Misunderstanding, I think. I was under the impression that he was going
to be lifting the entire barn at least somewhat, with one side at least
30'' or so. And that this would be done by placing jacks and colums on
the floor in the lower level (basement), and putting pressure on the
floor 8' or more overhead, resulting in a floating barn on 8' or longer
"stilts".

I didn't mean to imply that wind load would increase. I meant to say
that if the whole building was on stilts, with no bracing, then the
slightest horizontal load would topple the whole thing.

My concern for the compression on railroad ties was based on the
assumption that he had these just lying around, and probably not in the
greatest shape. I have some too -- they have been outside for at least
a decade, and many have rotten cores, even though the outside seems
mostly okay.