Cost Effective or time Saving.

[Thongkorn]

I have read on this forum about people making their own concrete pillars, and forms, The question is Can you buy ready made columns , would it be time saving ,

or would it cost more, also would they be strong enough to hold the roof made from steel and sheet tileing, I have be waying up the time factor against cost, would any one

know, and has any one built a house with ready Made columns. and if possible what would i save, Time, Cost, both , or none. are there any benefits to buying ready made.

thanks in advance for your input.

[IMHO]

If the structure doesn't require any beams - e.g. to support a floor - precast posts are fine. They will support a roof just as well as ones you cast yourself.

[cheeryble]

I just gave a rough plan to an architect.

As the land steps off about one storey I made 6 out of the 9 support columns one storey extra length so In future I can make eg a garage or store or even bedroom underneath.

It's fairly light structure as the walls are thermalite blocks and the roof just sheet roofing, though presumably the floor uses beams and concrete planks and fill.

The architect said I can buy the columns and this would be a saving.

He was aware of the future building underneath.

I should get his first drawing in a few days so if anything relevant will inform here.

I'd saw some longer columns in a concrete yard the other day but they weren't the full 20x20cm but looked as if they might be adequate.

What's more the form they made the pillars in had an adjustable end so I think you can order an exact length if you wish that may be very useful.

Edited April 17, 2015 by cheeryble

[sometimewoodworker]

You can, here is a build using them. You can specify length, shape at the top, and rebar thickness.

http://Meekings.selfip.com/nui/Groups-of-photos/Non_Sa-At/Pages/Grandmums_House.html

And another with hammock points built in

http://meekings.selfip.com/nui/Groups-of-photos/Non_Sa-At/Pages/Sunshade.html

Edited April 19, 2015 by sometimewoodworker

[passingas]

The biggest concern (of mine) is....the ones pre-made will not be cured correctly, or at all. They pour them in their forms and as soon as it is set up, the form is undone and it just sits there to dry completely out. I tried to have one custom made, ie....wrapped in plastic when it was taken out of the form and of course was assured it would be....not a chance in hell was it ever wrapped in plastic so it could cure itself. I went by there as it was being made and never saw any plastic on it at any time. As concrete sets up it gives off an exothermic reaction...makes heat. If that heat is contained (with the plastic wrap) it will just sweat away and baste itself in moisture that concrete loves and needs in order to cure properly. I worked in the concrete business for over 3 decades and here, to most Thais, it is only pourable bricks. They have no concept (most of them) about curing. I have seen some construction going on where the columns were indeed, wrapped in plastic, but for the most part, natha. So if non-cured concrete is not an issue, then the pre-made ones work fine. I am using an uncured one for a support pier/column for a deck...I hope it will outlive me.

[kamalabob2]

I was picking up more house building materials today at a couple of shops in Buriram for my wife's little project in Khaen Dong. I noted a serious delivery of rebar steel heading out of one shop with the rebar straight, not already bent. I was told this was a simple way to order rebar steel but to keep the differences in mind when getting a price or placing an order. In my shopping in Buriram I found rebar consists of round bars and deformed bars with diameter in sizes 6-25 mm and 10-40 mm, respectively. The round bars are graded and labeled by Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TIS) No. 20-2543, grade quality: SR 24, and deformed bars are offered in accordance with Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TIS) No. 24-2548, in grade quality, SD 30, SD 40 and SD 50. I was cautioned to not order the long steel unless I had a suitable area for the longer truck to arrive, unload and depart in any house building site. For my wife's 300,000 baht one bedroom, one bathroom two truck garage building she had family make the support columns on site and allow the concrete to cure a proper time. The owner of a local shop in Buriram helped me to pick the appropriate grade and size of steel for all aspects of the small structure. I would heed the cautionary advise of Passingas and consider being on site to see concrete columns and beams cure a proper time and to be wrapped in burlap or plastic with religious watering.