Did they use non-shrink grout and let it cure before placing the column and beam on it?
Nick, since there was no static building load on it yet, why not just taken out what was cracked and dry pack it with the same PSI non-shrink grout.
Why weren’t regular anchor bolts used where you could have used leveling nuts and grout later when the structure is up.?
Just curious.
Looks like someone beat the stuffing out of the form trying to get it off. Usually the erector is responsible for grouting. If I were the one in responsible charge, I would have made them re-do it properly on their dime.
Problems I have with the original grout: if they really did install precision non-shrink grout, and there is no load on the column, where did the crack come from. Makes me question the product used, and question the installation. Regardless, precision non-shrink grout is not supposed to shrink.
Problems I have with the repair: grouted column base plates, especially on top of piers, do not suddenly erase imposed moments in the column above the plane of the base plate. Boxing in a steel column with concrete as shown (even if a rebar cage is used) is susceptible to cracking from any moment still present above the plane of the base plate, be it from building loads, wind, or ground acceleration. There’s a reason load factors double when you embed steel in concrete.
#PREACH brother.
Marcel, the right time to grout would have been after the first floor was framed. It’s not common practice to erect the whole structure, and then grout. Most I’ve ever heard is going up a level or two, and even then, no concrete pours on upper floors until base plates have been grouted.
Yes, that is when we did it, after the first floor steel is up, guyed and plumbed up. the columns are done moving around and then grout before you do the roof deck and roof or concrete floor if a second floor.
There is a proper way and procedure and time to do this. I never had cracks in my grout, so I don’t know what they did. Encapsulating the base of the column will crack.
Randy: No. They hang the top of the post off the beam by welding it to it. Then they fill between the caisson and the bottom of the post. The do this so that they can adjust the beam height perfectly first.
Marcel: Because the grout was mixed properly, yet still cracked. We don’t know why. So we couldn’t say for certain it wouldn’t crack again. This was additional support.
That’s a little goofy. The same thing can be accomplished more efficiently with jamb nuts and a leveling plate. Is this a west coast thing? With jamb nuts and a leveling plate, framing can continue unabated without stopping the whole show to let the grout cure in the basement. The only restriction (typically) is that grout needs to be placed by the time the second floor goes up.
Those look like threaded rods, so did the drill and epoxy those because there were no anchor bolts.? Looks like one is missing too.
Drilling after the grout is set is likely to break the grout like that. I see they appear to have a leveling plate. Some engineers don’t like those due to pin point loading, because they are never perfectly level with the base of the column. That is another reason for using leveling nuts and dry packing or form it and pour the grout.
What are you building, anyways.? Looks like quite a span between the columns. Maybe just the picture.
All good if the grout doesn’t crack. We video record the mixing of the grout. It was done right but cracked. So this is a backup to have a second load path from the beam to the caisson.
If the soil is so bad at the columns you need to drill down over 20 feet, what’s holding up the perimeter footing?
Randy Mayo, PE
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Randy, there are no perimeter footings.
Drilled pier foundation.
The perimeter concrete wall is a load path. There has to be at least a system of piers or pile caps supporting the concrete walls. I think that’s what Randy is on to.
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