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Steve Campbell User is Offline

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08/10/2009 9:03 PM
Working on a house with ICF walls. We need to install a couple of 3.25"x14" glulam beams for the carport that will be attached to the ICF wall and sit on a column. What is the standard method to attach these beams to the ICF walls? Can you remove some of the exterior foam and use a Simpson Strong tie type connector attached to the concrete with Tapcon screws instead of nails? Any other ideas?

ICFconstruction User is Offline

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08/10/2009 9:15 PM
Half of the Simpson Strongties are to be installed before the ICFs are poured. A concrete chainsaw would be the strongest solution. But depending on you load you could use the ICF connect retro http://www.icfconnect.com/retro.htm, it looks like it will handle 1740# in the USA. If the load is very little you could fasten a plate to support the beam, check with the ICF manufacturer for best screw and shear of each one, then do the math to get how many screws are needed.

Brad Kvanbek - ICFconstruction.net

dmaceld

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08/11/2009 12:08 AM
I had the same situation with four beams for my front porch. I don't think there is a standard solution. First, keep in mind that good practice says don't have untreated wood in direct contact with concrete. I put in foam forms, or something of the sort, in the ICF block to create a pocket in the concrete for the end of the beam. After the wall was poured and the concrete set up I cut the foam out from in front of the pocket. I then set the end of the beam in the pocket with the end wrapped in duct tape! You could use tar paper, but duct tape was easier! After the beam was lined up and anchored to the top of the column I poured epoxy concrete bolt anchor material in around the end of the beam in the pocket. I nailed a Simpson Strongtie strap to the top of the beam and to the top and inside edge of the wall sill plate. The top of the porch beam was level with the sill plate on top of the ICF wall. It looked a little bit rough when I was finished, and maybe not convential, but it works. It was all covered by finishing material so in the end looked plenty OK.

Building house - what a way to spend retirement! It's done! We're living in it!

Alton

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08/11/2009 11:25 AM
This may have been discussed before but what are the chances that the ICF blocks will settle and the anchors installed in the ICF blocks before the concrete placement are no longer at the same elevation as before the concrete placement. I have not had this problems with vertical forms but I know that braces reflect settlement of ICF blocks during placement. Has anyone had this problem? If so, then how much did the blocks settle. In other words, how much off were the clips in the walls. I am thinking about the single piece type of clip and not the two piece that allow adjustment.

Alton C. Keown Residential Designer and Construction Technology Consultant Auburn, Alabama E-mail: alton at auburn dot edu

Cattail Bill User is Offline

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08/14/2009 4:30 PM
Icf Connect makes a braket to install when you have a oops but it works when your having an after thought also.

James Eggert User is Offline

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08/17/2009 8:31 PM
It sounds like someone designed the carport to use the beams to carry the roof, simple! Why not ask the designer to turn the framing orientation so either a thinner glulam or lvl is attached to the ICF wall and the other carrying glulam sits on 2-3 columns? Then its simple infill framing with joist hangars? I have cut pockets after the fact, and it can be done, albeit carefully, however, I have also installed ledgers flat to the ICF wall, with the appropriate required spacer AND the proper sized threaded rod set in epoxy. Its only a matter of someone understanding the dynamics of loading a carrying beam/ledger when there is 2 1/2" of foam preventing direct contact with the concrete! "What is the standard method to attach these beams to the ICF walls? The proper way is called "prior proper planning"! There are always ways to fix something which generally requires more labor after the fact instead of preparing for what is needed in the beginning!

Take Care Jim Design/Build/Consulting "Not So Big" Design Proponent

Jerry Coombs User is Offline

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08/18/2009 12:24 PM
Metal hangers are often attached to a concrete wall after the concrete is cured. Sometimes it's done that way by design. In commercial construction it is often done that way because it is cheaper to attach them after the fact than to spend the time trying to locate a block out. I expect you can find a good hanger for it, but I doubt the tapcons will be the answer. An epoxy type anchor will be the better design for large loads.

Jerry D. Coombs, P.E. Coombs Engineering services

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