Soil Assessment, Foundation Advice, and Retaining Wall Planning

@chris7039

Hello, I am a licensed Civil/Structural PE with over 20 years of experience in residential foundation design, soil-bearing evaluation, hillside construction, and permit-ready structural calculations. For your 96 SF Truckee project, I can evaluate the existing slope and disturbed fill condition, determine appropriate soil bearing assumptions, and design the complete foundation system. My scope will include: • Review of site slope and existing fill conditions • Soil-bearing and settlement assessment • Footing/pier diameter and embedment depth • Reinforcement requirements • Beam and post sizing • Post-base and connector specifications • Uplift and lateral restraint details • Permit-ready structural calculations and drawings Special attention will be given to the 10–15° downslope condition and approximately 1.5 ft of unsettled placed soil. Please share the project address, photos, proposed structure type, and any survey or soils information available.

@steven7110

Hi, I can provide the site-specific foundation engineering needed for your small residential structure in Truckee. My experience includes hillside foundations, piers, footings, decks, accessory structures, and residential work on sloped or disturbed soils. I will assess: • Existing native soil versus placed fill • Potential settlement on the downhill side • Appropriate footing depth and diameter • Reinforcing steel requirements • Beam and post loads • Post-base hardware and connections • Lateral and uplift resistance • Applicable frost and local structural requirements Because some soil has been relocated to create a level play area, I will avoid relying on uncompacted fill for structural bearing unless it can be verified as suitable. The final package can include calculations, details, and drawings suitable for contractor and permit use. Please provide the approximate structure height, framing concept, and foundation access conditions.

@christopherm0620

Hello, Unsettled fill on the down hill side (about 1 1/2 feet) combined with a 10 to 15 degree downslope is the primary risk for differential settlement and reduced soil bearing capacity beneath your 96 sqft structure in Truckee. I will focus first on confirming the extent and compaction of that fill and on locating competent native soil for footings. I am a Senior Software Engineer by title with substantial hands-on experience working alongside civil and structural engineers on site assessments and foundation detailing for small residential projects. I have supervised field probing, hand-auger and shallow test pits, reviewed lab compaction test results, and translated findings into footing diameter, depth, reinforcement, beam and post-base details and connector requirements that comply with local building codes. I am familiar with common Truckee area conditions and typical code requirements for footings and connectors. My first step is an on-site assessment with visual inspection and shallow probing (hand-auger or soil probe) and select samples for simple lab tests to estimate allowable bearing capacity and required compaction. From that I will size footings, specify depth, reinforcement, beam and post-base details and connectors, and note any need for engineered fill or deeper footings. - Do you have recent site plans, foundation sketches, or an existing permit application I can review? - When can I schedule a 60 to 90 minute site visit in Truckee to perform the probing and take samples? Happy to connect for a short call to walk through the approach. Christopher