01/24/2008 8:36 PM	Quote Reply Alert
Wow, what an example of how regional ICF tecnics or footings are different from one world to the next! Glad to see you diversified and figured a great way to start ICF without footings present. Thinking out of the box is productive. Dave

Thought I would start a new thread, wanted to leave 2008 WOC for new products


Dave,

Thanks for the compliment, it's one of those things that when I started I asked people about it, everyone heard of it, but no one had done it (Sorta like cow tipping, everyone knows someone who did it, but never did it themselves!!), I approached an engineer and he said go for it.

For bragging rights, you wouldn't believe how many people built step footings all over solid rock, you wouldn't believe how many jobs I won the bid on because I was THOUSANDS of dollars less - no footiing required.

Come to California - AKA Earthquake Central - Start bidding jobs, send in RFI and people think I'm nuts, you can't do that...haha...GeoTech runs the calcs, sends it to engineer and voila, this job were starting right now saved the customer over $ 20,000.00 in footing costs, originally engineer spec'd footing at 6' wide x 1'6 thick with cages on backfill areas and 2'6 to 5' wide x 1'6 thick with cages on non backfill areas and anywhere there was a point load or minimal wall between openings he had 3'6x3'6x3' pads with cages...absolutely ridiculous. Dig the test pits and solid rock between 8" and 24" below existing grade, submitted the RFI and here we are.



Who else has the tricks and secrets???

Oh yes I have done this for years.(cad is nice) I found inside corners are they way to go.

You don't even need to draw it out if you don't have auto cad just use a construction calculate.(run and rise) write it on the plan.

Guys I have an excellent tip I conjured up but it works the best with certain forms and only if the alignment doesn't stick up higher than the wall. Many years of training new starts I usually got all walls up 3 courses along with the shortest window wall with buck & bracing before moving on for the day. I always talked my customer through the last of the project and left them with detailed instructions of the remainder of the job. I then would come back an hour before the pour to inspect and then help them pour along with straightening the walls etc. Many times I showed up and the walls where not strung yet and I watched as people leaned over the outside and screwed string blocking to the outside, both sides of the corner. They would continue in this matter until all blocks where fastened that where necessary. If they where smart they would understand that most blocks on outside corners would simply stay there due to a tight line and friction. These blocks where generally 2x something in stead of lets say 1/2 inch.

Once poured I would again help with the straightening and lean out with that 2x checker block and show the customer how to adjust the walls. On some occasions, the customer thought they where even smarter by extending the blocks up in the air 4-5 inches higher than the wall and stringing it up there in no-mans land. After many years of watching these crude method's we switched to Build Block. One day I realized because of BB design there was a much easier way that will work with all forms but there's more effort involved.

We now simply place a screw in any outside corner block in the existing tie. Next take your saw and place a cut about 3/4 deep at the intersection between the first nub(positive) and the second groove (negative) from the inside corner. Place this cut on both sides of the inside corner and eyeball the same locations and cut on the opposite side. This would be at about 11.5" inches from the outside corner (11" form) and this cut doesn't have to line up exactly with the inside cuts. This will only take 20 minutes or so for all outside corners only. Next place the loop from your string on that screw head and go either direction and come threw the first slot on the exterior face closest to the screw, follow directly across the form and threw the inner one opposite of the first one you went through. Now head for the next corner with string in tow and go through that same slot in second corner that lines up with the first, simply rap the string around outside corner of second block and go threw the other slots on opposite side and head for next corner. You will also have corners that point in (inside corners) that you will only be going around the corner towards the next corner minus the slots. When completed your string will tie to the screw you stated with. Yes one screw, you will have to either put 1/2 shims under the strings at inside corners or in the case of BB bust of a nub and place as your shim. Now your string is paralleling the inside by 1/2 inch everywhere and took about 2 hours less (diy). This method gives the diy a better understanding on bowing their walls in pre-pour and allows you to straighten the walls out without leaning over the out side. It also allows for one last check from the ground instead of from the alignment which is a problem with some systems that have deflection.

This method works great and might seam complicated until you try it! Most would have to mark that 1/2 spot on the inside corners or follow there positives in a different manner, again this only works when the alignment is lower than top of wall. And yes you will lose .50 cents of string if left in after final adjustment.

Dave, I also sell BB forms and find it useful to use the corner PVC holes to string line from corner to corner by leaving the PVC about 4" long.

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't thought about it but will probably do that also since I'm going to be using BB. Oops, I've go a couple of walls that go from outside corner to inside corner. Suppose I can line up the wall against a diagonal sting???? Spoofing, of course.

This waiting for ground to thaw is driving me batty! On the other hand, if I spend enough time on these forums bantering about how to do things I might just become an expert without ever laying down a block!! :-)