soil bearing capacity in an area
soil bearing capacity in an area
(OP)
I am building a home. TO calculate the foundation base width I need an estimate, at least, of the soil bearing capacity. The ground is frozen here in Minnesota and the site is not ready. I cannot do an soil penetration testing etc. so I'm wondering where I can get data from some source . . . FOR bearing capacity in the area from tests done by others building homes. Suggestions on who or what organization to call? sandy soil, but I can get the official type also. (easy guys, I'm a mech engineer). THANKS!





RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Settlement is the principal issue and the presence of undocumented fill where new homes are proposed is quite common in the vast swamp land called Minnesota. I would focus on that and get a local soils engineer to evaluate the soils when the basement/foundations are dug. Boring are nice also to see what is under the home location prior to starting any excavation. You could be lucky and be in an all sand area north of the Twin Cities or in a man made level lot with clay fill next to a wetland.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Can you please expand on your point about watching for loose backfill in utility trenches? thanks.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
One good thing in MN is that footings will be relatively deep so the surficial soils will not be a major problem. However, it is common to find poor soil conditions at frost depth as the result of someone filling in a hole years ago or leveling a sloping lot.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
As to what to do about that utility trench, well probably nothing needed. If it is typically only a few feet deeper than the footing grade and maybe bucket width, the wall will span it. The footing will do a little, but mainly the wall is the "beam".
I like to put some steel Re-bar inte wall mainly to control an possible cracks that occur later (concrete shrinks you know). I have them add at lest one re bar top and another ner the bottom of wall. Re-bar in footing helps, but beam depth is so much ess than the wall.
I like to check that the foundation soil si firm using a1/2" rod shoved in by hand. If it goes easy, that is bad news. Having a local geotech to check this is good insurance however.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
I spent all day yesterday till dark clearing trees, brush, and thorn bushes-- beat and scratched to hell today! I appreciate all your input! Regards, Brian
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
In glacial country I know of two cases where "a boulder was moved". Later foundations there settled, indicating they didn't replace that zone with compacted soil.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Sorry, I'm not much into GPS. However, do that Google search for Elk River geology and maps come up with general descriptions of what the map symbols have. There even is a many page pdf file of the glacial geology of that area.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Many houses built on sidehills are done wrong and suffer problems that are hard to correct. You need a good geotechnical engineer. Definitely not the cheapest one available.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
NOTE the area where the hill lies in labelled GC from the website. (http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/715)
It appears the house will be sitting about 40 ft North of the southern edge of the Superior Lobe-- ice sheet furthest advance. Here is explanation of the ice sheets:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/92zs7sghxp0mmku/ice%20sh...
Here is a sat view of the property, too. With the home placement shown: https://www.dropbox.com/s/a77dd00h9t3uags/home%20p...
Really sandy soil beneath the upper humous, black top soil in the forest. Hill is forest, slopes down to grassland.
According to the U of MN website (Oldest Guy guided me to) the bottom of this 20 ft hill is apparently at the interface of where two Pleistocene ice sheets met. Here is the details of the materials on my land on the hill, the Superior Lobe:
Till/sand complex (Pleistocene)—A mixture of sediments including till, ice- contact sand and gravel, and minor lacustrine deposits; modified by subglacial processes. Superior lobe deposits are mixed with, or thinly overlain by, sediments of the Grantsburg sublobe. Topography is collapsed and irregular; abundant elongate ridges.
And the Des Moines Lobe left this stuff:
Sediment deposited by ice of the northwest-source Des Moines lobe—Deposits contain abundant gray, siliceous shale fragments. The till color is variable but typically is yellow-brown where oxidized.
MORE details: Yesterday I was meeting with the gravel pit owner ON SITE and he had a drilling crew mapping out his gravel in the forest just NORTH of me. They found there is about 15 ft of clay covering his 25 ft thick gravel source. On the ground at the bore hole was a big pile of the cleanest, purest sand. Nice and moist, uniform sand. Likely between the clay and the just hit gravel they were pounding into.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Yesterday I was looking at used 4WD Kubota's and Deeres. I need both a snow and dirt blade and a bucket, at least. How many hours should I settle for on a used one? No clue. The biggest piece of equip I have is my lawnboy-- SELF PROPELLED THOUGH! Cutting trees and thorn bushes(esp the ones with rose bush like thorns!) is tough with chain saws and a brush cutter. It would be REALLY good to have a brush hog.
RE: soil bearing capacity in an area
Bye