Concrete question - safe placement

[HavokCycle]

I have a midsized Liberty safe that I've never mounted to the floor.
I'm moving next month and I'd really like to anchor this sucker down.

Ive become aware of a "post-stressed" type of foundation that involves cables tensioned during the concrete curing process.
I've also seen what can happen if you nick one of those cables during cutting/drilling.

is this something I need to worry about? My home was built in 99. Not sure when this became a thing, or if it even exists in Indiana.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Sounds like this is an engineered flooring system. I'm betting you could contact the manufacturer and get that information. I don't know anything about your particular system but one time, a few years ago, I had questions about the I-joists in our house and that manufacturer was great about answering my questions.

 

[PGRChaplain]

I was in the Construction Industry for 25+ years, I've never seen "Post Stressed" Concrete in any Residential Construction. If its a Slab House its most likely to have Remesh in the Slab. Here's an article from Concrete Network;https://www.concretenetwork.com/post-tension/advantages.html

 

[jim b]

I have done plenty of post-tensioned residential slabs, but they were all in Texas and none in Indiana. Around here you have nothing to worry about, post tension for residential slabs is not generally used around the Midwest.

 

[Outlaw]

Who built your house? I drive a concrete truck and never seen cables put in a residential slab. If anything they might order fiber in the mud but that wouldn't effect what your doing.

 

[CHCRandy]

Who built your house? I drive a concrete truck and never seen cables put in a residential slab. If anything they might order fiber in the mud but that wouldn't effect what your doing.

I have never seen cables either......100's of new homes and never seen it. I just recently seen concrete with steel fiber in it. Some mean looking stuff to work with.

 

[jamil]

I have never seen cables either......100's of new homes and never seen it. I just recently seen concrete with steel fiber in it. Some mean looking stuff to work with.

Seems like that would be cost prohibitive for most low-to-medium end residential homes.

 

[BigMatt]

A lot of homes in North Texas are slab foundations and almost all of them are post tensioned. It does exist.

The soil moves so much there from season to season, it is a must. You also almost never see basements down there because of this same thing.

People water their slabs down there in drought conditions because the soil moves so much.

That being said, I have never seen one in the Midwest.

 

[jkaetz]

I believe you can usually see the cable anchors on the outside of the foundation if it is post stressed.

 

[Outlaw]

I have never seen cables either......100's of new homes and never seen it. I just recently seen concrete with steel fiber in it. Some mean looking stuff to work with.

Yes it is some nasty stuff. I've even had to pour it in a pump before, not a fun situation. They use it mostly at the airport and for the deep rock tunnel.

 

[jamil]

A lot of homes in North Texas are slab foundations and almost all of them are post tensioned. It does exist.

The soil moves so much there from season to season, it is a must. You also almost never see basements down there because of this same thing.

People water their slabs down there in drought conditions because the soil moves so much.

That being said, I have never seen one in the Midwest.

When I lived in MS it was the same thing. No one had basements, and I asked why. They said the soil moves too much. But rather than post-tensioned, they did "floating slabs". That's what they did for mine when I had my house built there. Inside the concrete was stained. Never had any issues with the slab.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

When I lived in MS it was the same thing. No one had basements, and I asked why. They said the soil moves too much.

It probably depends on what part of MS, when I went there with my wife most if not all of the houses we went to had basements. This was in Independence, a suburb of Kansas city. I wanted her aunt's house, double brick construction, they were laid in a T pattern so there was a solid foot of brick. I don't want to know what that would cost to build now...

 

[HavokCycle]

Just to get an idea of what happens when this foundation fails
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2kF4dXkPfJE

sounds like I don't have anything to worry about in Indiana.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

It probably depends on what part of MS, when I went there with my wife most if not all of the houses we went to had basements. This was in Independence, a suburb of Kansas city. I wanted her aunt's house, double brick construction, they were laid in a T pattern so there was a solid foot of brick. I don't want to know what that would cost to build now...

Jamil's mentioned before he once lived in Mississippi. I'm assuming there's no Kansas City, Mississippi when I say I think you got our MO's and your MS's mixed up.

 

[jagee]

Well I was going to chime in with some helpful insight and brag that I'm certified through the Post-tensioning institute, but it looks like everybody already covered it.

Day late, dollar short.

 

[jamil]

It probably depends on what part of MS, when I went there with my wife most if not all of the houses we went to had basements. This was in Independence, a suburb of Kansas city. I wanted her aunt's house, double brick construction, they were laid in a T pattern so there was a solid foot of brick. I don't want to know what that would cost to build now...

Mississippi is not Missouri.

 

[jamil]

Well I was going to chime in with some helpful insight and brag that I'm certified through the Post-tensioning institute, but it looks like everybody already covered it.

Day late, dollar short.

That's what happens. People like to be helpful and they chime in with whatever experiences they've had with the subject, everhow small.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Jamil's mentioned before he once lived in Mississippi. I'm assuming there's no Kansas City, Mississippi when I say I think you got our MO's and your MS's mixed up.

Doh.

Mississippi is not Missouri.

I see this now. Heck I can't even blame just a brain fart.

 

[JettaKnight]

Now that the thread has shifted on INGO's loose soil...

Well I was going to chime in with some helpful insight and brag that I'm certified through the Post-tensioning institute, but it looks like everybody already covered it.

Where's this institute? Can I send my wife there? She needs some training on how to tension a post.