12 replies to this topic

[Lane De Muro]

Is there a pre defined wall type for a pony wall where the bottom portion of the wall is 8" poured concrete and the top is 2x6 framed wall?  

 

thanks in advance,

Lane

[Martin Livingston]

You are have to create your own. Here is a sample definition

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[Lane De Muro]

Thanks, I was afraid of that....

 

When I look at the predefined 2x6 exterior wall with siding, the wall diagram box shows the stud height of 91.5" and three plates at 1.5" each, for a total stud and plate vertical dimension of 96".  

However, the actual real world framing height, using pre cut studs is  97 1/8", not 96" .  Does softplan automatically recalculate the inputs to achieve the correct overall height?

 

It looks like it would be fairly easy to do a "save as" for the 2x6 exterior wall with siding, then modify the vertical dimensions to fit my needs, and then add a concrete wall below.  But what will I actually end up with if I modify the top wall to have the three plates at 1.5" each, and the wall stud at (actual) height of 4'-8 1/2" (actual vertical bottom of bottom plate to top of top plate 5'1")?  I would also need a footing below the concrete as the pony wall is the foundation wall.

 

Which side of the wall (interior or exterior) is considered the reference side for alignment of the outside of stud to outside of concrete?

 

Thanks,

Lane

[Keith Almond]

... shows the stud height of 91.5" and three plates at 1.5" each, for a total stud and plate vertical dimension of 96".  However, the actual real world framing ...

 

I believe a lot of the States us 91½" precuts studs and a finished wall height of 96", and Softplan is designed for that. See this thread too ... http://softplan.com/...ard-stud-height

 

One thing to bear in mind, in a wall definition, the total height of the wall is what governs the heights of most of the materials. The stud (and other full height materials) should NOT have FIXED checked. That means that if the wall height varies, then the height of the studs etc. will adjust to suit.

 

In your system wall definition, you should be able to edit the overall height to whatever you use as standard, and everything else will adjust to suit.

[Keith Almond]

Which side of the wall (interior or exterior) is considered the reference side for alignment of the outside of stud to outside of concrete?

 

Outside is ALWAYS the exterior side.

 

[Lane De Muro]

Thanks for the information.

 

UGGGG...looks like the honeymoon with SoftPlan might be over  .  I was doing pretty good up till now.  But before I go, after I set up this wall and need to step down the lower portion for frost wall footings, will it be able to do that or will I need to make a separate wall for each footing step?

 

Lane

[Keith Almond]

... modify the vertical dimensions to fit my needs, and then add a concrete wall below.  But what will I actually end up with if I modify the top wall to have the three plates at 1.5" each, and the wall stud at (actual) height of 4'-8 1/2" (actual vertical bottom of bottom plate to top of top plate 5'1")?  I would also need a footing below the concrete as the pony wall is the foundation wall.

 

You will end up with whatever you want to define. Build the wall in the definition menu EXACTLY as you would build it on site. My version is a little more complex than Martin's. As I said earlier, the wall height set in the options is the KEY height.

 

[Keith Almond]

... after I set up this wall and need to step down the lower portion for frost wall footings, will it be able to do that or will I need to make a separate wall for each footing step?

 

As it stands, you will "probably" need to create a separate wall for each step, I say probably because it will depend on your step and your material heights, but it's NOT likely they will work properly ... However, Softplan 2018 has fixed that issue with the TRANSITION Command.

[Martin Livingston]

You will end up with whatever you want to define. Build the wall in the definition menu EXACTLY as you would build it on site. My version is a little more complex than Martin's. As I said earlier, the wall height set in the options is the KEY height.

 

 

I add the interior insulated wall as a separate wall because they drop in different locations than the concrete wall

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[Martin Livingston]

Here is an exterior shot of the same corner showing my finished wall steps. I created a wall definition for 9', 8', 7', 6' and 5' concrete walls with a frame wall on top (this project has 9' ceilings in the basement). after adding the normal 5' concrete wall I started dropping the wall 1' for each segment using the same wall definition and added 1' to the wall height. Softplan calculates the materials correctly as long as you don't edit the height of the wall any shorter than the total of the "fixed" components in the wall definition. The sections are also accurate. the only real drawback is you cannot add an opening across a wall joint. Hopefully with the new wall drop system in 2018 this is addressed.

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[Keith Almond]

The only real drawback is you are cannot add an opening across a wall joint. Hopefully with the new wall drop system in 2018 this is addressed.

 

No ... even though you can use transitions to change the height of the steps instead of multiple definitions, to make steps, you have to have separate walls that address the transition. You still can't place windows over the wall join.

[Keith Almond]

Here is an exterior shot of the same corner showing my finished wall steps. I created a wall definition for 9', 8', 7', 6' and 5' concrete walls with a frame wall on top (this project has 9' ceilings in the basement). after adding the normal 5' concrete wall I started dropping the wall 1' for each segment using the same wall definition and added 1' to the wall height. 

 

In Ontario, you can't backfill more than 3'11" against a wall that's not laterally restrained (full height) so dropping from 8' to 5' in one step pretty much minimizes the exposed concrete. So typically, my foundation walls are nominally 2', 5' and 8' any other drops are almost pointless.

[randolph cohn]

not sure if anyone, in the threads above, mentioned to FIX the CONCRETE part of the 2 material pony wall

 

and DON't > FIX the stud walls.

this means that when you CHANGE the "height" of the total wall,  ONLY the "stud" part will change

 

which means if you change a defined 8' pony wall to 10', than the concrete part will keep it's given height

and the change in height will occur in the stud wall.

 

note:  this is with all versions before 2018,

2018 has the NEW command > "transition wall"  > it's really neat. you can slope the material  > thanks tech.

 

note: haven't played enough with the transition wall so no expert on this new command.