How DEEP for bin “piers”

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BlackBetty06
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Post by BlackBetty06 » Fri. Oct. 01, 2021 10:21 pm

Hey guys building a new bin here. I’m going to get the 10” round Quikcrete tubes and fill with concrete and level. I’m building a 4x8x5 bin. I was going to make a 2x6 base with 2x6 joists with 3/4” plywood on top and sit it on the leveled concrete posts. I was then going to frame the walls and put a roof on. I was going to do 6 of the 10” concrete “posts”. Two things…..

1) Is 6 concrete “posts” overkill and only 4 needed?

2) do I need to worry about the frost line for this. Our frost line here in southeastern Pennsylvania is 36” but I don’t know if this really needs adhered to for a black rock storage box.

Thanks for any insight

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Sat. Oct. 02, 2021 2:04 am

The post themselves are probably overkill. You only need to elevate it. Dig some holes, put some gravel in it and compact it well. Concrete blocks on top of the gravel for the elevation.

If you were doing 4x8x5 I'd go with six and two in the middle, e.g domino with 8 dots. Run a 2*4 underneath so you can help spread the weight to other joists from the two middle points. 2*6 Joists on 12 inch centers. You can put eyehooks inside, on the top, Use ratchet straps or even pull straps to help prevent the top from spreading, they are easily removed when the coal gets low so you can get them out of your way.

The most important part is where the wall meets the floor. I have seen a lot of bins break, some while I was in them. They have always failed at that point. The wood either rots around the screw, screw rots or both. Ideally the plywood walls are on the inside but that takes up valuable space for coal and looks a bit odd... If you put the walls on the outside SS screws near the bottom of the walls and some SS 1/4 lags with fender washers at the very bottom of the plywood.

 
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BlackBetty06
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Post by BlackBetty06 » Sat. Oct. 02, 2021 8:23 am

Hey Richard, you kinda lost me with the domino thing and 2x4….. I was gonna support each corner and put one at four feet each on the outside runners then hang the 2x6 then plywood over that. I’m definitely doing plywood on the inside then just gonna hand siding or T111 on the outside to dress it up a bit

 
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Oct. 02, 2021 9:23 am

Definitely not four!!!

Frost won’t wreck a bin.


 
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Post by BlackBetty06 » Sat. Oct. 02, 2021 4:19 pm

That was my thoughts. The bottom center would likely sag and blowout with only 4

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Sat. Oct. 02, 2021 8:23 pm

If the blocks/posts were asterisks.

*-------*-------*
----*-------*----
*-------*-------*

 
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BlackBetty06
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Post by BlackBetty06 » Sun. Oct. 03, 2021 8:03 pm

Ah ok. Hadn’t thought about that design. Makes sense now. In reference to your diagram, I was going to run 2x6 from top to bottom. So it would look like a framed 2x6 wall laying down with double 2x6s on outer edges of the frame. I wonder which is stronger or if it’s a draw.

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Oct. 03, 2021 9:30 pm

Remember as was said by Richard, 12 inch centers on the 2x6


 
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Post by Richard S. » Mon. Oct. 04, 2021 8:46 am

BlackBetty06 wrote:
Sun. Oct. 03, 2021 8:03 pm
Ah ok. Hadn’t thought about that design. Makes sense now. In reference to your diagram, I was going to run 2x6 from top to bottom. So it would look like a framed 2x6 wall laying down with double 2x6s on outer edges of the frame. I wonder which is stronger or if it’s a draw.
If your floor is only going to be 6*2 you don't need anything in the center. You realize with 4 foot wall that will only hold a little over 1 ton? If you are expecting delivery most do not want to deal with that. I used to offer 1 ton deliveries but it was priced higher and had the stipulation it gets delivered when it gets there.

Most people that build these go 4*8*4, it minimizes waste and less cutting. It will hold about 3 ton which is average for a season with hand fired stove.

Those center posts may be a little bit of overkill even for 4* 8 floor. The floor should look like 4 foot wall, in other words there should only be two 8 foot 2*6's. You can run an additional 2*6 underneath flat the entire 8 foot length. Your center posts will need to be 1 1/2 inches lower than the rest. Obviously it doesn't fully utilize the strength of that flat 2*6 but it will help distribute the center load more evenly.

 
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Post by BlackBetty06 » Mon. Oct. 04, 2021 6:01 pm

I think our signals got crossed. I’m building the bin 8 feet long 4 feet wide and 5 feet tall. I am using 2x6 lumber to build the base and was going to put 2x6 lumber every 14” underneath to support the floor

 
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Post by Hoytman » Wed. Nov. 03, 2021 7:49 pm

Do we have a “bin build” thread with pictures?

 
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Post by LouSee » Wed. Nov. 10, 2021 10:32 pm

yeah, it's pinned to the top of the list of threads in this sub-forum.

Coal Bin Pictures and Designs

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