In Chicago, building codes require that concrete supports be poured at a depth of at least 3 feet 6 inches. In the mountains or some of the other areas you should consult with some of the locals to see how much freezing weather and moisture there is and how deep it drives the frost. Browning says a local city engineer says the frost line in Jasper County is located at about 18 to 24 inches. The frost line is the maximum distance … How Far Down Will Frost Penetrate? Look at the following drawing to get an idea of different frost … Considering this, how deep is the frost line in my area? The frost line in Illinois is 40 inches, so the water in the soil has not been known to freeze deeper than that point. It's hard to believe, but it's true. Therefore, it’s necessary to set your footings below the frost line of your particular region–the depth at which frost can no longer penetrate. Whereas the average depth of frost for our region is between 15 and 20 inches, the established depth frost line varies from 36 to 48 inches. According to state regulations, several counties have a frost line depth of 12 inches. Here in balmy NC, our winters are fairly brief—our frost line is 12” down. The Frost and Freeze map shows where frost cant be expected and where temperature are forecast to fall below 32 degrees F. Frost is a solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. Frost can penetrate as deep as 6 feet or deeper. Footers on the other hand, have a high load per square foot and therefore, must be planted on solid, stable ground below the frost line. The depth depends on how severe the winter cold is in the area you're building. Arizona Ground Frost Depth June 2010 Data Sources: NRCS Projection: Datum: NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_12N For Further Information Contact: Arizona NRCS State Headquarters - (602) 280-8801 230 N. 1st Ave., Suite 509, Phoenix, AZ 85003 0 25 50 100 150 200 Miles Legend $ 0" to 2" 3" to 12" 12" to 18" 12" to 24" 18" to 30" 24" to 36" How deep does the frost line go in Texas? In chilly places like Boston, or Milwaukee, the frost line can extend as far down as 48”! Depending on the soil, one inch of rigid insulation is equal to approximately one foot soil depth, therefore if the frost line for your area is 4 ft deep, and you are installing a water line at the 3 ft mark, you must lay 1" thick rigid insulation above the whole length the water pipe. This invisible line indicates how deep groundwater is expected to freeze. Furthermore, the slab "floats" on the soil surface and therefore, remains relatively stable, even though it isn't very deep. 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