Friday, September 25, 2020

US Federal Reclamation Project Temporary Camp Tent Site Dwellings on Concrete Pier Foundations!

Out of necessity, Reclamation established temporary camps to provide lodging, food, and other essentials for its personnel.

https://www.usbr.gov/cultural/ArchitecturalLegacyCD/WholeReport.pdf 

So it turns out that the building code is very tricky. I've blogged on this a few times already. But I'm always reviewing just to make sure. Here is my latest summary of what I fit into:

And if we were to use it for winter dwelling, the cold temperatures in northern Minnesota would me having to insulate the perimeter with hay bales or some such item since the floor would get mighty cold.

Around here, lots of small sheds are simply  plopped down onto the ground. If the site is really windy, perhaps they get a cable anchor on each corner. If the building is floating on top of the soil, it doesn't matter whether the frost heaves or not, the building is still floating. If there is a problem with settling, a 12' X 16' building is so light, that an automotive jack could easily lift a corner to allow a shim to be installed..

Edit to add: In my area, a "foundation" triggers building code enforcement. Something that is sitting on the ground is temporary and not regulated.


Temporary shelter means a tent or shelter that is not permanently affixed and is commonly used by people as shelter from weather but not camping, such as a collapsible pop-up type canopy, and is capable of being removed at the end of the event.

Dwelling Site: A designated location for residential use by one or more persons using a permanent or temporary shelter. The shelter may be affixed or movable, including camping and recreational camping vehicles.

Campsite: A location upon which one temporary dwelling is located to include recreational camping vehicles, tents, camping cabins.

Permit Not Required for Home Occupation; Accessory Structures less than 150 sq feet (used only a privy or storage);

When are building permits required? - Building permits are required for any work ... roofing), etc., and new buildings over 120 square feet in area.

A Dwelling Site is used for a temporary or moving SHELTER like a tent.

 A temporary shelter - i.e. a hunting shack or camping cabin or tent intended for short term seasonal occupancy - LESS than 150 square feet.

 613.07. Campers, Recreational Camping Vehicles, and Temporary Dwellings

 The parking or placement of campers, recreational camping vehicles, or any other form of temporary housing is allowed for one (1) week.

 So by foundation - they mean cement in the ground - either slab or piers or poles with cement fixed into the ground...

Let's see what the Reclamation considers a temporary Tent campsite...

So those tents had floors...of canvas.

Smaller camps typically consisted of simple frame buildings, often in combination with tents, arranged in an orderly fashion.

Ah - frame buildings - were considered TEMPORARY!

Ok that's interesting...

The practice has been to put up an office building, costing from $500 to $800, also a cook house and dining room, with accommodations for cook, and small storehouse; also a dormitory, generally with a central narrow hall running the length of the building, the rooms opening from each side. In addition to these buildings there are usually two detached houses each of four rooms for the accommodation of the principal engineers and their families.

The images of many early Reclamation camps evoke that of other western frontier settlements; a combination of quickly erected buildings and tents stand out prominently against their remote surrounding

Right - so a Camp Site can have FRAME buildings - it's just a matter of what the foundation is.

Nowadays - the building has to be under 150 square foot or else it needs a permit - but also can not have a permanent foundation.

So this is the "camp cabin" or "tent cabin" - frame walls... and a mini-foundation for the wood stove...

Temporary and Portable Camp Buildings Camp buildings fell into three types: temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent. The majority were temporary, associated with construction camps of short duration

Here we go...

By definition, these buildings were not meant to endure and tended to be of inexpensive, lightweight wood framing without permanent foundations (figure 1.13).

OK!

 

 So none of these buildings had permanent foundations but what kind of foundations did they have?

 uses or sold to settlers in the vicinity and moved short distances.”35 Even though considered permanent, the frame buildings had no excavated foundations; they simply sat on wood, 2-inch by 8-inch stringers doubled and set upon foundation blocks. This would have made relocating the structures easier.

 In December 1931, Reclamation opened bids on 29 temporary, three- and four-room houses (specifications number 545-D) to be scattered at various locations. The modest dwellings were “constructed as cheaply as possible,” and the government furnished almost all of the building materials to the contractor. The dwellings were of frame, with drop siding over sheathing, and asphalt shingle roofing (figure 3.18). Reclamation specified concrete foundations and footings, and foundation sills of redwood.25 Since the houses were assumed to be temporary, no attempt was made to vary their appearance.

 Oops - it appears "temporary" slipped into concrete footings!!

the government camp for temporary housing....The dwellings did not include basements and full concrete foundations

 So it was kind of "part" concrete foundation?

temporary and lacked any specific style. The basic, economical wood-frame buildings sat on concrete piers, rather than full foundations

 Wow - just as I suspected...

