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I have a shop with concrete foundation. I am planning to build a little office where one wall is against and secured into current shop wall.

In that case, do I still need to bolt the other 3 wall bottom plates into the concrete foundation? My concern is the potential crack in the future if I use power actuated gun.

The office is 10’x30’ dimension.

HP.
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  • You can use screw-in concrete anchors if you are concerned about a powder-actuated nail cracking the cement. – Ron Beyer Jan 09 '22 at 19:10
  • This is an office built within an existing structure? Or an addition to an existing structure as in all new walls are outside walls – Jack Jan 10 '22 at 03:03
  • @Jack It's within existing structure where one wall will be connected to existing wall. – HP. Jan 10 '22 at 05:56

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If you mean just set it on the floor and use pressure to hold the bottom of the wall in place? No I would not even consider that. It needs to be held in place in some manner.

Concrete screws will work be considerate of the length you use. They are made to go only 1 1/4" into the concrete. Usually any longer than that, they will shear off and do you no good.

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Drive pins work really well, strong and pretty much fool proof. Drill a 1/4" dia. hole and drive them in. One at each end of every plate, 4 ft max in between. I place them in every other stud bay myself.

Aloysius Defenestrate
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Jack
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  • The drive pin is good for withdrawal and shear,but not for holding a building from being blown away. You’ll loose your building when you get the first gust of 125 mph where you live. Drive pins are not anchor bolts. – Lee Sam Jan 09 '22 at 23:27
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    This is about **an internal wall.** If it's seeing 125 MPH winds you've already lost the building around them. – Ecnerwal Jan 09 '22 at 23:35
  • @Ecnerwal How did you figure out it’s an interior wall? I’m lost. – Lee Sam Jan 10 '22 at 02:35
  • "to build a little office where one wall is against and secured into current shop wall." and the other confirmation that the other 3 walls are to the interior although the OP used the term foundation, instead of floor slab... "do I still need to bolt the other 3 wall bottom plates into the concrete foundation". – Jack Jan 10 '22 at 03:03
  • You know @LeeSam might be right. I had to ask the question to the OP..... If LeeSam is right, that changes everything. – Jack Jan 10 '22 at 03:04
  • It's very unusual to have an existing 10x30 (or more) slab unused outside a shop. It's pretty common to have a big shop with a slab floor and a small office built inside it later. – Ecnerwal Jan 10 '22 at 14:14