Stabilisation of stream bank

[quzzy]

I have recently moved to a single story house in France.
It is located in the Medoc which is mainly reclaimed land and has a high water table.

There is a stream that runs on average 3m away along the back of the property and is about 1,5m at its closest. The stream banks have become eroded and have slumped into the stream bed, subsequent minor cracking has occured to the rear ov my buildings.

I'm looking for suggestions as to the best way to prevent further movement (economy is the key here!)

At the moment I am considering driving posts at 900mm intervals with currugated iron sheet behind (a primitive sort of sheet piling) I can then dig out behind and backfill with 1.3.6. concrete forming a rough wal probably 1000mm high and 400mm thick. Obviously the wood and tin will rust/rot in time but the concrete retaining wall will remain.

Comments please...and/or better ideas?

Paul

(mod, I have also put this in "gardens" please feel free to delete as you deem)

 

[Richard C]

I have no idea how effective your proposal will be but it certainly won’t make it any worse! They built our new sea wall in a similar fashion years ago but you may have to go fairly deep to keep it stable!

What I would advise is you check what the French river authorities (if there are any) will & will not allow! My sister lives on a river here in the UK & if the French authorities are anything like as strict as here, you’ll have terrible problems if you do anything without permission as river frontage is mostly designated as conservation as well! The water authority here are completely separate to planning & BC & will strictly regulate what you can & can’t do, even if your house is falling into the river!

 

[quzzy]

Thanks RC.
It probably wouldnt be classified as a river but I certainly take your point.
The local Marie is responsable to keep it freeflowing I understand but whose responsibility the bank is open. I was a surveyor in UK and actually did work for the NRA at one point, so I know how they can be.

 

[oilman]

(mod, I have also put this in "gardens" please feel free to delete as you deem)

This is damned confusing. I have posted on the gardens one before seeing this.

 

[^woody^]

I don't think you can guess this, and a suitably qualified person should design it.

Some sort of pile arrangement would probably be required, but you need to know depths to suitable soil etc.

Mesh and stone or concrete slabs can deal with the bank

 

[Nige F]

The local Marie is responsable to keep it freeflowing .

would that be the (Salle de Bain )Marie, then Sandbags filled with sand and cement

 

[quzzy]

Thats the one

 

[TicklyT]

Gabions (wire baskets full of stones) are frequently used to stabilise banks.

After a while they will probably disappear under a layer of greenery, so unless you know they are there....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Gabion.jpg

 

[nwhessian]

We built a river bank up with railway sleepers a few years ago.
They were all interlocked, and drilled.
We then rammed steel rods through them all and about 3 feet into the river bed.
Seems to have held up brilliantly, and looks the monkeys.
They were the russian sleepers, and were definately much heavier than the english ones.
Have a look at our website, but if you dont have broadband it will take ages to load the portfolio.
http://www.randhbuildingservices.com/portfolio.htm