I'm frustrated by the nay-sayers in the comments. If you want to build a luxury home, on a lake, on bad, wet soil, this is what it takes, and what it costs. You wouldn't use this system on a whim on different site. You would use it here, for people who could afford a custom home on a lake. Or you would use it on an "unbuildable" lot you got a good deal on, trading engineering and construction cost for value-add.
i understood this video really easily and i am considering purchasing a new property built on river delta. The builder says he used pre-loading as well as piles. Thanks for the info Matt.
Was in Hanoi in early 90's as owner's rep for our hotel project. Shimizu, one of our short-listed construction companies invited me to observe the "Pile Driving Ceremony" for the Intercontinental Westlake Hotel. Shimizu (design/build) had opted for pile driven cast concrete solution as lower risk, lower cost solution - our engineers strongly recommended cast in place. Hanoi sits on ancient, I mean ANCIENT, alluvial plane and the hotel's location at the lake's edge was certainly problematic. So after much ceremony and fanfare, the ancient pile driver hoisted up the cast pile and started chugging away at the pile: 1st slam PUFF, 2nd slam PUFF, 3rd slam PUFF and the ENTIRE pile shot down and literally disappeared into the murky sludge of Westlake! The hilarity of the ensuing scene is beyond to description. Shimizu PM and his engineers scurrying about, Shimizu Asia GM seething, the architect trying to make light of it, the owners obvious concern, etc. Then there was the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and even General Freaking Giap squirming about in their seats. One of the great moments in my life. We went with cast in place piles and paid the substantial premium. Haha!
"No matter what If you're foundation moves, you're going to have big problems" Most rigid objects can be moved without breaking. Seems like it aught to be the same for houses.
That looks pretty close to a vertical well for a geothermal exchanger. You ever think to run numbers and see about sinking some of that Austin heat into the ground? Trying to make a guess based on trying to count the pipes behind you, you might have 1,000 feet of "wells" dug.
Hi i'm in Ireland doing a course in construction and the built environment which leads to me heading to university in September. Your videos are proving very helpful in completing my building technology assignments. Just one question. is the vapor layer, or as we call it damp proof course, placed directly onto the soil or is it placed onto a compacted layer of hardcore? Cheers Chris!
Matt, did you guys consider helical piles? Would have saved all the noise from the banging. In my neighborhood, mechanical driving with hammer is NOT allowed ... would disturb the ears of tree-huggers.
Never angered to start steel piles in my life. 8"× 3/8" wall is a good choice. I have seen larger diameter thin wall piles collapse like an accordion, and make a turn and come back up through the ground 15' away. Looked like a fish hook.
Hello, What kind of Steel were the piles? I'm considering this type of foundation for my own home but want to see if I can find a suitable substitute such as well drill or casing pipe or something. Thanks for the great content
how many piles did you end up using and what was the square footage for the slab? Any specific pattern to the placement of the piles (I know you said grid; could you be more specific)? What would you have done if the house were to be raised above the slab on 9 ft beams (stilts); would you have extended the piles with reinforced concrete columns before the slab was poured in? And if the problem wasn't shallow water table, but rather sloped ground and weak silty loamy soil on porous rock bed, would the same technique be used or just rely on soil friction without going deep into the rocks by using top and bottom pile caps through raft foundation?
My cottage is about a meter off the ground, and has poles supporting it, but the concrete around the base of the poles is all cracked. Can I just dig down so the hole is about 2 feet in diameter and just fill it in with concrete? Any suggestions please?
Wow, that was really interesting. I'm curious what sort of cost jump there is going from a regular slab foundation (say if you were just building a house in the middle of Round Rock) to doing this particular set up.
I'm in similar situation in coastal area, but with marine clay going from 23 feet down to 93 feet, so conventional pilings are not an option. What I ended up going with is a Waffle or floating slab then sonotube posts.
