Concrete Slabs for Metal Buildings in Lubbock
The slab isn't exciting. It's still the part that decides how the steel goes up.
Nobody brags about their slab, but if the anchor bolts end up in the wrong spot, the frame won't line up and you've got a real mess on your hands. The bolts get cast right into the concrete, and the building's drawings show exactly where each one is supposed to go.
Then there's caliche. If you've ever dug a post hole around Lubbock, you've probably hit it. It's a hard layer of calcium carbonate, and it might sit shallow on your lot and a whole lot deeper on the property right next door. It'll hold a building up just fine. Getting a shovel or a drill through it is the slow part.
On a bigger shop, I'd pay for a soil test before anybody draws the slab. An engineer can tell you what's really down there and then size the footings to match what they find.
Hand these to the concrete crew
They'll want the building drawings and the anchor bolt plan from the kit maker. If you've got a soil report, give them that too. And make sure a concrete truck can actually get to the spot.
The order it happens in
Get the drawings first. Then hire a crew that's poured for steel buildings before, since it's not quite the same as a driveway. They set the bolts to the plan and pour, and the concrete has to cure before the steel shows up.
Questions people ask
Who designs the slab?
Depends on the job. Ask your builder. A big building often needs an engineer to size the footings.
What's caliche?
A hard, cement-like layer in the dirt out here. It's solid to build on, just slow to dig.
Can I set the bolts myself?
You can if you follow the plan to the letter. Miss one and the frame won't sit right.