# Preparing land for a pole barn.



## murryd

I'll be running a large mini excavator for the first time in about a week and I thought I'd begin my research by tapping into this fine resource. 

My goal is to get the sight some what level this fall, plant some grass to protect my work and then begin the building after this winter. 

Cleared area is around 80' by 100' and I want to level 50' by 80'. Current fall as around foot, foot and half. 

I have access to a transit and I was planning to set up some string lines around the perimeter to serve as a rough visual aid, is that a good idea?

Thanks,
Daniel


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## murryd

The thread is titled pole barn, but it will actually be a post and frame building with a poured floor. 
40' by 60'


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## Thomas

Thats one heck of shed.
What the ceiling height going to measure at?


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## pogobill

Lines are good, but you may also want to mark a bit of a grid on the pad area with a few "X's" and maybe even a few stakes and mark how much cut or filling you'll need. If you take a few shots with the transit within the pad area, it'll give you a better feel for what you have.
Batter boards are good as well, but would be a bit early for that right now if you are just smoothing things out and getting somewhat level.
Do you have frost issues?


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## murryd

Thanks guys. Not sure on ceiling height. More than 12 and less than 15. Once the roof is up, I'll form up for the pad using the posts which of course will effect the ceiling height. 

Thanks for the advice on the grid. That will help for sure. As far as frost goes. The rule of thumb for this area as around 18 inches or so. 

Used my old gravely to knock down the weeds on the build site yesterday morning. Getting ready.


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## Thomas

Log w/pics.


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## pogobill

Are you building it with the poles buried in the ground? They won't let us do that up here anymore. I had to excavate down 5' to get below the frost.... or quit when I hit bedrock. Then I had to build concrete piers to stand the poles / timbers on.


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## murryd

That's a great question. I haven't applied for a permit yet, but was planning on calling to get some information regarding requirements for this type of construction. 

So, your piers had to extend above grade?


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## pogobill

Actually, I have a goodbit of drainage where I build my barn. I trenched out along each row of pole footings, and tied the end of them together with another trench. I installed a 30" round footing form and a sono tube centered where the posts would go, installed weeping / drain pipe in the treches to take any water away, filled everything with gravel, then poured the concrete up to about 6" below grade. I anchored my posts to the concrete piers, then tied the bottoms of the posts in with pressure treated 2 x 6.... one either side, then backfilled to the top of the 2 x 6 with more gravel.
Seeing as you are pouring a floor at some point in the future, you could set the top of your piers at 2" above the final elevation of your floor, and that would keep your posts high and dry. I've seen others that pour the post to the hieght of th bottom of their slab, pour the floor on top, then start with the timber posts..... Others just build their pole building, then backfill the inside to final grade, - 4" then pour a concrete slab.
You'd have to talk to your local people and see what is done in your area.

If you check out my thread "Big Pine Ranch" in the home and garden section... the #13 post will show what I did with my building.


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## Hoodoo Valley

pogobill said:


> I hand to build concrete piers to stand the poles / timbers on.


Much better idea if you ask me as opposed to dropping the wood in the ground.


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## murryd

Thanks for the great info and nice read with you ongoing thread there. Those sure are some pretty buildings you've got there.


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## murryd

I don't disagree that it may be a better practice to Set the post on piers or do a monolithic poor for the footings and slab with posts bolted to the slab. However, one of the advantages of having the post in the ground is the overall strength it provides the building's structure or so I've been told. I'll do some local research on my codes and let you know what I find out. 

On the subject of burying the post, a pole barn supplier informed me that the post won't rot If it's protected (wrapped) done to 24 inches deep. Can anyone back that information up? It would be much appreciated. 

Thanks.


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## pogobill

Traditional pole barns / buildings are done by setting the poles in the ground.... a lot more stability than what I have done. 
In my neck of the woods, they just don't allow it, whether it be rotting poles in the future, or frost pushing the poles out of the ground. 

There are a few things you can do, and one is wrap them like you mentioned. I've heard of guys placing them in double sono tubes, gravel in the bottom for drainage, concrete in the sono tube around the post, and then make sure you grease between the two sono tubes so that if there is any ground movement, the ground will not lift the pole out of the ground.
Good drainage is the key, I think. best to research what is done in your area, a building inspector may have some good suggestions.

My father built a summer place on the lake when I was a kid. It was built on a pretty steep slope. The back of the building was on the ground, but the front was supported on 8' cedar posts, 3 in the ground and 5 out. I swung by the old place a couple of years ago and it's just as good as it was 55 years ago.


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## murryd

Thank you Bill. Good to hear the testimony of how well that building had held up. My buddy dropped off a 60d mini excavator for me to play with last weekend I was able to get the site real close. Had a lot fun doing too.


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## pogobill

Looks like you did a great job with that 60d. It will be a good head start for when you start your building. By the way, that old timer who's lap you're sitting on... is that your dad?


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## murryd

Thanks Bill. Not sure I understand your question. 
That's my son on my lap and he's two and half.


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## BelarusBulldog

murryd said:


> Thanks Bill. Not sure I understand your question.
> That's my son on my lap and he's two and half.


Great job you're doing so far with that mini. I think pogobill was referring to you as the old timmer, and giving the work credit to your son!


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## jhngardner367

Looks good,so far Murryd !Keep the pics coming !


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## murryd

BelarusBulldog said:


> Great job you're doing so far with that mini. I think pogobill was referring to you as the old timmer, and giving the work credit to your son!


Haha. Thanks for clearing that up. Micah actually sat with me in the cab for an hour as we worked until he was ready to do something else. Not bad for 2-1/2, I didn't know what to expect, but didn't think he'd last that long. He's 2-1/2 going on 10. I hung the bucket on a root at one point and Micah informed me that the bucket was stuck. "Daddy, the bucket's stuck, the bucket's stuck"
We had a ball.


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## murryd

jhngardner367 said:


> Looks good,so far Murryd !Keep the pics coming !


Thank you sir! I still hope to purchase the JD 4100 to help me finish the job.


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