12/07/2018
LOG HOUSES IN EARTH QUAKE ZONES:
So after a big earthquake up here in Alaska I called around, talked to old friends and clients how their houses held up: so far, the structures of scribe-fit homes made it through excellent ! There were foundation problems, houses on sloping hills had some big cracks around the house, 'stretching' and 'rolling '......Here is what you have to learn : don't build too close to sloping hills, it might take off a big chunk of the slope- strong foundations are a must, wider footings , more rebar and good anchor bolts- personally I like a monolythic slab on a good layer on gravel, my house had absolutely no damage, the whole slab was 'gliding'on the gravel, no sheetrock damage....it's important to fasten through bolts above window and door openings, tie the platelogs , carrying the rafters on the wall, through 3 layers of log rounds, 'sandwitch' them together, ( prevents lift-off in heavy windy areas too),I don't believe in through bolts from top to bottom, settling doesn't prevent uplifting, and the hole size for the allthread is usually way too big. I believe in rebar drift pins, about 2 feet long, staggered and intelocking the walls. Use heavy angle iron as door bucks, no 2x4s, and make sure you have locked - in tie logs, holding the walls together, from roof side to roof side, to prevent the walls from spreading apart. Rafters should be fastened very well to the last wall log ( plate log ).Ridgepoles on posts should have metal connectors ( angle connectors with lags) hidden in the gable walls, to prevent up lifting......and of course a stong sheeting on the roof, plywood sheets secured well to the rafters........this is just some general info to think about.......good luck in the next 'Big One'...
