Load-Bearing Block Column

This block column was the last part of this block job.  It's somewhat shorter than the block walls to leave room for a header beam.

In sharing the good and the bad, let me tell you something about clay.  Apparently clay is one of the worst, most unpredictable soils for building.  As you may have read earlier, I had a 3' building pad constructed of hard-packed sand, which I let settle over the winter (03-04).  This had to do with the site being a little low, but also to provide a better foundation soil.  My slab and blockwork have been in place for a few months now, and for the most part things are solid.  However, the NW corner of the building, which is the back corner in the picture below, has started to sink to an uncomfortable degree for me.  Actually the entire rear of the garage slab sank almost 2", but seems to have settled.  I'm concerned about potential damage to the in-floor heating coils, so I'm working with my concrete guy on a means to stop any further sinking by putting some stud posts through the frost footing blocks.  After that I may have him pour new cement over the top to level the surface before I start framing my studwall.

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