After a week of wet and then snowy weather, we finally re-excavated the holes (I won’t bore you with anymore of that) our concrete pro’s (Al Dix Concrete – this is the third project he’s done for me and I always rely on a professional when it comes to any concrete work) came in and set the eleven 12 inch piers in about 2 or 3 hours. I was told the concrete is 5000+ psi which is overkill for this project, but that’s typical.

Just a note on concrete – NEVER, EVER use that “quick-crete” stuff from the big box store that says to just pour it dry and add water later. If you do, your tubes will crumble  into useless monuments. If you are mixing the concrete yourself, rent a concrete mixer and use Sakrete Concrete Mix 4000lb or Sakcrete Contractors 5000. Check your local codes for rebar requirements.

According to the Sonotube instructions, these 12″ piers should support about 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per square foot in clay soil. Just an FYI: Sandy & gravel soils have a bearing resistance of 3,000 to 5,000 lbs/sf while clay soils have a lesser bearing resistance of about 1,500 to 2,000 lbs/sf.

So, if you are in clay soil, always go with the 12″ sonotubes. Only use 10″ sonotubes if you are in sandy or gravel soils. Never use 8″ sonotubes for building foundations (unless it’s a lightweight kids playhouse or jungle gym).  8″ sonotubes alone just don’t have the footprint to keep the foundation from sinking unless you are directly on bedrock or are using bell footings. Just go bigger – it’ll pay off in the end.

The hot tub is now back in it’s final position. It is placed on top of two sheets of 4×8 3/4″ treated plywood.This helps spread the weight a bit and acts as a cushion.

The next step is to begin framing out the floor base (deck) which will support the walls and roof structure, but we still need to wait about 7 days for the piers to cure properly.  We are also waiting on delivery of the building materials and engineered trusses.

Our weather calls for rain over the next few days, so we have tarped the entire work area to prevent too much water from ruining our freshly poured piers. No more backbreaking jack hammering or post hole digging. AMEN! Stay tuned for more….

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