settlement from wood storage near house

[iron]

1/2 of my yard is filled with wood splits. i'd like to get my system to a point where it's split, stack, burn, not split, stack, move, stack, burn.

an ideal spot for this is right next to my house not too far from the door i would use to get the wood. i know a lot of people on here have wood stored very close to their house. have you seen settlement or foundation issues as a result of storing so much weight next to your structure?

my foundation is cast-in-place concrete, 6" walls, probably 5ft high at the location i'd like to load up. i can't image the weight would be enough to cause issues, but who knows. the would stacks would be on spread footings, not solid concrete, so it would be a couple of point loads.

i would appreciate insight on your experience to date.

 

[peakbagger]

Unless you have real marginal soils, its not an issue. If you are paranoid assume the soil pressure spreads out at a 45 degree angle. If the wall is 6' deep than if you place the pile 6 feet away from the house, the additional loading from the wood will intersect the base of the wall.

 

[iron]

yeah, i get the part about placing the load "d" distance away, where "d" depth. but, i need to right up against the house due to logistics.

 

[Zack R]

yeah, i get the part about placing the load "d" distance away, where "d" depth. but, i need to right up against the house due to logistics.

Firewood won't be that heavy when compared to the weight of the house or the weight of the soil on the foundation. I imagine this would only be an issue in really poorly compacted soils.

 

[iron]

say soil weighs 120 PCF and is 6ft deep
a cord of wood is 4000lbs (https://www.thoughtco.com/heating-properties-firewood-by-tree-species-1342848) spread over a 4x4x8 area, that's 125 PSF.

the horizontal earth pressure from the soil is (.5)(120)(6)(6)/2 = 1080lbs / lineal foot

the horizontal earth pressure from the wood is (.5)(125) = 63 lbs / lineal foot

so yeah, the wood isn't much and is within the realm of other things that most homeowners would put next to their house. i was just hoping for some experiences from the hearth.com community.

 

[mountain man 2]

say soil weighs 120 PCF and is 6ft deep
a cord of wood is 4000lbs (https://www.thoughtco.com/heating-properties-firewood-by-tree-species-1342848) spread over a 4x4x8 area, that's 125 PSF.

the horizontal earth pressure from the soil is (.5)(120)(6)(6)/2 = 1080lbs / lineal foot

the horizontal earth pressure from the wood is (.5)(125) = 63 lbs / lineal foot

so yeah, the wood isn't much and is within the realm of other things that most homeowners would put next to their house. i was just hoping for some experiences from the hearth.com community.

Sounds like you are an engineer?

 

[iron]

yes, and i can calculate the theory. just looking for real world.

 

[Hasufel]

yes, and i can calculate the theory. just looking for real world.

In theory there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.

 

[kennyp2339]

What ever you end up building remember 2 things, deflect water away from the shed and your house, build something large enough to hold 2 seasons worth of wood so you can have 2 years worth of drying under cover

 

[kennyp2339]

This is my driveway 8 cord shed, each section is 10ft long, 5ft wide and 8ft high to 6'6 in that back, each bin hold 2 cords, its only 3 rows deep to help facilitate drying.

 

[iron]

i don't have 2 seasons of space in one location. it's a goofy yard layout. i can probably get 1 season here, 1 season there, but i'm not sure about season 3.

 

[Woody5506]

real world concern - dealing with the pests that will be lured to your wood pile if it's right against the house.

 

[peakbagger]

Whatever you do make sure that the top of the pile redirects any water shed from the roof away from the foundation and the stack. I would strongly recommend leaving a gap between the siding and the wood. There could be differential settling that would tip the pile towards the house. If the soil away from the foundation freezes and heaves, the soils near the house wont freeze as quickly and it will tend to tip the stacks towards the house.

 

[maple1]

real world concern - dealing with the pests that will be lured to your wood pile if it's right against the house.

This.

I don't think I would stack wood right up against my house. Unless maybe it was already completely seasoned, and it was up off the ground and top covered.

 

[Zack R]

I have a row of wood stacked near my house, about 12" away. Hopefully this is far enough to allow for air to circulate and to keep the pests away.

 

[kennyp2339]

The closest part of my stack from the house is like 15ft away, I'm more afraid of the mice than termites and ants since I like keeping my garage door open when its nice out, I have a cat but it seems like everyday he finds a way to get a little more lazier, I might have to train a hawk or something.