Making Outbuilding Base / Foundation (slightly unusual)

[skhudy]

Hi, In our garden at the end there is a culvert underwhich is a stream. This was done decades ago. It's raised 50cm from the garden level, about 3m wide, and looks like huge concrete slabs slotted in to place.

Further down I can see several neighbours over the years have had fairly substantial flat roofed outbuildings built on top of these slabs using blocks (I can't tell if concrete or breeze blocks) sure they've just had a general builder come and put them up, wouldn't have had any checks

I'm interested in doing similar, 2.5m high, but wondered if there might be any things to worry about or to consider. I did think that hollow concrete blocks might be the way to go due to lower weight..

 

[^woody^]

First read up on your duties as a riparian owner of the watercourse. Then check your deeds to see if you can build on top of it.

Then you should design something that does not load the culvert unless it's designed to take a load. Bear in mind that you have a duty to maintain the culvert - checks, maintenance, access. And any future house purchaser would be advised about this requirement too, so would not normally expect to take on a liability.

 

[bernardgreen]

If it is a natural stream that has been covered over then you almost certainly will have riperian rights and responsibilities as woody has mentioned.

If it is a land drainage culvert then the responsibility for it's maintainance may rest with the local authority. If any surface water drain gulleys in the public highway feed into the cilvert then the local authority almost certainly have some responsibility and / or control over it.

 

[skhudy]

Thanks, I am aware of riperian duties, having come from a house that backed into the same watercourse (not covered further up the road) and read into it (it is natural)

What would be the lowest weight non timber construction method to build a shed / outbuilding?

There's nothing in the deeds, going by neighbours brick buildijgs, 3 of them have them, I'm sure pretty much anything would work, but am trying to be sensible!

 

[Notch7]

Whats wrong with timber construction?

 

[^woody^]

Simplest thing to do is look at what the neighbours have done, and if there is no cracking, do the same

 

[skhudy]

Whats wrong with timber construction?

I thought there was a stipulation about floor area for wooden construction more than 15 sq m and building regs - but i think re-reading that is to do with garages!

 

[skhudy]

Simplest thing to do is look at what the neighbours have done, and if there is no cracking, do the same

thanks, Reading into it, technically building on or over a culvert is actually not allowed... of the water / rivers authority don't generally give permission. I'll have a think about what to do and I have a builder coming in the next week, not that any of the neighbors worry about things like this lol just thought there might be a new lightweight method of construction!