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Need input on using Sonotube tubular concrete forms

earthwrks Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan   Pics

2007-01-27          139205

Anyone have experience setting up tall tubular concrete forms a.k.a. Sonotubes? These have to be 10-12" diameter and 8-12' tall sitting on a 24" sq. continuous perimeter footer. They will be holding up a 40,000lb. home plus contents and wind rated for 150mph wind. There can be as many as 26 per home.

I know how to do the footers. I can lift the forms. I need info on the best way to align them (plumb) and keep from falling over (bracing). I've heard some horror stories of vibrators nicking the inside of the tube while concrete was pumped in them and blowing out, so I'm not convinced two guys can do this job.

For those keeping up with the Katrina-recovery saga, these columns will replace the wood pilings I asked info about.

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Need input on using Sonotube tubular concrete forms

Murf Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada   Pics

2007-01-29          139297

Jeff, we've done these for slurry pads* (*see note below), and had to brace them, sometimes 20' above grade for pouring.

My experiments showed that it was easiest if;

- you use adjustable braces, we ended up jury-rigging some, the concrete contractor was so impressed he bought them all when were finished. We used two pieces of heavy wall steel tubing with flat plate on the bottom, and a curved plat strapped to the tube above, down near the bottom was welded an old car bumper jack from the wrecking yard. Voila, adjustable.

- don't let them put the vibrator in the tube, make them vibrate the steel rebar only, if the vibrator MUST go in, be sure it never stops moving, and only move it slowly, never drive it down fast.

Want me to show you when I get there with the lift? ;)

* Slurry pads are a rare and scary way of building used in the Caribbean and South America, when they want to build in a low area near the ocean they just make a bunch of footers, then pour tubes full of concrete vertically on top of the footers, then they make a berm between the building site and the ocean, and start pumping in water and sand (slurry), the water runs back into the ocean, the sand stays behind and builds up around the pilings. The problem is the only way you have of knowing if the footers blew out, or the tubes shifted during the pumping process, is to put a house on top. :(

Oh, and when a big storm comes up, the sand likes to go back out to sea.....

Best of luck. ....

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Need input on using Sonotube tubular concrete forms

earthwrks Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan   Pics

2007-01-29          139311

Yep Murf still trying to find someone to bring the manlift down. We will be setting a 4-unit modular (which makes one complete two-story home) up on stilts Feb 17th. ....

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