Thermal Foundation Considerations

[moxnix]

Has anyone used stone as a thermal isolator under the foundation of continuous furnaces, kilns, or other high temperature processes? There is evidence that heat from continuous kilns can, over time, cause certain types of supporting soils to "dry out" and result in serious foundation settlements. Thanks for your help. moxnix

 

[Focht3]

Heat sources do dry out soils - particularly clays. I've seen three approaches tried: insulate, isolate, and modify. If your temperatures in the soil aren't too high, you can insulate the ground with styrofoam or similar insulator. Or support the oven on deep footings and raise the oven off the floor to provide an air gap. You can also isolate the oven's foundation from the surrounding floor, and pour it higher than the adjacent floor (with the height based on prior site experience. This will have to be replaced at some point.) Or you can modify the ground by removing the problem soils and replacing them with something that is thermally "inert'.