FLOOD07624

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Raising and Moving the Slab-on-Grade House
• Date: 1/1/1990
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

new location. This can be particularly diffi-
cult for structures with more than one floor or
steeply pitched roofs.
Some of the advantages and disadvan-
tages of raising in place compared to relocat-
ing are summarized as follows:

Advantages:
Allows use of a desirable but flood-
prone site;
Avoids difficulties of restrictive
relocation routes;
Avoids the necessity of cutting the
structure into sections.

Disadvantages:
Escape routes may be blocked by ris-
ing floodwaters;
Necessary utilities may be damaged or
disrupted
Flood heights may exceed those
designed for;
May engender a false sense of secu-

rity.

THE SLAB-ON-GRADE HOME

As mentioned earlier, there are two ap-
proaches to moving or raising the slab-on-
grade structure: detaching the structure from
the slab, or moving the structure with the slab
attached. The former case has been docu-
mented in other studies and will not be dis-
cussed further in this report.'
The lifting and moving procedures are
essentially the same for the two processes.
The principle differences lie in the preparation
of the structure for lifting and moving, and the
design of, and reattachment to, the new
foundation.

WITH SLAB ATTACHED -
SOME PROS AND CONS

This procedure has a number of advan-
tages over the detached-from-slab approach,
but there are special considerations not present
in the latter case.
In the case of raising the structure in
place, or moving it only a short distance such
that temporary utility connections can be
maintained, a major advantage to the home-
owner is the possibility of continued residence
in and use of the home during the process.
While recognizing that each structure will
differ in architectural and structural design
and must be treated on a case-by-case basis,
experienced structural movers report that
usually only fragile contents need be secured.
If the structure must be moved any
distance, particularly in pieces, remaining in
residence is of course not possible. However,
the presence of the floor slab adds greatly to
the structural integrity of the building or
building segments during the move, and
somewhat simplifies the internal shoring and
bracing required. The presence of the slab is
especially advantageous, if not absolutely
essential, for some types of construction such
as concrete block.
Advantages of this technique com-
pared to detaching the structure from the slab
can be summarized as follows:
. May permit continued occupancy and use
of the structure;
. A voids or simplifies interior shoring and
bracing;
. Applicable to some construction mat-
erials not feasible to move or raise otherwise.

2