pouring pilings ?!

[andrei]

hello,
i don't know where to look for advice on this...
i'm trying to build a small house [16'X24'] on an island in maine.
[1-1/2 stories tall] . poured in place concrete pilings seem to be the
way to go, but i dont know how to figure out how many to put in or
how far apart they have to be ?! the house will be wood frame construction, the soil is good, and the house will face the ocean.

if anybody has some advice on this, or where to find it it would
be great - thank you , Andrei

[Rich]

Yellow Pages are a good place to start - Look under engineers or structural engineers. Most likely you are looking at something like 12" caissons and something like 8' o.c. but I'm only guessing.

[mjpliv]

Like Rich says, spend a few dollars now for an engineer and you will save money in the long run. Be carefull about using "off the self" advice regarding spacing and size of your piers. An engineer will evaluate your house planes and calculate the all of the loads generated by the structure and the environment.