Please Note: Texas is unique in that except in towns, cites and other municipal entities engineering and permits for a metal building or steel carport are not required. Texas counties require no engineering or permitting. We believe the safest way to anchor a structure is what an engineer would require if he/she were involved. The following methods illustrate what those requirements would be under various circumstances.
Either system we offer – the Classic or the Engineered can be anchored to either concrete or ground. There are some variables that can come up that may change the below described methods such as frost lines, soil conditions etc. but as a general rule, these are the ways you would anchor your Texas steel building or carport.
Ground Mount – When you don’t intend to have a concrete floor.
Concrete Caissons (Engineering Available)
When mounting to the ground its best to dig or auger a post hole about 10″ in diameter and 30″ deep. You’ll need to do this at every vertical upright—either every 5’ or 4’ depending upon which frame system you purchased. After your base rails are together place them over the holes, affix your ground anchor to the base rail with the remainder of the ground anchor in the augered hole. Fill the hole with concrete.
MR 68 Ground Clamps (Engineering Available)
An MR 68 is a ground anchor something like what is used in a mobile home application. Their clamps, which expand once they are tightened, are affixed to a 30″ piece of allthread. Another rod (pounding rod) is inserted into the clamp and a large sledge or smaller jack hammer is used to lower the MR 68 into the ground. One leaves about 6″ of the allthread exposed then slips the base rail over the allthread. Place a nut onto the allthread and tighten it up to secure the base rail.
INSTALLER USING HAMMER TOOL TO DRIVE IN MR-68
Straight Ground (Engineering Not Available)
When mounting to the ground its best to dig or auger a post hole about 10″ in diameter and 30″ deep. You’ll need to do this at every vertical upright—either every 5’ or 4’ depending upon which frame system you purchased. After your base rails are together place them over the holes, affix your ground anchor to the base rail with the remainder of the ground anchor in the augered hole. Fill the hole with concrete.
Concrete Slab and Footing Requirements
There are two ways to pour your slab and footings which an engineer will approve or recommend. The third method described below has been done for years in Texas counties and has held up nicely for decades.
In all methods, you will be doing what’s called a monolithic pour or monolithic slab where the slab and the footing are poured at the same time.
First Method
You’ll need to build your forms for a 4″ thick slab using minimum 2800 psi concrete—make it thicker if you’re putting heavy vehicles or RVs on it. Your footings will be 12″ deep, using the 4″’ of slab as a part of that depth. Your footings will have 2 #4 rebar top and bottom (or 1 #5 rebar) in a continuous run around the perimeter of the slab. The slab will have #3 rebar on 24″ centers or fiber mesh reinforcement added to the mix. If you go with the fiber mesh use a concrete mix no less than 4000psi so that when you’re finishing it, the “hairs” of the fiber mesh are caught in the concrete cream and don’t stand up like hair on a pig.
Second Method (Easier and engineers just fine)
Below your slab and around the perimeter you have an 8″ deep footer 12″ wide. Every 9 feet around the perimeter you auger a hole that is 8″ in diameter and 24″ deep. There is no steel used in this monolithic slab.
In counties areas (outside cities and towns)Texas metal buildings have been anchored for decades in the following way: In the 4″ concrete slab put #3 rebar on 24″ centers. Around the perimeter of your 4″ slab dig a six inch deep “turndown” with your shovel.
