DIY foundation repair

[@flyoverurbangarden4315]

You need to make more videos, they're excellent.

[@jonathanmezzenga2501]

Concrete for this type of use does not require rebar. Most houses in my area are built on 4” slabs and as a structural engineer I’m regularly calculating maximum loads they can handle from things like beam reactions, etc. I’m not sure why your slab had that large of rebar so close to the top edge of the slab other than for temperature/shrinkage crack control which can easily be achieved with wire mesh. They should not have reinforced your slab to begin with, but this definitely was an education video to see how one can preserve exposed rebar. Thank you!

[@mEgA_riLed]

What region are you in ?

[@PavolSeman]

Hello. I am personally convinced that the iron reinforcement should be in contact with the concrete, which protects the iron from corrosion with its anticorrosive behavior. When I was repairing such a malfunction, I removed the loose material, rubbed the iron reinforcement with a rust remover to neutralize the corrosion layer, and then sanded it down and poured it with concrete, which bit into the iron and protected it from corrosion at the same time.

[@jamesdean9198]

Former Special Inspector here....according to ACI and ASTM standards, minor surface rust is permitted on rebar as long as it is not scaling or affecting the dimensions of the rebar and/or it's deformations.

[@suburbanbiology]

I wish I knew more about the details. This stuff was sticking up proud and cracking the concrete around it. I imagine there is some rule against that although I cannot pretend to know what it is. Thanks for commenting!

[@moirarussell1950]

Thanks for showing the most perfect possible way to do that. I’m so glad I stumbled across your channel.

[@suburbanbiology]

Thanks for commenting. I’m happy you enjoy the videos. The concrete repair one is probably more entertaining once you’ve already seen the massive heater (which you have) that goes on top of it. Thanks!

[@VenturiLife]

It's completely normal for re-bar to rust to an extent inside the concrete, but it should be sealed, and that corrosion stops at some point. If the rebar is exposed or there is a crack etc. allowing water / air ingress then it will continue to rust until it eventually fails.

[@suburbanbiology]

That makes sense. I knew I was going to be building a rocket mass heater so I had to be sure this foundation was super stable. Thanks for watching that video too and commenting on both!!!!

[@JeffPezos]

it shouldn't rust inside the wall. Rusty rebars isnt a problem if its only surface rust, most of them has surface rust already before you put them (since theyre stored outside most of the times) in the wall but that isnt a problem since it should be sealed as you say but it shouldnt rust inside the wall since its sealed.

[@plainnpretty]

It has to have air to rust ?

[@carlospinheirotorres9499]

Great job, thanks for sharing this wholesome bit of time ♥️

[@suburbanbiology]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carlospinheirotorres9499]

@@suburbanbiology I'm not pandering you're pandering!

[@prima808]

Beautiful work!

[@suburbanbiology]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@brendameader6937]

I watched all your videos dude! make some more! Greenhouse here we come, ill stay tuned!

[@suburbanbiology]

I’m glad you enjoyed them. I’m working on the second wall of the porch now. I hope to start the greenhouse shortly after that. Thanks for your support!

[@reeftank706]

Definitely speak more about your solar as well or other improvements @@suburbanbiology. Being this level of self sufficient is the Texas way. Eventually more people will see that, the problem is you don't get it until you get it :D I want to do sub grade water storage ideally and maybe a standpoint well for irrigation.

[@frankbierschneider8785]

Well done!

[@HigoWapsico]

I love what you’re doing, it’s exactly what we need more of. You already have plans for a greenhouse?

[@suburbanbiology]

Rough plans yes. Jerome Osentowski inspired. Thanks!

[@HigoWapsico]

@@suburbanbiology oh nice! Have you taken the CRMPI class/seminar? My friend, who I’m trying to salvage a property in Delta county with, spent a couple of weeks there, maybe even got certified. I think you’ll find this interested as well. Not sure where you are, but this is from Canada. kzbin.info/www/bejne/op_QoZiPe6ega5Y

[@dans5595]

remember that ya oughta add the acid to the watah.

[@EricWebSurfer]

Where is your video you referred to where you built the awning?

[@suburbanbiology]

Is the porch sauna one.

[@thegreenviking1422]

Glad i found your channel... liked and subbed... new stalker here.. :P

[@suburbanbiology]

Thanks for your support!

[@charlieb9090]

Great video. Big question; given rebar is popping cement off side of foundation, should that rebar be removed prior to resurfacing facia on side of foundation? House was built about 1972.

[@suburbanbiology]

It should probably be exposed enough to paint it and then recover it with concrete. I’m not an expert in this. I’m just guessing. You should hire a foundation company to have an engineer take a look at it. I’m sure there are many variables that go into an engineer’s final decision. You could always get their opinion and then do the work yourself if you feel capable. Thanks for commenting!

