Foundation to Post Connections Part Four

[Jim_Rogers]

I just got back from the raising at the new visitor's center in NH.
There I saw a different type of post to foundation connection.
Here is a shot of the post base with a steel plate:



(The router in the background was used to chamfer this slot to allow room for the weld at the base of the bar. You can see this chamfer around the slot).

This one inch thick plate has a bar welded to the top that is inserted into a slot cut into the bottom of the post. They put a piece of self sticking roofing material between the steel and the post bottom to prevent any moisture from wicking up into the post bottom from the steel or concrete below. Then the steel base plate was bolted to the post using one inch bolts through holes drilled in the sides:



To locate the spot for the bolt holes in the steel center bar a special punch was made and used to mark the center bar. Then the holes were drilled threw the center bar on site.

When the frame is standing these post base plates will sit on another plate this has been set into the concrete slab floor.
This floor plate has a stirrup on the bottom that was attached to re-bar in the concrete below. Once all the post are aligned the base plate will be welded to the floor plate.

Further pictures of the frame will follow, soon.
Jim Rogers

[DanG]

Now we're cooking, Jim. That looks like an excellent system that should past muster most anywhere.  I'll look forward to more pics and info soon. :P

[Jim_Rogers]

I had all intentions of showing in full detail how this slot was cut into the bottom of the post.
I took step by step photos of the Timber Framer with his home made jig he used to hold his chain saw flat and level to make this slot. It was an impressive jig.
But I had problems with my camera right after the above photos.
Here is a shot of the chain saw and jig:

But as you can see the camera was a bit fuzzy!
I changed batteries and checked all the settings and everything was fine, but I couldn't get it to work at all the rest of the day, yesterday. Today it works fine. Why, I don't know?
It could be one of those things, "we may never know".

I wouldn't waste any more of our time posting blurry pictures but I hope to get a set from a local newspaper photographer who promised he'd send out some of the ones he took.
I'll be traveling back up to the site tomorrow, with this camera and a spare, to pick up a timber framer friend still there and I hope to get some more shots of the completed frame.

If my camera(s) are still working correctly and the timber framer with the chain saw jig is still there, I'll ask him if I can get another set of photos of the jig. He invented it, and doesn't intend to patent it. I told him I intended to post these photos of his jig on this site, and post his name, business name and location, and he said it would be alright with him, if I did (I wanted to give him credit for his invention).
 I could draw it some time, but why bother if I can get a photo of a working model.

DanG, what more info were you looking for?
Jim

[C_Miller]

How thick was the steel plate? and how does the steel get fastened to the foundation?  I like that system, it's not purist but it looks rock solid.

C

[blue_eyed_devil]

This one inch thick plate has a bar welded to the top that is inserted into a slot cut into the bottom of the post

When the frame is standing these post base plates will sit on another plate this has been set into the concrete slab floor.
This floor plate has a stirrup on the bottom that was attached to re-bar in the concrete below. Once all the post are aligned the base plate will be welded to the floor plate.

[Jim_Rogers]

Saturday morning when I returned to the site, four of the six bents had been raised and here is two pictures of the post base plate tack welded to the floor plate:



And a side view:




Unfortunately I didn't see the timber framer with the chain saw jig used to cut the slot, so I don't have any more pictures of it.

Jim