Progress update on my foundation

[zzPaulzz]

My insulated foundation is almost ready for steels. What do you think? Lots of gap filling with off cuts going on. 

[BotusBuild]

Do have appropriate foam (specified by insulation supplier) to fill those gaps to complete the insulation layer?

[Redbeard]

Are the top 2 layers (under the rake) stacked or laid? If the latter, why the through-joints? Of course joints should, in practice , be so tight as to be non-existent, but in any case joints are generally staggered. I would be ripping out those 'trimmings'. Yes, I am all for economy, but those are just joints which will not be filled properly (maybe, perhaps...)

[IanR]

Why the timber formers? Do you not have access to EPS formers? Is the plan to apply EPS sheet to the upstand, once the timber formers are removed?

[zzPaulzz]

Nope. Those are for forming the outer ring beam (needed for a brick plinth) in place. The house frame sits on an inner ring beam.  

[zzPaulzz]

@BotusBuild I’ll ask. This insulation will be covered with DPM and there are complete layers under the made-up layers so I’m not entirely sure I should worry about them. 
@Redbeard that was my immediate reaction but now I’m wondering if I’m being fussy when in practice this reuse of off-cuts is just efficient good practice. There are two layers of steel mesh and 175mm concrete on top so perhaps not structurally relevant? 

Edited Wednesday at 19:24 by zzPaulzz

[IanR]

13 minutes ago, zzPaulzz said:

Nope. Those are for forming the outer ring beam (needed for a brick plinth) in place. The house frame sits on an inner ring beam.  

Ah, OK, Inner upstand not built yet - be interesting to see how you build that up and support it. You could have done the outer ring beam with formers too, to save all that timber work.

[zzPaulzz]

The idea is that the XPS upstand provides the former for the inner beam. 

[Nickfromwales]

59 minutes ago, IanR said:

Ah, OK, Inner upstand not built yet - be interesting to see how you build that up and support it. You could have done the outer ring beam with formers too, to save all that timber work.

Yup. That's what most do, and its quick and easy vs all that woodwork! 

 

That's a whopper of a footing for those brick walls?

 

Oh, and.....

 

3 hours ago, zzPaulzz said:

My insulated foundation is almost ready for steels. What do you think?

Looking good 👍. Blood, sweat & beers.

[IanR]

34 minutes ago, zzPaulzz said:

The idea is that the XPS upstand provides the former for the inner beam. 

 

 

Yeah, I understood that from the 3D, looks like x3 230mm wide strips of 150mm thick XPS. That looks tricky to keep in place during the pour, or is another set of timber formers going to be constructed to back it all up.

 

Your Engineer doesn't appear to have made it easy for you, or perhaps there's some benefit that's not immediately apparent.

[Redbeard]

1 hour ago, zzPaulzz said:

eard that was my immediate reaction but now I’m wondering if I’m being fussy when in practice this reuse of off-cuts is just efficient good practice. There are two layers of steel mesh and 175mm concrete on top so perhaps not structurally relevant? 

 

It's not the structural soundness I was worried about - It's the holes in the insulation. Small, yes, but if it has concrete in it it is not insulation.

[zzPaulzz]

Me too. There’s a layer of DPM to go across the insulation before the concrete (blue dashed line) so that should stop any concrete penetration. This is my air tightness layer as well as it laps over the upstand and is taped to the walls. 

[zzPaulzz]

53 minutes ago, IanR said:

 

Yeah, I understood that from the 3D, looks like x3 230mm wide strips of 150mm thick XPS. That looks tricky to keep in place during the pour, or is another set of timber formers going to be constructed to back it all up.

 

Your Engineer doesn't appear to have made it easy for you, or perhaps there's some benefit that's not immediately apparent.

It’s certainly been challenging

[Nickfromwales]

15 hours ago, zzPaulzz said:

It’s certainly been challenging

We’ll get you a Blue Peter badge when it’s done  👌