Level and retaining...

[olaf]

Hi All,

My first post here...

We have just bought and moved into a house and at the back of the garden there is a step up, then a slope of soil to the rear boundry fence. at present there are some very out of control trees (Hawthorns) on here which will be taken down this weekend.

Once these are down the plan is to level this area and build a retaining wall to hold the back end of the garden in place.

The total height to be restrained is about 6 foot, and is about 18 feet long. The back is currently an out of use car park, but there is a planning application fo some houses to be built on it (garden to garden with us)

Once this section is leveled I will be building 2 sheds along the back, one small storage shed and one larger heated and powered shed for my workshop.

As this will not be visible as the sheds will be in the way. I am looking for help in the best way to do it, as I have to dig away soil and then build the wall up....

If it needs support then how many how big and where? I am custom designing the sheds so can build these into the design....

Thanks

Olly

 

[olaf]

OK,
replying to my own OP I know. I have just seen the link on another thread to the railway sleeper project page, and am sorely tempted to use them, anyone think there will be an issue with it if I plan it right and join the sleepers to some support posts and each other?

Olly

Oh the link is this one:

http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Timberlok railway sleeper & decking fasteners.htm

 

[wrathkeg]

this might give some useful info

http://www.pavingexpert.com/featur08.htm

 

[olaf]

Interesting thanks.

I was actually thinking of using them slightly differently, and when Io get chance I sketch it up and post an image to show you....

I was thinking on them on top of one another with a long stake in front or the stacks, one each end and one in the centre, and all the sleepers screwed to the ones below.

The site I linked to has some 9' long sleepers, which would be ideal, 2 9' sleepers would cover the whole of the back, and cut in half I can offset them and put the offset at the support point.

I then have the edges to do, but this is even simpler.

The problem is that the soil is already in place so I need to be able to dig the soil out, and put in the retaining (whatever that ends up being) fairly quickly, so the soil doesn't creep or collapse. I hope that makes it clearer why I would go for this approach!

Regards the creosote, this will not be an issue as the whole thing will be behind the new sheds anyway.

 

[wrathkeg]

Not that I have done anything like this myself, but I would be wary of trying to build a 6' wall from sleepers myself. The page I linked to, which many people on here use, says this:

"....anything higher than 1200mm needs to be designed by an engineer to take account of local ground conditions and loadings."

If I was facing your project, I think I would be looking for a different solution.

 

[olaf]

Thanks, Any suggestions for how else to go about it then? Sleepers did seem an ideal solution and as I have seen some epic projects done with sleepers with no problems, I thought I'd ask...

http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Kings landscaping's railway sleeper project.htm

 

[wrathkeg]

I would be thinking about getting someone in to do it. The pictures you linked to are very impressive, but to me they look like the sort of thing best handled by knowledgeable professionals. (And I say that as someone who will happily attempt a range of projects in the garden, as an amateur.) But I would be very pleased for you if you could manage such a project yourself. The thing that would worry me is that 6' is a lot of earth to be holding back.

 

[olaf]

I agree this is a lot to hold back, but I think the method I am planning to do with the sleepers will work - the sides will support the back, and vice-versa. My main concern is actually holding the soil back while I build it. Building it with sleepers will not take me long - but will it be quick enough.

I will have a chat with some structural engineers I know and see if they can give me any idea if this will work

Olly

 

[r896neo]

it depends on the soil type. In heavy clay you have a fair chance of cutting a 60degree slope and it may sit there for a week. If the soil is sandy at all you'll be digging back to 40 degress.

The timing is obviously critical. If you can do it when the ground is not totally waterlogged and no rain is expected it will be less likely to fall in.

If its criticial i.e near a road building or boundary it is usually sheet piled as a temporary fix during building.

TO be honest you need to dig a fair bit back anyway to sort out the land-drains.

 

[chapeau]

That terraced bank looks real dodgy to me, don't think id have my gaff under it. id want my sleepers firmly concreted into virgin soil and that bank doesn't look like it was made that way.

 

[olaf]

Chapeau,

From what I understand the terraces were cut into the hillside.

I have 2 landscapping specialists coming to have a look Sat (while we bring the trees down) and I will see what they suggest...

 

[olaf]

Well, one landscaper didn't show. the other gave me an estimate last night, for work we didn't ask for. the total quote was 5.5K.

For that money we will go back to plan A and get the structural work done on the loft and I can fit it out.

Think I need some other prices...

Olly

 

[wrathkeg]

although you didn't ask for the work, was it unrelated to what you did want? depending on what work was 'added', it might need doing to do the job right. on the other hand, of course, maybe the landscaper was adding on unnecessary and unrelated things: that's happened to me more than once. more quotes sounds like a good idea.

 

[olaf]

Hi Wrath,

It was for extra terracing we didn't ask for and don't want!
Another quote tomorrow hopefully. ...

 

[r896neo]

A small builder or small local civils company might be more appropriate if you wanted to go with gabions or a masonary wall rather than the sleepers?