I'm in Pensacola, Florida. I'm off the bay, but the subdivison was an inlet that was filled in with concrete,asphalt, and old sewer/stormwater pipe. SO some interesting hurdles.
Auger-cast piles are problematic in unstable soils with a shallow water table. It's often necessary to keep the hole flooded with a clay slurry during and after drilling, and all during the time that concrete is being placed, to prevent cave-in of the sidewalls (and even then, the method often fails and they have to start over), and environmental laws would surely not allow that on the shore of a lake.
We are in climate Zone 2 and it's not necessary. We AC our houses 9 months of the year. The insulation is mainly for heat loss in the cold months. That being said, I have done insulated slabs. The more efficient the Envelope, the more the slab loss contributes to heating load in the winter. Best, Matt
Most excessive case piles I've ever seen. Steel must be cheap over there. What is the purpose of such thick wall piles other than not having the capacity to bottom drive.
Just curious about reason screw piles didn’t work for this? Using screw piles for home addition and deck. Our architect says only difference is instal method
Hi Matt. Are you able to recommend the best foundation option for a clay cottage in Canada (freeze thaw cycle)? I would love to have a 4-5 crawl space using ICF and standard stick frame build for first level floor (only 1 floor at about 1050 sq ft). Thanks
In the UK any domestic project like that would usually use bottom driven case piles. Instead of needing a huge crane, a small rig repeatedly raises and drops a weight inside the hollow pile driving it down from the bottom.
Please help Matt, I have a question. My parents house is brick and on a cinderblock foundation. It sits a top 3 underground springs and so settles badly. It has a crawlspace. How would one drive I beams under the house in the crawl space in order to replace the cinderblocks that keep settlings with the ground under the house?
Matthew Niedbala not exactly: phenomenon is complex and involves multiple components, but oxygen is essential for corrosion. On speed of corrosion here is good reference: galvanizeit.org/corrosion/corrosion-process/corrosion-rate
I'm frustrated by the nay-sayers in the comments. If you want to build a luxury home, on a lake, on bad, wet soil, this is what it takes, and what it costs. You wouldn't use this system on a whim on different site. You would use it here, for people who could afford a custom home on a lake. Or you would use it on an "unbuildable" lot you got a good deal on, trading engineering and construction cost for value-add.
what does it cost?
what nay-sayers?
i understood this video really easily and i am considering purchasing a new property built on river delta. The builder says he used pre-loading as well as piles. Thanks for the info Matt.
Matt this was a great video. You always produce professionally directed/narrated videos. Please keep making more videos.
Was in Hanoi in early 90's as owner's rep for our hotel project. Shimizu, one of our short-listed construction companies invited me to observe the "Pile Driving Ceremony" for the Intercontinental Westlake Hotel. Shimizu (design/build) had opted for pile driven cast concrete solution as lower risk, lower cost solution - our engineers strongly recommended cast in place. Hanoi sits on ancient, I mean ANCIENT, alluvial plane and the hotel's location at the lake's edge was certainly problematic. So after much ceremony and fanfare, the ancient pile driver hoisted up the cast pile and started chugging away at the pile: 1st slam PUFF, 2nd slam PUFF, 3rd slam PUFF and the ENTIRE pile shot down and literally disappeared into the murky sludge of Westlake!
The hilarity of the ensuing scene is beyond to description. Shimizu PM and his engineers scurrying about, Shimizu Asia GM seething, the architect trying to make light of it, the owners obvious concern, etc. Then there was the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and even General Freaking Giap squirming about in their seats. One of the great moments in my life. We went with cast in place piles and paid the substantial premium. Haha!
Great story! Thank you for sharing.
Awesome foundation and great detailed video thanks.
That foundation is going to be absolutely indestructible.
