tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 When drawing a 3-sided ICF wall with a footer, it appears to work fine. But when I add the fourth wall, make it 4-sided, it looks like a slab. Please see the below images for clarity. How can I fix this? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justmejerry Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 Could be floor defaults for ceiling height or could be foundation wall default height. What happens if you draw main floor and have foundation auto-build? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 If I start with a new plan, it will default to a different exterior wall type, and then I can box it. But that is not what I want. Below is an image of the wall type with the footer that I want to make, but I cannot get it to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 That does not fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 Uncheck Slab Footing. When you check slab footing you are telling the program that you want the walls to be used to form the footings for a monolithic slab foundation so as soon as you enclose a room that's what you're getting. The slab footings should go on the foundation room below if that's really what you want but should not be spec'd for your main walls. NOTE: You may also have to increase your ceiling heights if you make this change after the fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 Once you enclose your room you can also just open the room up and increase the ceiling heights instead of unchecking Slab Footing. I still say that you shouldn't be using that checkbox in this situation as the foundation belongs on the floor below but I wanted to point out that you CAN have that checked and still get what you're after. There's just no good reason to do it that way IMO and its really not how I think that setting was designed to be used. Again, once you enclose the room, Chief automatically converts the room to a monolithic slab and when it does that it changes the ceiling height to zero. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 That just doesn't make any sense. Why Chief would allow you to make the default settings, and then it doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 12 minutes ago, tswitos said: That just doesn't make any sense. Why Chief would allow you to make the default settings, and then it doesn't work. It does work. I just don't think you're using it in the right way. I would suggest you get in the habit of using the Help files... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 I should be able to sketch my ICF walls with the specified footer and calculate the total amount of required concrete. As of now, I don't see how to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 4 minutes ago, tswitos said: I should be able to sketch my ICF walls with the specified footer and calculate the total amount of required concrete. As of now, I don't see how to do that. Exactly what type of foundation/floor structure are you trying to draw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 For now, I’m just trying to create a simple 4-sided building as I showed in my first post, with a footer, and calculate the total amount of required concrete. Then, as I add windows and doors, etc., I should see the amount of concrete decrease (automatic update). I want to establish the methodology on how to do this in Chief. I have watched a lot of the online videos, but I didn’t see anything on how to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 Chief should calculate the amount of concrete based upon the dimensions the end user entered for the exterior walls and footer and show in a table, somewhere, the required cubic feet. I’m learning Chief, a trial version for 30 days, and spending also 30 days to learn Softplan with its trial verson. Softplan does this with ease, as shown below, but I cannot figure it out in Chief. I want to design ICF homes, and I have to determine which software works the best. I like them both, and I’m not an expert in either one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 I can't go to the materials list until I can get Chief to make an enclosed perimeter exterior ICF wall with a footer without making a monolithic slab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 5, 2017 Author Share Posted December 5, 2017 That's what I have been trying to do. Now I just have to figure out how you did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan_Son Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 6 hours ago, solver said: Change the default wall to ICF, check Foundation Wall, change the footing (under Foundation) as needed. Draw your walls. Make the room Open Below, or just leave the default floor structure as is -- should default to wood. But, as Michael said, this isn't the correct (Chief) way to build a structure. Explaining a bit more about what you are building will help others help you. Honestly, there's nothing really wrong with what you just spelled out but you also correctly left out the checking of the Slab Footing box. That's all I was saying...don't check that box unless you want Chief to treat that wall as a footing for a slab. And again...if you make this mistake you're going to end up having a room with a zero ceiling height as well as a monolithic slab foundation. You'll need to fix those settings. P.S. By "you", I don't mean you Eric, just any yous who might be reading along : ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 solver, I was able to replicate the enclosed ICF walls, based upon your guidance. Thank you. What I am trying to design is an ICF home, but I am starting with the exterior wall along with the footer. But you stated that this is not the Chief way, and I don’t know what is. I thought starting with the exterior walls was the right approach. My approach to modelling is the same as if the contractor was building it. Footers/piers and ICF wall (with window/door cut-outs), floor joists, subflooring, interior walls, roof trusses, roof, etc. I guess I will have to watch more Chief videos to figure out the Chief way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 Not exactly. The ICF will start on the footer, and the floor joist will integrate to the ICF wall via joist hanger. Here’s an example. There are several methods of doing this, and they vary depending if it is bearing or non-bearing. I don’t know if Chief can show these types of joist hangers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 Perhaps I need to start another topic on joist hangers for ICF walls? You have already answered my question to this original topic, boxing in ICF walls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 PDF file showing joist hanger. floor joist hanger 2.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 This is why I'm researching Chief. I have to find a way to do this. I will start another topic. I have been watching training videos tonight for walls and foundations and floor joists, trying to figure out a way to make it all work together for ICF, because these isn't a specific video on how to do this. Thanks for all the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 Then I might have to make the footer (first pour) and the first ICF wall up to the joist (second pour), the remaining ICF wall will belong to the first floor (third pour). So the foundation will have the first two pours, and the first floor will have the final pour. This actually done in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 10, 2017 Author Share Posted December 10, 2017 On 12/5/2017 at 6:42 PM, solver said: Change the default wall to ICF, check Foundation Wall, change the footing (under Foundation) as needed. Draw your walls. Make the room Open Below, or just leave the default floor structure as is -- should default to wood. But, as Michael said, this isn't the correct (Chief) way to build a structure. Explaining a bit more about what you are building will help others help you. After watching Chief videos on walls and foundations, I'm beginning to see what you mean by the Chief way. Thanks for all your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Typically in Chief after setting up your Wall and Foundation Defaults, you draw the 1st Floor Exterior walls ( Level1), then Build Floor>Foundation ( Level 0 ) to get the Basement Area based off the 1st Floor Walls automatically, you don't Draw it in the Order it is Field Built , it's just how CA works best and you will fight the Program if you don't. I too find myself having to do stuff the "Chief Way" ( and learn their terminology) rather than work from a Contractor/Builder's/Industry mindset on a lot of occasions . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tswitos Posted December 10, 2017 Author Share Posted December 10, 2017 After watching some of the online videos today and yesterday, I see what you mean. I had to study the exterior walls and foundation videos twice, and pause often to replicate the Chief way. Sure enough, the first floor exterior wall is modeled first, then the foundation. Then I found a new "problem" as I am training on Chief, after you move a wall that has the framing, like floor joist and ceiling beams, the framing does not update. I started a new post on this just a few minutes ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Sounds like Automatic Framing is Off by default , in your Template Plan.....you really need to spend the Time in your Template to Open the Defaults and go through EVERY thing and set things up the way you normally work , the best you can. Once Done and saved as your New Template , you will always have those settings in every drawing eg the ICF Foundation Wall. That being said I think you are using the Trial from some other posts I read , so you can't do a Save or use Library Items... , you could Rent it for a month I suppose....$199 , if not ready to buy. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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