dowels from piers to foundation

[scherry]

someday I am going to ask a "smart" question instead of a dumb one, I swear... Why would you NOT want to tie a pier to a foundation? (moderate to highly plastic soils). I guess you can resist uplift of the building frame with the slab and grade beams, but if you do have soil movement that causes heave, and you are not resisting it at the piers, what good are the piers doing after the soil heaves? I have never seen this particular call out before.

Thanks for any enlightenment!

 

[Focht3]

The idea is that the piers prevent settlement, while the beams provide flexural stiffness. By casting these elements independent of one another, you avoid damage to both if the soils heave.

That's the theory, anyway.



Please see FAQ731-376 for great suggestions on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.