Amazing detail ... super impressive foundation 🙂
Just the DIY project I was looking for... thanks!
lol
I like how you properly pointed out that the landscape is also pined
Yours videos are great! Thanks! Regards from Argentina
How cool! Thanks for saying Hi... Best, Matt
"No matter what If you're foundation moves, you're going to have big problems" Most rigid objects can be moved without breaking. Seems like it aught to be the same for houses.
Nice job on the vapor barrier. Very clean looking. Start right , finish well.
Very nice, clever & more affordable solution for bad soil.
That looks pretty close to a vertical well for a geothermal exchanger. You ever think to run numbers and see about sinking some of that Austin heat into the ground? Trying to make a guess based on trying to count the pipes behind you, you might have 1,000 feet of "wells" dug.
This foundation probably cost more than my whole house. Really impressive.
Pete Brown right?! Although I’m betting this is only costing a fraction in comparison to what’s being built on it.
instead of doing the slab just build the house ontop of the steel
They did not add any punching shear protection. Even a wholly welded square (cored) plate with five tacked gussets underneath would have help.
Hi i'm in Ireland doing a course in construction and the built environment which leads to me heading to university in September. Your videos are proving very helpful in completing my building technology assignments. Just one question. is the vapor layer, or as we call it damp proof course, placed directly onto the soil or is it placed onto a compacted layer of hardcore?
Cheers Chris!
It was very common back in the days. Good job.
What if you needed to have the house lifted in areas with flooding. Could you have a house lifted 5+ feet and sit on piles?
Matt, did you guys consider helical piles? Would have saved all the noise from the banging. In my neighborhood, mechanical driving with hammer is NOT allowed ... would disturb the ears of tree-huggers.
Never angered to start steel piles in my life. 8"× 3/8" wall is a good choice. I have seen larger diameter thin wall piles collapse like an accordion, and make a turn and come back up through the ground 15' away. Looked like a fish hook.
Hello, What kind of Steel were the piles? I'm considering this type of foundation for my own home but want to see if I can find a suitable substitute such as well drill or casing pipe or something. Thanks for the great content
Great video as usual Matt! Very thorough and informative. Good thing you finally got a professional cameraman! :)
Too funny! I think you were pretty good Cody! Best, Matt
how many piles did you end up using and what was the square footage for the slab? Any specific pattern to the placement of the piles (I know you said grid; could you be more specific)? What would you have done if the house were to be raised above the slab on 9 ft beams (stilts); would you have extended the piles with reinforced concrete columns before the slab was poured in? And if the problem wasn't shallow water table, but rather sloped ground and weak silty loamy soil on porous rock bed, would the same technique be used or just rely on soil friction without going deep into the rocks by using top and bottom pile caps through raft foundation?
How much did it cost for the foundation project?
The formers did a nice clean job for not having panel forms. Such a waste in material using 2x4’s/2x6’s
Fascinating!
How to build when money is no object...
did you use compacted fill in the middle of your slab to create the concrete beams
My cottage is about a meter off the ground, and has poles supporting it, but the concrete around the base of the poles is all cracked.
Can I just dig down so the hole is about 2 feet in diameter and just fill it in with concrete? Any suggestions please?
Wow, that was really interesting. I'm curious what sort of cost jump there is going from a regular slab foundation (say if you were just building a house in the middle of Round Rock) to doing this particular set up.
These piles are roughly $1300-1500 installed each
how do you put drain tiles from the inside the home? or is it not needed?
I'm in similar situation in coastal area, but with marine clay going from 23 feet down to 93 feet, so conventional pilings are not an option. What I ended up going with is a Waffle or floating slab then sonotube posts.
What part of the country are you? MR
I'm in Pensacola, Florida. I'm off the bay, but the subdivison was an inlet that was filled in with concrete,asphalt, and old sewer/stormwater pipe. SO some interesting hurdles.
Why wouldn’t you use helical piles?
Auger cast piles are faster. Don't know if they are more expensive in your area.
