Pole barn machinery shed?

normally laminated posts will be straighter.... We take pressure treated 4 ft, 6 ft, 8 ft and laminate them together, then stick 3 ft in the ground... Above that are regular 2 x 6 laminated above the PT...

Edited by steve(ill) - 04 Mar 2023 at 10:17pm

I have a friend that is a contractor that has built a lot of pole buildings. When I built mine (2011), I tried to get him, but he was already booked for the next 18 months, but he did give me a lot of advice.

Edited by WF owner - 05 Mar 2023 at 6:23am

Next trend maybe? A return to a old method?

Saw several sonotube columns go into a leveled site last summer, had post anchors in them squared and trued to wall dimensions. Not huge, just 16 or 18” units. Steel supports extended about a foot above the concrete with a shelf about 6” above the concrete. Old boy had them made and then painted with epoxy. Shed is up, appears to have poured a floor on a gravel prep and wrapped those brackets on the three inside sides. Has heated water floor tubes in the slab. Saw those being set as he was prepping for the Concrete. Building went up as Laminated post uprights.

Cannot get on the property to see how it turned out, just a view thru the trees from the roadway so not worth a picture.
No idea how critter tight it is as still has side rolling ag style doors.



Edited by DMiller - 05 Mar 2023 at 7:14am

I have ab FBi building that was put up 30 tears ago using laminated posts and have had no problems with it.

Some sooner than that Pat!!  Replaced one lower sectioned on my barn is only 12 years in place.

Some guys get lucky. A old 60x80 barn nobody real knows how old, my father guessed 1880. All the external post have rotted before my time, but inter posts are all good today. Native California white oak, charred when still green, hand squared with axe, about 12x12 some bigger. The outside of the lean to mostly replaced with redwood sitting on concrete peers. Leaving me to think the redwood rotted and the concrete is the second repair. Nothing level or straight anymore. But still keeps a few horses and lots of hay dry. Hoping I out live the galvanized tin roof put on in the 1930's. In the last 20 years rust has started, by now most galvanizing is gone. But starting much thicker than modern tin still very heavy.

WF owner wrote: I have a friend that is a contractor that has built a lot of pole buildings. When I built mine (2011), I tried to get him, but he was already booked for the next 18 months, but he did give me a lot of advice. We started out digging the holes to a depth of a minimum of 5'. "Frost line" for our area is 4'. We tamped the bottom of the holes, then put in about 6" of 1A (small) crushed stone, then about 6" of concrete for the pole to set on. Next we set 12" cardboard sonotubes, placed the started poles in the tubes and poured dry concrete mix in the tube. He told me to be sure to have straight sides for the concrete (sonotubes). He claimed tapered holes would eventually result in the frost lifting the concrete and thus lifting the poles.  His recommendation was laminated poles. He advised using 12' pressure treated 2x6's. Cut one into a 4' and 8'. Put a full 12' 2x6 in the middle with a 4' on one side and the 8' on the other. Space them 8' apart. After you are out of the ground, used not treated 2x6's to your desired height. I used 2x8's. His (sarcastic) comment was "It's your money. If you want to waste it, go ahead". The poles are positioned so the 2x8 laminate goes the same way as the purlins. The top beam (where the rafters set) is also laminated, but 2x10's at the top of the post, the center 2x10 fits directly on top of the middle 2x8 of the post. One side of every post goes flush with the top of the beam. I used 16' 2x10's starting with the joints spaced evenly. ON ALL LAMINTES (POSTS AND BEAMS) DON'T SCRIMP ON CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVE!!! My building (28' x 60' with a 16' ceiling) is a little different than most because I have an upstairs. I have clear span 28' floor trusses with 3/4" tongue-and-groove OSB flooring upstairs. I have 2' of straight walls above the floor and ledger board rafters with a 7.5/12 pitch. The rafters are 24' 2x6's with about a 2' overhang.

I would like to see pics of how it ties at top of laminates with floor. Thanks, Tracy

WF owner wrote:

That looks impressive. Super heavy looking! First time I have seen laminated column turned that direction. Thanks, Tracy

Tracy Martin TN wrote:    I do want every bay on open side with a 16 foot span. Thinking 3 sides enclosed with 4th side with bypass doors. Not sure how deep yet but looking at 30 foot plus. Wondering what the best way to header over the clear span is?Don't want any sag. Could bar joist them, or sandwich a piece or flat sheet between header boards. Any comments welcomed. Tracy

My Morton lamented post, the trusses sit in the posts.

The treated wood lesser grade is called a .4 treatment and the ground contact HD stuff is called a .6 treated.