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GBlist: Re: Foundations and Frost



Sacie,    re: your frost protected shallow foudation, I built part of my own
home  in Canada with this technique about 12 years ago on well drained soil
with no apparent frost heave problems. In my case I placed extruded foamboard
at a 45 degree angle down and away from the slab ( in a trench which was
subsequently backfilled). It helps to understand the nature of isotherms in
the soil and how this type of insulating litterly bends these lines up to
protect the foundation. By placing the insulation at an angle you have less
digging and need less insulation to do the equivalent job of a vertical
application. (I assume you may already know this but others may want a little
more  long winded an explanation.) It is of course important to not leave any
portion of the concrete exposed to the cold.
Hope this helps.
Rod Lambert
Ecovillage at Ithaca, NY
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