Since it was assumed that the buildings would be relocated within a short time to other construction projects, timber sills were used. Only a few of the homes were moved, and the timber sills soon began to deteriorate. They were replaced in 1939 with concrete masonry unit foundations.

Wow - in the end notes. Fascinating. So the concrete piers had wood foundation sills - and therefore temporary...

It consists of a wood sill plate anchored to the foundation wall

Right - so...

 The best way to anchor a shed, in my opinion, is with concrete piers. ... They are a good way to secure a temporary or permanent shed to a foundation

 So the shed is temporary but the concrete piers are not? OK... Wow - I think this is what Yurts so also. Quite the gray zone in building code....

https://up.codes/viewer/new_jersey/irc-2015/chapter/4/foundations#4

Exceptions: Free-standing buildings meeting all of the following conditions shall not be required to be protected:
  1. Buildings and other structures that represent a low hazard to human life in the event of failure, including but not limited to, agricultural buildings, temporary buildings and minor storage facilities.
  2. Area of 600 square feet (56 m2) or less for light-framed construction, or 400 square feet (37 m2) or less for other than light-framed construction; and
  3. Eave height of 10 feet (3048 mm) or less.
Footings shall not bear on frozen soil unless the frozen condition is permanent.

So if it's bigger than 400 sq. feet then you are REQUIRED to have a permanent foundation.

 https://www.mahaffeyusa.com/blog/ground-surface-options-for-temporary-structures-concrete-foundations

Using a Concrete Foundation with Temporary Structures

 temporary fabric structures

 here it is again! Temporary structure on a concrete foundation...

Temporary structures often take the place of traditional construction entirely, but sometimes they are put in place in advance of a permanent structure.

 Oh ok - so it's a kind of "transition foundation."

This can be anything from a simple “raft” of pallets, to a full on insulated deck on pillar foundations.

Yurts on Decks

If the yurt is erected on top of the deck without a permanent connection, then the yurt itself would not be considered part of the deck structure, and thus still temporary. However, the deck itself may be considered a permanent structure if it has a foundation, or if it is connected to another structure. City or county building codes would govern in this situation.

 Oh ok - so the trick is - does a "deck" need to have a building permit or not?

Structural Dimensions- The horizontal distance between the exterior walls of a structure, and rooflines that extend beyond 3 feet.

Some areas have seen it as a cash grab and added new zoning permits for sheds under specific square footage. Fines tend to be larger than the cost of the permit, so better to comply and tie down rather than tear down.

Here’are some examples:

Shed Regulations: All sheds must be anchoredAgawam, MA
Sheds must be anchored by attachment to a slab or in-ground anchors. All corners of shed need to be anchored. Big Lake, MN
All sheds must be anchored to the ground.Montgomery, IL

Sheds(accessory structures) - City of Isanti

PDF
110 – 1st Avenue NW * PO Box 428 * Isanti, MN 55040-0428. Phone: 763.444.5512 * Website: ... ground to the peak of the roof- see zoning section. 13article 4 for details. ... Sheds must be anchored so as to withstand a 90 mph wind gust. (MN ...

 A Zoning permit is required for any shed or accessory structure up to 200 square feet, to verify it meets all zoning ordinance requirements. A Building permit is required for any shed more than 200 square feet.

Wow - 

 Zoning Permit 

A.Permit required. A Zoning Permit shall be obtained before any person may: 

1.Occupy or use any vacant land; or

 2.Occupy or use any structure hereafter constructed, reconstructed, moved, altered or enlarged; or 

3.Change the use of a structure or land to a different use; or 

 4.Change a non-conforming use; or 

5.Place any fill or excavate in any area designated as a shoreland, wetland or which is identified on the Flood Hazard Map.

 Information required. Applications for a Zoning Permit shall be accompanied bya plot plan showing clearly and completely the location, dimensions and nature of any structure involved and such other information as the Zoning Officer may require for the administration of this ordinance, together with a filing fee in accordance with aschedule established by resolution of the Town Board.

 So when they say "Zoning Permit" - they mean "Land Use Permit" - but NOT a "building code permit" - crazy.

Building plans for the proposed structure (if over 200 square feet)

So when they say no building permit - they mean no building plans need to be submitted...

Tool sheds and other similar buildings for the storage of domestic supplies shall not require a zoning permit if the following standards are met: only one (1) such structure is on the lot; the area of the structure does not exceed one hundred fifty(150) square feet; and the height of the structure does not exceed twelve (12) feet and must have required setbacks.

On parcels of two (2) to four-and-a-half (4.5) acres in size one (1) animal unit per acre may be allowed, but no permit is necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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