Raised bed

ban-all-sheds · 4 Jan 2008

I want to build (have built, to be more precise) a new boundary wall in my front garden which will actually be 2 brick walls with soil in between to create a raised bed - in plan it will (??) look like this:

The gap between the parallel walls will be approx 30-35cm, and the widest part across the diagonal at the corner will be 1.25 - 1.3m.

The height will be 6 or 8 courses.

Is this feasible, with single-skinned walls, or will it all fall down?

Yes, I know that the people I get to do it will be the best ones to advise, but for reasons too irrelevant and too boring to explain here I need to know before I start getting quotes in...

Moderator3
Your other post is here

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=117826

r896neo · 4 Jan 2008

Ive seen this done before using what are similar to big wall ties. IMHO at that sort of height as long as a decent brickie lays it, there will be no problem. Oh but make sure it drains well, ie gravel at the bottom and appropriate channels, but someone doing it will advise you bout that.

ban-all-sheds · 4 Jan 2008

[b]Moderator3[/b] said:
Your other post is here //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=117826[/QUOTE]
Yes.

Thank you for knowing whether my question best belonged somewhere where people might have specific experience of retaining walls or where there might be more people with general brick-wall knowledge (because I didn't), and thank you for competently exploiting that knowledge by locking the one which was attracting more replies.

Thermo · 4 Jan 2008

yes its totally feasable. the height is negligable and the curve in teh wall will provide more than enough strength. The amount of soil in them is restricted, so providing teher are drainage holes in the bottom courses it wont be a problem.

if i get a chance ill post some photos of similar ones weve done to instill confidence

ban-all-sheds · 5 Jan 2008

2scoops0406 said:
The biggest potential problem will of course be at the corner, where there will be a fair weight of soil pressing on the wall skin. I'd be tempted to partially bond the inner and outer skins on the straights at intervals, and provide stub pillars on the corners. Just my view.

Yo.

Drawing updated to show pillars which will be at the end that's at the bottom of the plan, and at the top left, which is actually a T where my next-door neighbour's front wall joins. Although I'm not sure to what extent that will be keyed in...

Also not shown - where the walls end at the RHS they will be butted up against the wall of my house, so there could be a pillar put there if it will help.

ban-all-sheds · 5 Jan 2008

Thermo said:
yes its totally feasable. the height is negligable

45-60cm?

ban-all-sheds · 5 Jan 2008

masona said:
I can't see a problem providing you use wall tie or strengthen stainless steel bar between the 2 walls, also a good idea would be to use dpm on the inner wall to stop the wet earth soaking into the brickwork or bitumen paint etc and weeping holes at bottom to allow drainage.

Well, ties and drainage holes seem to be pretty common advice.

The latter could be a problem - OK along what is the left-most wall in my plan as that's the road side, but in all other places they'll drain out onto my and my neighbour's paved areas.....

Thermo · 5 Jan 2008

ban-all-sheds said:
Thermo said:

yes its totally feasable. the height is negligable

Click to expand...

45-60cm?

correct!

ban-all-sheds · 6 Jan 2008

Yes, I know - I just wondered if you'd misread how high the walls were going to be - I wouldn't have described them as negligible. Assuming soil at 1.5g/cm³, each m of wall (if 60cm high) is going to have about 150kg behind it. Now I know that doesn't mean anything like 2.5kN/m² trying to push them over, but....

r896neo · 9 Jan 2008

the trick is not to completely fill with soil. They are normally graded aggregates with top soil taking the last 40cm or so but cause your is so small it wont be a problem just dont fill totally with soil make sure you have the aggregate to let it drain and put a foot of top soil in.

As thermo mentioned the curve will help the strength greatly and really as long as it doesnt hold water i dont see any problem either.

Thermo · 9 Jan 2008

compost is a lot lighter than topsoil as well.

ban-all-sheds · 6 Sep 2008

Thought you might all like to see how it turned out...

Photos taken earlier in the year - more planting done since then, and things have grown.

All we have to do now is to find a way to stop the cats from cr*pping on it..

noseall · 6 Sep 2008

i have to say Ban - i like it!

aesthetically pleasing without being intrusive or detracting from the purpose of the drive.

anyone backed a vehicle into it yet?

Thermo · 6 Sep 2008

nice job......told you theyd be alright!

noseall · 6 Sep 2008

i would have used an engineering brick to finish off the top.

i think the bricks you have used may be a little vulnerable.

it does not mean they won't last but it will depend upon the winter weather.

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Raised bed

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