Help with Piers !

[AirstreamJake]

Okay, I've read through topics such as this one: 

And yet, I am still left wondering ... why must drawing a simple pier and beam foundation plan in Home Designer be so difficult?  All I want is the basic foundation on CMU block and footers - not a beach house on round piers, and no stem walls.  I can copy the basic slabs that are given in the above article, and create architectural blocks which combine the two slab types, but I cannot figure out how to adjust the dimensions of a slab once it is drawn; i.e., how to change a 24"W x 24D pad to a 20"W x 20"D pad.  Simple dimensional changes such as this don't seem to be an option under the slab tool.  Am I missing something somewhere?  

 

Also, how do I change the height of the piers so that they exactly touch the bottoms of the LVL beams which they will be supporting.  Is there any easy way to do that?

[solver]

17 minutes ago, AirstreamJake said:

why must drawing a simple pier and beam foundation plan in Home Designer be so difficult?

 

What are you finding difficult?

 

18 minutes ago, AirstreamJake said:

but I cannot figure out how to adjust the dimensions of a slab once it is drawn; i.e., how to change a 24"W x 24D pad to a 20"W x 20"D pad.

 

Select the slab and temporary dimensions will show. Change the dimension. Grab one of the handles and drag to resize.

 

19 minutes ago, AirstreamJake said:

Also, how do I change the height of the piers so that they exactly touch the bottoms of the LVL beams

 

You make the top height of the pier the same as the bottom height of the LVL. What part of this do you not understand.

 

Can you determine the bottom of the LVL? Do you know how to raise and lower the pier?

[AirstreamJake]

Hi Solver - I am going to start a new post titled 'Perimeter Masonry Pier on Grade Beam' that will both describe and show pictures of the type of foundation I am trying to create.