Auger-cast piles are problematic in unstable soils with a shallow water table. It's often necessary to keep the hole flooded with a clay slurry during and after drilling, and all during the time that concrete is being placed, to prevent cave-in of the sidewalls (and even then, the method often fails and they have to start over), and environmental laws would surely not allow that on the shore of a lake.
Could probably build a skyscraper on that thing
No insulation underneath the slab? Perhaps you don't need that in Austin, Texas.
We are in climate Zone 2 and it's not necessary. We AC our houses 9 months of the year. The insulation is mainly for heat loss in the cold months. That being said, I have done insulated slabs. The more efficient the Envelope, the more the slab loss contributes to heating load in the winter. Best, Matt
Most excessive case piles I've ever seen. Steel must be cheap over there. What is the purpose of such thick wall piles other than not having the capacity to bottom drive.
I'll take a gander: corrosion?
What's your thoughts on helical piles?
I like them, but they are rarely an option in my area. This project in particular has soil that wouldn't work with Helical Piles. Best, Matt
Just curious about reason screw piles didn’t work for this? Using screw piles for home addition and deck. Our architect says only difference is instal method
What were those giant corrugated black plastic pipes snaking through the foundation?
Drainage
do the piers rust?
How would I best build a cabin on exposed canadian shield rock ? I was thinking, steel tubes with the underside, of the cabin, exposed.
Where abouts are you Ron? We are in Canada too
Hi Matt. Are you able to recommend the best foundation option for a clay cottage in Canada (freeze thaw cycle)? I would love to have a 4-5 crawl space using ICF and standard stick frame build for first level floor (only 1 floor at about 1050 sq ft). Thanks
Greater video. Thanks! Question: is there an alternative way to drive the pile down of you do not have a crane pile driver?
Helical piles
Yes, search for "Pile driving - Thailand style"
In the UK any domestic project like that would usually use bottom driven case piles. Instead of needing a huge crane, a small rig repeatedly raises and drops a weight inside the hollow pile driving it down from the bottom.
Please help Matt, I have a question. My parents house is brick and on a cinderblock foundation. It sits a top 3 underground springs and so settles badly. It has a crawlspace. How would one drive I beams under the house in the crawl space in order to replace the cinderblocks that keep settlings with the ground under the house?
I’m no expert, but you might want to start with a geotechnical analysis of your soil.
that's a BIG house!
Wow probably raises the price by double
ooooooooooooooon the BUILD SHoooooooow
Those steel piles are going to be in permanent contact with water . Isnt that a thing to be worried?
No its not a worry, submerged steel does not rust.
The steel pipe is for casting rebar-reenforced concrete only. Even if it rusts away, it will leave rebar-reenforced piles.
You are thinking of wood rotting, which generally does not occur in constantly submerged conditions. Steel will rust in water. @@ataki11
I guess they are in oxygen-depleted environment, so corrosion is not problematic
@@Jookyforever negative. It does not rust. The steel part sticking out of the water will be subject to corrosion though.
whatever is wrong with the traditional block and cement foundation.
what is the spacing on the pile post ???
Your not building a sky scraper, it's a house. Sounds like a money making racket.
im surprised no corrosion control on the pipe
That's what I was thinking moisture /water and steel piles
They spend their life in oxygen-depleted environment, so corrosion is not of concern
Rostyslav Hermanyuk water causes corrosion of steel. You’re thinking of wood which won’t rot in water. They will last a long time tho.
Matthew Niedbala not exactly: phenomenon is complex and involves multiple components, but oxygen is essential for corrosion. On speed of corrosion here is good reference:
galvanizeit.org/corrosion/corrosion-process/corrosion-rate
to expensive
green screen btw
Amazing but $$$$$$$
They shouldn't build houses so close to lakes
"Geotentical" engineer?
Swamp Land
Really, I give all this unnecessary over capacity, expense, COST, a thumbs down. What are they building, a skyscraper? This is totally ridiculous.
that feel when your area needs at least 16m of footing