Steel piers & new construction

[Mark440]

I have used the steel piers to replace a few problematic block piers under my place. So far, they seem to work just fine. I really LIKE that they are adjustable !!!

I am wanting to build a workshop (12 x 20) that sits level with my deck. The deck surface is about 33" above ground at the planned area. I am thinking about using the adjustable 14" steel piers set on individual concrete pads (set below frost line) to support the main beams. Of course, I would need to use some tie downs, etc. There are 4 beams (double 2x10x20) spaced at 3.5 feet. Floor joists are 2x8x12's placed 16" OC.

Anyone done anything similar with these steel piers?

[Greg]

Are you planning on attaching it to your home? If not I would question the need to use an adjustable pier (or even a pier system) If the pads are below frost line you should need to adjust the piers since it should not settle or shift. I think I would go with sono tubes and level them when you pour the concrete.

Greg

[Mark440]

Workshop will not be attached in any way to house or deck. The main doors to the workshop will open outward - over the deck. I figured the workshop would do some settling and I would need to re-level - especially at the door area. Hence the adjustable piers would make this a whole lot easier.

My tractor can't handle a 12" auger (I have a 9" on it) so to use sonotube I would have to hand dig the rest of the holes. (Is this where I start whining??). I guess i was looking for an easier way to support the beams rather than an "in-ground" system. Frost line is maybe 6" around here.

[Greg]

Should be able to rent an auger for around $50., at that point you could jump to 18"-24" . If you go down 3' with the tube there should be little if any settling. You could always do a good old fashion block foundation.

Greg

[JD]

I have built add-on rooms using MH adjustable steel piers. I really can't advise on the frost line/concrete pad question as I have not worked in that situation. But I feel the piers are a breeze to work with. There are margins of error in everything we build and I find being able to readjust level after the floor is framed to be a good thing. They are also pretty cheap when you count the labor involved. We used 4x8 beams and 2x6 floor joists. What you are planning should be very stout. You might want to check code on the doubled 2x beams though. One pain in the neck was keeping the underbelly material laid out nice and flat between the beams and joists while building. Not a big deal. You can lift the floor and pull the underbelly tight before anchoring the joists to the beams and attaching the undebelly to the bottom of the floor joists. Per code, the beams were set at 48" oc or less, with piers 60" oc or less.

[Greg]

One thing that I thought of and forgot to add is the code. The official in your area may his own ideas on the subject, you may want to get his opinion on the subject. It's easier to get a good relationship before you start rather than play catch up.

Greg