Awesome replies, thanks. Very interesting. I love these old barns and it's even more fun poking around in them.
I like the idea of splitting the threshing floor into 3 spans. I thought that the 18 foot span that it had was under designed. I won't be using it for threshing but instead for square bale storage so I want the floor strong. This means extra posts in the basement which will also support the main cross beams that the gable bay joists are let into. I thought it could use some extra support as well. I did some load calculations and they were all under sized based on the weight and size of a single square bale.
For the foundation I agree that pouring a solid wall below grade to 4 feet down is the best way to go but I want to try and keep the expense down and try to use stones for a footing and frost wall. What are your thoughts on digging down 4 feet below grade(basement floor) and throwing in huge stones on the bottom for a footing and filling in the gaps with concrete, then using forms or slip forming, build the frost wall up to grade by just throwing in smaller stones and concrete. Then start laying the stone wall from grade up to my finished height. I would also use re-enforced bond beams half way up the above grade wall and also at the top and also build 2 buttress wall to the inside of the basement at 20 foot intervals. The corners would count as a buttress as well. Do you think that using this method with all stones to cut down on the concrete costs and trucking would have the durability of a modern poured wall and footing. Lots of stones around and they are all free. I just have to collect them.
Thanks again,
Steve.
