Terry Coombs posted for all of us...



bob haller wrote:
On Friday, October 9, 2015 at 12:21:22 AM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
The cellar floor slab is formed and ready to pour ... coming next
will be the (heavy) block walls . Got the rebar and filled columns
figured out , next up is the attachment of the floor joists to the
top of said wall . The plan is to set some carriage bolts into the
top run of block at suitable intervals and use those to secure a 2X
plate - width TBD . I'll want to be able to secure a ceiling of some
type to an overhanging top plate , independent of the structure
above - this will also serve as a storm shelter .
The question is , how best to secure the floor joists to that same
top plate , so that they are both stable and secure and yet if a
storm strong enough comes thru to part without taking my ceiling
with it . Or , should I use the floor structure as the top/ceiling ,
and let the wall/floor interface part if it comes to a tornado etc ?
We're actually pretty sheltered , down in a pretty deep bowl - when
the tornado took out half of the nearest town (and many others on
it's way to here) it skipped over The Holler , all we got was some
torn up trees . Possibly pertinent detail - the bottom part of the
structure - probably up to window sill height- will be clad with
native stone . Probably 5-6" thick , depending on what I collect and
bedded on a footing 16" below grade - frost line is at around 12" .
--
Snag

you need to hire a structural engineer forthe best alternatives and
specifications

Thanks for your opinion bob . I've been in building trades for forty years
, and some of the most ****ed up messes I've ever seen were designed by
"structural engineers" and "architects" . I trust my own design capabilities
, just trying to decide where to put the "weak link" in this assembly . As
far as load calculations and truss design type stuff -, there are great
calculators available on line ...

If you know so f*n much why do you ask?

--
Tekkie