Digging Footings..1st Time Help

HwyHeavy49

Hello, 1st Time posting and Love this Site! I need help from any Experienced Guys that Dig Footings. Been working Roads for years, Everything was staked in 10ths and Metric and EZ. Now im told the company is bidding on commercial buildings and Homes. I never had to understand this commercial and Home layout stuff. Im in Panic Mode. Can someone give me the Basic setup of understanding of this type of work. Is this all in Inches on the plan?
Plan reads( Footing El. 101.40 ) ( finished floor El. 110.73 ) is this a 9' cut? Is there a tape measure you use to convert this info to simple understanding.
I may be complicating this in my mind? I don't want to mess up if they give me this type of work.
Thank You for any Info you can Pass on!

Bob Kovacs

I know you're complicating it for me...lol. Those 101.40 and 101.73 elevations "should be in 100th's of a foot- just like you're used to working with in highway work (unless you were doing all metric work). You'll probably only find those dimensions on the site plans, as everything on the architecturals would be in feet/inches.

Bob

PipeGuy

No, it's a 9.33 cut (10.73-1.40) or 9'-4". That info tells you that the FF is 110.73 feet elevation above some recognized datum line (usually Mean Sea Level) and the footing is 9.33 feet below that at 101.40 feet elevation. If I had to guess that's probably 4" of slab, 8' of headroom, 1-1/2" of plate, 9-1/2" of joist and 3/4" of subfloor (111-3/4" = 9.31 feet). I don't know though, that's not my thing.

If you find yourself wanting to convert inches to feet just divide by 12 (4 inches divided by 12 = .33 feet).

HwyHeavy49

I think I See The Light! Im getting messed up with how they established the grades.. Now I was told there is a Bench mark on site. So I set up the Lazer, zero in the lazer at the corners and subtract the lazer height and the cut on the corner hub for the footing Subgrade. The grades are in 100ths.. So Example 121.33 - 120.33 would be 1 foot difference or 1.00.. and .33 would be in 10ths?
I need to Buy you Guys a Beer! The contractor I work for told me to go Figure it out some how. That tells me they have no Clue or its a Test?
Thank You! I will be Back..

tgeb

It is not a test.

If it were, you would pass, you are already getting the hang of it.

Tom

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rino1494

I am confused about the FF height. I am assuming that is the height of the floor in the house. I would think that they would give the elevation for TOW.

I would find out the elevation of TOW, subtract the height of the foundation wall plus height of footer to get the elevation of the bottom of your hole.

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Excalibur

I think that my brain is melting!! lol

pwrbildr

However you figure it out, I would like to just suggest that you stay in either tenths or inches until you get your foundation finished. In commercial all sitework is in tenths and the building is in inches. I find that the most mistakes come when someone is going back and forth between the two.

In addition, I find that working in tenths is much easier when dealing with drainage and most other site related elevation things.

HwyHeavy49

Thank You for the Help. We dug it Friday, I think all went well? Will know when the forming Guys show up to Setup. This was a Four plex home. The Hoe Guy was Ruff on keeping grade, But we worked on that. Raked out the footing area as we dug.. Used a 345 Cat and went 1.5 Bucket with to give room to put a wacker packer on both sides of the wall for backfilling. Left access points for the Trucks. Maybe Looking to Call the Union Hall for a New Job if I calculated wrong..LOL

dayexco

if at all possible, for backfilling foundations, we put our vibratory plate on our 690 deere, straddle the wall, and backfill both sides of the wall pretty much at the same time. goes VERY fast, concrete dudes like it because they can get on with their floor work faster

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

denick

Good Luck HH49,

The adventures in life make it worth living.

Nick

nadonailer

Pipe Guy, what an awesome answer! That is what makes this forum so great!

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rino1494

WTF.......you used a 345 to dig a foundation ????

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HwyHeavy49

Hummm Not in Florida Here.. Minnesota Digging in Clay with 2'-3' of Frost.
The 345 worked Hard Ripping this Stuff up. The BIG BOSS made this Call. Im just a Number ~ I get Payed from the Neck Down .

rino1494

Wow, I just can't see using a 100,00 lb machine to dig a foundation. I'd hate to be the HO and have to pay for the mobilization.

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jojo

Hey Rino,,what size machine do you recommend

rino1494

Well, I am pretty sure that the limit on width of moving machines is 102" without a permit. Permits are $60 and you need to have 1 million dollars worth of insurance.

We use a 315 which is a 38,000 lb machine which is equivalent to a 150 size. Any machine from 30-40K lbs is great for foundation work.

Cat does make a 318 which is a almost the size of a 320 but with a narrow undercarriage for hauling. Our next machine is going to be a 318 for sure.

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jojo

then I'm thinking a case 130 or 160 would do the trick,,,,I have a case rental place close to me...

TMatt142

Hey Hwy49..Which highway heavy outfit did you used to work for??? I was in 49 since 91, worked for Shafer Con.....I too am digging footings and such nowadays. Takes awhile to get used to the new lingo