE’s over the years…I know that cracks can burn you a new one considering they can easily turn into costly structural issues. Even engineers are skeptical when it comes to cracks…there is a reason that they carry E&O insurance as well…lol.
Experience can not be easily translated…it often comes with time.
I deal with investors often…I find their are two types…the novices who are often cheap skates, and the experienced who don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars if it means they can make or save them thousands.
I would just let the investor know that their is not rule of thumb to use when dealing with cracks…one must analyze not only the soil (compaction tests) but the foundation material as well…that my friend requires a engineer in both cases. Just relying on the frost lines means nothing.
A little knowledge can be dangerous in the wrong hands / minds…with that said you can check this out…it has quite a bit of useful information but then again my advice is to always defer to an engineer in regards to structural issues.