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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:31 pm
by Mat B
I am a novice at bricklaying and garden projects and have embarked upon a project to build a retaining wall about a metre high. I have dug out the footings and laid a concrete strip 600mm wide and 200mm deep however i am concerned that the depth may be too shallow. Can anyone offer any advice / provide me with some reassurance.
Also i intend to build a full brick wall using a stretcher bond 5.2m in length incorporating piers at both ends and 2 more along the length. Will this be sufficient?
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:34 pm
by ABILITY
Mat
Depends alot on ground conditions, often its the width of footing thats more important than depth, how far below ground level is the top of you concrete ?
By full brick, presume you mean 9" / two bricks width of wall, maybe worth creating a backwards 'toe' in block, 450 wide than projects into back fill behind the wall to add weight to bottom of wall, then tie face brick to block and back skin of wall with stainless wall ties.
As I said depends on ground conditons, but you sholud be ok to use your new foundation.
Ensure drainage is good behind wall.
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 8:32 pm
by Tony McC
The top of your footing should be at least 150mm below ground level. We call this 'frost cover', but it's not really anything to do with frost: it's more to do with ensuring there is adequate space to allow soil or paving to cover the footing and to create the impression that the masonry goes straight down into the ground.
Occasionally, very occasionally, a footing might have to be laid at, or very close to, ground lvel, but this really is the exception, and there have to be very good reasons for so doing.