Superior Walls

[kemo1a]

I'm looking for some help and advice. I am building a house and going with superior walls. I have never dealt with them or the building process. I have a couple of questions that I have been unable to find complete answers on. The first one is what does it mean by having the corners pinned. Is that anything more then just marking out the 4 corners after your excavation is done and stone is set before the installation crew shows up? Second part of that is how long should they be and how high should they stick up. I will have frost walls on about half of the walls so do those need to be the same height sticking out as the two that are higher? Second question backfill material and timing for frost panels. Is it best to use stone for the frost panels. Any estimate of how many truck loads of stone may be needed for about 75 linear feet of frost panels 4 foot high? How wide is the trench for the frost panels? Can the material be the same for the interior and external of the panels on the trench. I was doing just drain tile on the exterior ground does not get very wet even during high rain times do I need a sump pump setup? I keep seeing that before backfilling a deck needs to be installed? I am not planning on building a deck at the time of the build will that present an issue. I told the superior wall guy and he hasn't said anything? Thanks for any help.

[Ted S.]

Re: Superior Walls

I personally would use a conventional concrete foundation with insulation over the cost of a Superior Walls, however they are a great product.

I would recommend you get a builder involved to address these issues as there will be more to deal with.

[dgbldr]

Re: Superior Walls

Kemo, this is not a building science question, it is a building procedure question. As Ted said, hire a builder familiar with Superior Walls.

Ted, I'm sure you can build good panels in a factory but I'm not a big fan of making a foundation out of several pieces glued together. Maybe it's just me but I have yet to see one around here.

[Scott Jameson]

Re: Superior Walls

Use Superior wall panels to build "split" apartment building foundations: 240-lnft of 10-ft wall per bldg. Erected & ready to back-fill in one day.
A four-story application, our wall panels are set on concrete strip footings, instead of crushed stone footing for residential applications.

[James Eggert]

Re: Superior Walls

"Erected & ready to back-fill in one day"

It's possible, but that's not the way Superior Walls Installation Procedures stipulates!

Whether crushed stone or concrete footings, SW wants the inside slab poured to keep the walls in-place during backfilling. I have not seen a detail showing pinning to concrete, but it was years ago when I used them last.

[Ted S.]

Re: Superior Walls

I never understood the whole crushed stone footing detail they used to promote, I assume they still do. I mean I understand their claim, and it may just be me, but I have to see a footing.

[johnny watt]

Re: Superior Walls

They want the deck on before back filling too.
Which can be a problem if you are not planing on a "deck" right off soon.

[Scott Jameson]

Re: Superior Walls

Code regards apartment buildings as commercial. Structural engineer designs whole building system. He integrates Superior Wall as a pre-engineered component; like a stud. Application is outside mfgr's standard practices.
Essential detail: footing walls rest on is a "brick-ledge", part of the mono fnd/slab of lower floor level.
Upper edge of Superior Wall component is restrained by the fnd/slab of upper floor level.