[@markspc1]

The philosophy of rebars in concrete it to give tensile strength, the reason is that concrete does not do well under tension load. As a structural engineer, I see no tension load path in your exposed rebars. You can see it, after removing the concrete, the porch slab did not disintegrated. So what it is telling you that the rebars are totally unnecessary. If I were you I would expose about 6 more inches of the rebars, saw it off, roll it into a wad and try to find who put those rebar on a porch slab and you can complete the sentence for me. Good luck with your repairs.

[@suburbanbiology]

Lol. Thanks for the education. You make some good points. The repair site is now covered with a 6,000 pound rocket mass heater. You should check that video out. But it’s too late to change the repair now. Thanks for watching!

[@e.collins2768]

​@@suburbanbiology don't listen to that enginerd bro. Probably still in school and has no real world idea of what he's talking about. Concrete doesn't miraculously fall apart without rebar. The fact of the matter is all concrete cracks eventually and when yours cracks it'll stay together and not buckle cause it has rebar

[@giuseppebonatici7169]

​@@e.collins2768 you don't need 5/8 to avoid buckle nor cracking. a mesh of 3/16 would be better to avoid that. As how is the rebar placed, it would not prevent buckling for load, so the only thing that could hide is some settlement failure that would eventually surface as the rebar is to close to surface to preserve reliable contact with the concrete (like how it was shown in the video). If that rebar was doing anything in there, the exposing of it would have made the structure fail. The evidence shows that the rebars is: Badly placed in both depth and separation because it was badly sized (someone was lazy and didnt want to wire a proper mesh), and wasn't doing anything. The enginerd was right: if the rebar was doing something, the adherence failure would have made the slab to deteriorate with small fractures and with weathering (a.k.a water or air, CO2 destroys concrete) would have "disintegrated" with enough time. I believe that the concrete failure was induces by the rebars being loaded in tension when the slab was made (why else would the small rebars stick to surface level when the concrete was removed?). With time, the concrete failed because the only tensional load was the rebar itself. It looks like the small rebars where also too close to the border of the slab for proper installation, so something weird happened in the slab making. But hey, I just point out design and operational errors that could end people in mines for a living, what do I know?

[@st3althyone]

@@giuseppebonatici7169 Thank you for such a short and nuanced response instead of relying on insults, it’s refreshing.

[@e.collins2768]

@@giuseppebonatici7169 apparently not much about flat work. I've poured and demoed many pads and not once have I ever seen concrete fall apart after busting through to the rebar unless there's already a crack there. Small insignificant pours often have rebar at different heights throughout the pad. It is very likely at a good height a foot or two away from where he stopped. It's a porch built for foot traffic and to out last a couple owners its not a mining operation dude. we had an engineer make us pour a 3 foot thick pad with 2 layers of rebar one time because it was getting a 20 ton ac unit on it and he thought that was the weight instead of cooling capacity. The only people who take engineers at face value are people who dont know any better. Also you'd be shocked if you saw how many times I've busted up concrete and saw the wire mesh sitting in the dirt under the concrete. And that's on heavy-duty applications

[@Idontknow-mf7tx]

Your awning video is not available anymore?

[@suburbanbiology]

I haven’t put it it out yet. It’s part of the larger porch rennovation video. Coming soon…ish. Thanks!!

[@Idontknow-mf7tx]

@@suburbanbiology oh okay, there's 2 videos on your playlist that are unavailable for some reason at least here in Finland.

[@richardrgarabedian9054]

Who could I call to do this kind of repair work on my garage. ? If anyone knows? My warranty company "says" it could be a good while before they find someone who can come out and fix my protruding rebar.

[@suburbanbiology]

Foundation repair companies often do work like this.

[@cheffsolo7739]

Great vido , but cant fine the video you talk about at the end of this video

[@suburbanbiology]

I haven’t published it yet. Not quite done. I still have to build the custom doors for the porch. Hopefully will be done in a couple months. Thanks for your support!

[@lelandeggleston1041]

Is your shop a Q Hut?

[@suburbanbiology]

Yes. With some modifications

[@JustMe-te8cz]

Modern concrete is junk. The steel rebar actually breaks up the structure, as it vibrates with any seismic event. It's like adding a jackhammer inside your slab and walls. If you jacket the rebar in PVC pipe, that would help, but it doesn't solve the issue entirely. Ancient concrete used fibers as reinforcent, and those structures are hundreds of years old. Typically, these are called unreinforced concrete, but it's anything but that. They used silica fibers, asbestos fibers, and others. Actually, concrete water pipe manufactured today often contains asbestos fibers. It is considered to be safe in water pipe. There is no reason to preserve the steel, just let it rust. Add glass fibers or nylon fibers to your concrete mix. Lightweight, self leveling concrete contains some fiber and certain additives and is three times stronger than what you patched it with.