For decades, concrete walls and foundations were made the same way. Plywood or plain boards are built into forms that contain steel reinforcing bars (rebar) and into which wet concrete is poured. When ...

Question: In a conversation with a builder last week, I was asked how I plan to provide a foundation that meets the minimum requirements for insulation. My initial response was “Why?”, since we’ve ...

Pre-cast concrete foundation systems are a new construction feature in homebuilding. Unlike a poured concrete foundation, which requires a separate pour for concrete footings and can mean weeks before ...

Q: We are finishing off part of the basement into a utility room. The washer, dryer, and laundry tub are already there, with the plumbing anchored to the cement walls. We have framed in the walls with ...

Question: Recently, one of our builder client’s home owners requested that no chloride be added to the concrete for the winter walls. Our state design code required vertical structural steel ...