Back in 2012, I helped the Building Safety Department of the City of Amarillo prepare the “Panhandle Residential Foundation Manual”. The purpose of this manual was to provide a guideline for home builders to construct residential foundation systems that were adaptable to the site conditions in the Texas Panhandle.
Most of the surface soils in the Llano Estacado region are considered to be at least moderately expansive. Expansive soils are the nemesis to problem free construction world wide. The International Residential Code (IRC) has stipulated that all residential foundation systems placed on expansive soils are to be designed by a qualified geotechnical engineer.
The Building Safety Department of the City of Amarillo endeavored to comply with the current IRC. As stated, most of the regional soils are classified as expansive (lean or fat clayey soils). However, the general consistency of the soils across the region are relatively similar. It was recognized that the application of a relatively standard residential foundation system across the region could be feasible.
In the past, residential foundation system designs in the area had more or less evolved with limited guidance from the City. Historically, the adapted methodologies had sufficed to a degree. However, home construction has often been plagued by subsequent foundation movement. These movements often resulted in nuisance cracking on interior and exterior cladding, random sloping of flooring, and limited drainage issues. Seldom did these defects lead to structural failure. However, considerable expense by both builders and home owners often was required to resolve issues to at least a marginal degree.
The City’s “Panhandle Residential Foundation Manual” has, for the most part, fostered improved residential foundation construction i/n recent years. Proper understanding and adherence to the Guidelines lends well to the minimization of foundation and building site issues.
The Manual sets forth the appropriate criteria. The engineering foundation designs provided therein are base on rational engineering adaptation to anticipated regional soils. However, the criteria promulgated and actually dictated does not and can not offer more than absolutely necessary expansions of the design philosophy, foundation/soil interaction concepts, and additional considerations that may be helpful in the assuring the best residential foundation possible.
For this reason, it is my intent to submit a series of articles and blogs on my site, “brtillerytimebridge.com” to provide further discussions and inputs regarding the regional residential construction designs in addition to issues of quality assurance in residential construction.
These blog articles primarily seek the audience of home and structural building professionals. However, the home owner who may wish to be properly informed of issues that commonly arise to home building professionals may find these pieces to be of use.
These articles shall refer substantially to the aforementioned “Panhandle Residential Foundation Guideline”; the International Residential Code (IRC); the OSHA Part 1926, Subpart P (Trench and Excavation Safety Regulations); my own publication “Jobsite Supervisor’s Home Construction Quality Assurance Document and Manual” by BR Tillery; (available as an ebook from lulu.com); the ASCE Texas Section’s “Recommended Practice for Design of Residential Foundations” which can be found at the back of the Panhandle Foundation Design Manual; and finally, the Texas Administrative Code Chapters on the Residential Construction Commission.
Comments, questions, and requests for subject matter are welcome.
Ray’s hard work and knowledge of soils and foundations was paramount to the development of the manual and recently updated 2015 version. The publication is accepted and utilized throughout the Texas Panhandle area.
Many Thanks Ray!