Burying conex

[trimguy]

So, how about this? Take the cement stacking blocks ( not concrete 8 x 16 blocks ) , a guy said he thought They were 2' x 3' x 4 or 5 foot and stack them up for walls, tar of the outside with foundation coat , Put 6" x 6" 's across the top with steel decking and pour concrete.I would like to do about 15 foot inside of wall to inside of wall. That would be the span for the 6 x 6. I know there is a beam calculator, I looked at it I'm not really sure what numbers I need to type in. I would like to know if the 6" x 6" 's
Would be strong enough for approximately 4 inches of concrete and the dirt. My ground is sand and I don't know how much that weighs I can find out later today how much concrete Weighs. I will be using Southern Pine , there was different ones listed in the chart I'm not sure which one I am have. So is this as clear as mud ?

[nativewolf]

Know nothing of your county zoning but I expect the farmer to win, lots of farmer right to farm groups to keep suburban and urban zoning rules from hurting farmers.  That said, 3.5 acres probably won't fall into farm use, at least around here.  You'd have to get livestock, or honey bees, or something intensive (berries, etc) to show some income from ag and the new storage would need to be ag.  What a PITA if all you want is a shop.  If you have actual steep earth banks I'd turn the shop into a bank barn assuming that the rules are related to the footprint of the building rather than the sqft.  Pour some new footings, put up some heavier posts, string across some new trusses that can handle the weight, add a second floor and have it be a earth berm up to the second floor.  Might be a bit more expensive but you'd have another 1600 of storage.  Don't do this unless your shop was grandfathered in the zoning rules ie is the shop older than the zoning rules limiting storage to less than 1200sqft.  


Other options  First move:  The good news/bad news is that areas with such zoning have seen pretty strong price appreciation so maybe moving is the better option and the property has appreciated in value enough to allow you to purchase something in an adjacent more rural area?

Second option:  put up a temporary shelter- a tent.  Usually these are exempted but check, they make some pretty stout temporary shelters.  

Third option:  Connect the storage to your house.  Do you have a home on the 3.5 acres?  Get a building permit and add a new garage, if physically connected there is little zoning wise to prevent you, just follow the rules but keep it connected.  This may increase/decrease your resale value so be careful.  

Don't try to hide a structure from you county, with the imaging available today they can literally be watching your progress (see pictometry for example -which is actual captured by planes and is available is super high resolutions to govt employees vs what we can see as consumers-which is already amazing).  If your neighbors care, and you never know, the county could enforce an order to remove the container and what a PITA that would be.  

On a side note, I use tools like pictometry to scout forested tracts, resolutions amazing and many counties offer it as part of the gis service available to public.

[trimguy]

Even more to think about. Yes, ideally I'd love to own 100 acres . I am familiar with the GIS and the pictures of the properties. Here is a picture standing in front of my shop looking back in the general location I'd like to put this other building.

[trimguy]

Concrete is 42 pounds a square foot at 4" thick.

[Iwawoodwork]

About 15 years ago I saw a couple of Conex boxes buried in a hummock near Christmas Valley sand dunes in central Oregon, doors were open and I did not see any rust holes, soil sandy, area is high desert so relatively dry. In your last photo it looks like the soil may be sandy = good drainage. If soil and drainage are right go for it.  would make a good "root cellar" for you.

[Bruno of NH]

I would do the waste concrete blocks.
Set on 1 1/2 crushed stone.
Parge the outside of the blocks with roofing tar.
6×6 16" oc with 2x roof decking.
Cover the 2x deck with rubber roof membrane. 
Then add you dirt.

[Don P]

Not knowing the loads being designed for aside, that would still be a building. I'd ask for a zoning variance.

[mike_belben]

Do they put a limit on how much property tax you can have or just storage space?  


Id build a nice 'for sale' sign. 

[Don P]

I did point out to our zoning commission that I had added several million dollars of taxable buildings to the tax base in the neighboring county that they were not allowing. With what is going on with the local farmer and you, and with the advice you are hearing here to leave their fair county, it may not hurt to point out their decisions could be harming them as well as you.

[trimguy]

I just don't see buying another piece of property is is in the cards right now. Ideally I would love to own a bigger chunk of land than I do now. I will ask around and see if  I can find out who to present my case to. That might give me some lee way. If I can get a variance, I'll probably still need to put it in the bank because of the slope of my ground. Is it realistic to think the 6 x 6 Joyce would hold forward to the concrete to put the dirt on for the ceiling? If I get a variance I can do concrete walls of out of the dirt with a tin roof, but if I covered it with dirt, like a first thought I think it would help with the heat and the Georgia summer.?

[Don P]

No, that would not even be close for the span and load. If this is to be dry storage is there some compelling reason to put the roof underground? That is not a recipe for cheap or dry. The walls are not a big hurdle but the roof would be.

[trimguy]

No I guess there isn't. That's the way the plan started, and then I thought well it would be a lot cooler in there in the summertime maybe that part of the plan would be still be good a good idea. I appreciate everybody's thoughts And the comments. Even if it's not what I want to hear😁 . I guess if I can't find the right person to talk to, I have to wait till Can upgrade to another piece of property somewhere else.

[Don P]

Edit;
Just to throw a little bit out there, for a typical 40psf floor load it requires 2x12's on 16" centers to make that span and load. A 2x12 has roughly twice the bending strength of a 6x6. I do not know how much dirt you are talking about but you would need to design for a heavier waterproof deck and the weight of the dirt thoroughly saturated during a frog strangler.

Are you in the county or a town's jurisdiction? Post that here or find their zoning ordinance and commission online, that procedure should be posted there.

[trimguy]

I am in Richmond County Georgia. It's Augusta/Richmond County, I don't know all the details, my understanding is if you years ago Augusta annexed Richmond County because the commissioners wasted all the money and Needed more tax money. 1 - 2 x 12 has roughly the same bending strength as a 6 x 6 ?

[Don P]

No, a 2x12 has roughly twice the bending strength of a 6x6. "Deeper is cheaper".

Here are some Augusta zoning links and how to apply for a variance;
Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) | Augusta, GA - Official Website

This is a copy of your Comprehensive Plan;
https://www.augustaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8388/Comprehensive-Zoning-Ordinance---November-2019?bidId=

Do you know how the property is currently zoned, look at pages 1-3, 1-4 on the comp Plan for zoning designations, then deeper in the document should be listed allowable uses under that designation. If you are in an R don't mention business, this is a hobby.

[trimguy]

.I'm I meant twice ( that's what you wrote ) it just seemed at 1/3 the width the it would not have been that much stronger, to me. Wow, thank you for all the links I will try to look at them this afternoon. Maybe this is not a dead subject for me then. Thank you

[Don P]

You appear to be R-1 from our pm's, double check that with the county and familiarize yourself with the rules in the comp plan. If it is that, it is section 8 under accessory structures but also read the setback rules. Respect those, you probably won't get both a building variance and a setback variance. If you are running a wood business or anything other than a in home service like haircutting or tax prep in an R1 I'd abandon all hope and keep my mouth shut, you are probably already on very thin ice. For hobby there is some grace but don't expect much. Search the comp plan for sawmill language, some do understand that a home mill is not heavy industrial but most don't. The accessory language is oppressive and crazy there. Sometimes it just takes nicely explaining the other point of view to people who mean well but haven't thought through every possibility. If you do ask for variance your relationship with your neighbors is a very big factor, they will be informed and allowed to weigh in.

[trimguy]

I am self-employed, but my office is elsewhere. I don't sell any wood or wood products. I may be on thin ice though, because of my other shop.Thank you very much for your help in this matter.