Minimum Foundation Specs

[Bern]

Hi All,
I'm trying to plan a pizza oven and I like the idea of the Casa2G90. Ideally I'm thinking of the 2G90 on top of a 48x55 inch insulating hearth

My main problem is what foundation can I get away with. I have existing concrete patio which is at least 3.5 inch think and laid on gravel, it is not reinforced but recently installed by pro builders.

Is it at all possible to build an oven on top of such a patio? All the foundations slab instructions I see use a minimum of 5.5 inches but these are for quite large structures. So what is the minimum I can do?

Thanks in advance

[RandyJ]

There is a lot of debate on this subject. And it kind of depends on where you live what the soil conditions are like and what you plan to do for the base structure. I know you are not planning to build a brick bases oven but the weight can get very heavy. I think my oven comes in at around 16000# but if you did a igloo on a fb steel stand I think you would be fine. Gooduck with what you do.

Randy

[Tscarborough]

You will be fine. Ovens are very heavy, but depending upon how you build the base, the weight is spread pretty evenly. As an example, using 16000# on a 48x55 base with a 24" opening in front using 8" CMU, the actual weight on the slab is 10.98 PSI, and that is not even using an H shaped base.

[NCMan]

I would agree that you should be fine. It's not the optimal foundation for an oven, but I'd have to have a solid reason to even consider removing a section of patio to build there. If I had my choice of a different location, I'd consider not building on the patio, though. Also, the lack of reinforcement is a concern. Another thing to take into consideration is the amount of fall/pitch the slab has where you plan to build. It doesn't preclude you from building there, it's just something to look at. Normal fall is about a 1/4"/ft. So, you may have about 1-1 1/2" fall in the area (or more). Typically, you'd want to start on a nice, level base.