Development and Updates for the Medeek Foundation Plugin

[Medeek]

Version 1.0.0 - 07.03.2016
- Created Medeek Foundation Plugin, utilizing SketchUp's Ruby API.
- Added slab on grade foundation type (rectangular outline only).
- Added garage curb and interior footing options.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=1b5e9234-04a5-4e6f-bd4d-ec3006a2f6a4

https://www.qrvr.io/p/K7bzyt

The thing that would make this plugin particularly useful is if the user could define a polygon outline for the foundation, that will be next, then onto stemwall foundations.

[Medeek]

Link to the plugin web page (under construction):

http://design.medeek.com/resources/medeekfoundationplugin.html

The toolbar icons:

[Medeek]

My wife kindly pointed out that the interior footing might not extend the full width or length of the building, very good point.  To correctly specify an interior footing you also need a start and end point, so five inputs total to define this feature:

Direction: X Dir or Y Dir
Footing Width:
Footing Depth:
Start: Measured from first selection point that defines foundation outline.
End:  Measured from first selection point that defines foundation outline, must be greater than Start length.

An example of a partial width interior footing:



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=c6935965-9939-43cd-b682-ffaf67a8a1cd

The problem with the basic UI is that it only allows for one interior footing.  If I webdialog this input menu I can show the layout of the foundation in plan view and allow for an unlimited number of interior footings as well as have footings running in both the X and Y direction.  The possibilities are really endless. 

The same methodology would apply for an arbitrary polygon shaped foundation.

[Medeek]

The ability to go back in and easily edit a foundation without having to recreate it will be crucial to the success of this plugin. 

Version 1.0.1 - 07.05.2016
- Enabled partial width interior footings for slab on grade foundation.
- Addressed minor bugs with UI geometry menu: Interior footing depth can now be specified.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=44ac26c8-b403-4a9b-9840-365887260a23

Interior footings quickly complicate things but a well designed html UI should clarify things greatly and make it much more intuitive.  That will be the next objective.

[Medeek]

If an exclusion area is simply a hole in the slab then it is probably easiest just to push/pull a hole in the slab.  However, if the exclusion area is a large opening with footings required at the perimeter then that is a different matter.  It might look something like this:



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=2348e047-381b-4cb9-94fe-5b8dc8155413

Note how the opening bisects the interior footing, which does potentially complicate any algorithm that would generate the hole and perimeter footing.  I will have to give this some more thought...

[Medeek]

Version 1.0.2 - 07.08.2016
- Added stemwall foundation type (rectangular outline only).
- Enabled post and pier interior floor beam(s) with a strip footing.
- Added brick ledge option to stemwall foundation.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=0b7542df-71cd-4908-8aef-731c9bb95f8a

[Medeek]

When the user selects a type B footing (stemwall foundation) a keyway is inserted between the stemwall and footing:



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=242c0e7d-db46-43b7-baf6-ce322a842e4e

[Medeek]

I'm trying to determine which is the preferred method of blocking out a stemwall foundation for garage doors where a slab will be poured in the garage.  I've seen it done both ways.  Option 1 does not typically block all of the stemwall out and seems to be more common in locations where the frostline is deeper (24" or deeper).  Option 2 completely blocks out the stemwall at the garage door and then a thicken edge is poured where the slab meets the footing at the garage door.  From a structural point of view which is the better method and also from a construction point of view what are the pros and cons?

Option 1:



Option 2:



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=9052ff81-b3c2-4aef-b40a-39a8be9e520b

[Medeek]

I should point out I've also seen a sort of a combination of the two options where the blockout does not extend to the footing but a thickened edge is employed at the slab/door interface and the thickened edge is typically 2x the slab thickness, or called out as a minimum dimension of 8".

Option 3:

[Medeek]

The blockout methods seem to be all over the board, I've even talked with some of my engineering friends and the response is mixed there as well.  I guess I just need to provide the option for any of these three configurations within the plugin.  Sometimes I feel that I get bogged down in the details but I hope some of this level of detail is appreciated.

The other issue I'm having with slabs within garage spaces is the slope of the slab.  I'm trying to determine if is worth trying to incorporate a slope into the slab as it would actually be poured. As far as I know there is not a minimum slope specified for garage floors in the IRC 2015 or earlier only this fairly general statement:

The area of the floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.

Typically the garage slope is 1/8" per foot or 1:96, how critical is this to you the user of the plugin?  Flat would be easier to program but then your blocked out entries on the side of a garage would be only theoretical.

[Medeek]

Here is a quick study on a garage slab that slopes 3" over about 24':



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=e4d46f5d-d5cc-4ba9-9439-39b3fe281e00

What to do with the slope at the garage door?  I've flattened it out but that leaves a line in the slab.

At the side door entrance the right side of the slab is about 3/8" higher than the left side.  Entrances that are parallel to the slope will have this property (problem?).

At the rear of the garage the slab is 6" below the top of the foundation and at the garage door it is 9" below the top.  Perusing through different plan sets I've collected over the years this seems pretty typical for the slope (1/8" in 12").

I think I should probably make the slope an option so those that want to model it can.

Rather than make the slope a percent grade or degrees I think it would be easiest to let the users specify a total rise or drop for the entire slab.

[Medeek]

Version 1.0.3 - 08.28.2016
- Enabled interior bearing wall(s) with strip footing.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=89ee7df4-f895-437f-be51-553aa55bee08

I still need to enable the ability to add framed openings into the interior stud walls.  Interior stud/bearing walls can be created with single or double top plates and can be full span or partial spanning as shown in the image above.

Also note that the studs are aligned from the right side of the stemwall foundation edge so that they line up directly under the floor joists.

[Medeek]

My new job has kept me away for the last few weeks so that getting anything done on the plugins has been a real challenge.  Even so I've been giving some thought to stepped footings/foundations and would like some input from the designers and architects out there on what is common practice and what they would like to see available for this sort of feature within the plugin.



View mode here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=f83f65ea-35e6-46f7-9d6c-f0b09b13a663

Note that I messed up on this model the exterior cripple/pony walls should have only had one top plate so that the combined top plate from the shallow sections and the single top plate would have created the typical double top plate.

[Medeek]

Version 1.0.4 - 11.27.2016
- Enabled rebar and mesh reinforcement for slab on grade foundations.

[Medeek]

Version 1.0.5 - 12.01.2016
- Enabled reinforcement for stemwall foundations.



View model here:

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=ef2187c3-eec9-487f-ae38-601f128390f1