Post-Tension Foundation Design for a Custom Home in Aledo, TX
Aledo · Parker County · Texas
Structural Engineering
A slab engineered for the North Texas expansive clay belt
JRH Engineering provided complete structural engineering design for a new custom home in Aledo, Parker County, Texas, including a post-tension slab foundation system engineered for the region expansive clay soils — a specialty within JRH structural engineering practice. The project 14-sheet structural set included detailed foundation plans, pier dimensions, and post-tension beam and slab details throughout.
AT A GLANCE
Project facts
Project type: custom single-family home, structural engineering
Location: Aledo, Parker County, TX
Scale: single-family residence
Services: structural engineering, post-tension foundation design, framing details
Permitting agency: City of Aledo
Client: confidential, private homeowner
Completion: Q1 2026
Construction value: confidential
Structural engineering
Post-tension slab foundation designed using 270 ksi steel tendons, sized per Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) standard
Slab tendons designed at a maximum spacing of 4 feet 4 inches, with a 4-inch-thick, 3,500 PSI slab
Multiple exterior beam conditions detailed — exterior beam with ledge, exterior beam with stem wall and ledge, and exterior beam with post-tension detailing
Interior beam conditions detailed for both drop beam and post-tension configurations
Full foundation plan with pier dimensions, plus a complete framing details sheet set
Design completed per the 2021 International Residential Code with City of Aledo amendments
Permitting and agency coordination
PE-sealed foundation and framing plans prepared for City of Aledo building permit submission
The Challenge — ground that moves with the seasons
Parker County sits within the North Texas expansive clay soil belt, where ground movement from seasonal moisture changes can crack a conventional slab foundation over time. A post-tension slab resists this movement, but the tendon layout, beam details, and pier dimensions all have to be engineered specifically to the home footprint and the soil conditions on site.
JRH’s Approach — tendons to PTI standards, every bearing condition detailed
JRH designed a post-tension slab foundation using 270 ksi steel tendons sized to PTI standards, with a full set of exterior and interior beam details covering every bearing condition on the home. The complete 14-sheet package gave the contractor the pier dimensions, foundation plans, and beam and slab tendon details needed to build the foundation correctly the first time.
The Results
01
Post-tension slab foundation engineered with 270 ksi steel tendons to PTI standards
02
Complete 14-sheet structural package covering foundation, pier dimensions, and framing details
03
Foundation system specifically engineered for North Texas expansive clay soil conditions
04
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the main engineering challenge on this Aledo, TX custom home project?
Parker County sits within the North Texas expansive clay soil belt, where seasonal ground movement can crack a conventional slab foundation over time, requiring a foundation system engineered specifically for those conditions.
How did JRH Engineering design the foundation for the expansive clay soils at Aledo?
JRH designed a post-tension slab foundation using 270 ksi steel tendons sized to Post-Tensioning Institute standards, with a complete set of exterior and interior beam details covering every bearing condition on the home.
What were the results of the Aledo post-tension foundation project?
JRH delivered a complete 14-sheet structural package covering foundation, pier dimensions, and framing details, engineered specifically for the region's expansive clay soil conditions.