Vehicle Inspection Pit

Joined
24 Nov 2007
Messages
205
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Location
Cambridgeshire
Country
United Kingdom
After many months of diliberation and fact finding (including a huge thread on DIYnot), finally started work on the pit.

All started really well, and went downhill from there lol.

Underestimated the number od skips by one (4 x 12yrd needed) so a bit extra money went on that, the main disaster was that the side collapsed after it was left overnight (I know, I know, I should have trench proped it but didn't).

Upshot was another skip and a bigger digger with the required reach to get the hole back to where I started from, aprt from that setback, everything has more or less gone to plan.

I have posted pics up to where the concrete walls are ready to be poured, more pics to follow if anyone is interested .




 
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Did you get planning permission for this work?
It seems an unusual place to install an inspection pit.

Wotan
 
Can I ask if/how you plan on covering it? With it being in your front yard, it'd be awful if the neighbour's kid/dog fell in. :LOL:
 
Wotan,

Didn't need permission, checked with the local authority before considering the project and have their written reply to that effect.

Engstudent,

Its the only place for it to go :) I have more pics showing how it is now, to directly answer your question, the pit is covered by 5" timbers when not in use, when no work is planned, as the pit sits below FFL, the pit will be coverd with gravel and to all intent and purposes be invisible (hopefully, not got that far yet!!)
 
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Thats going to be a doozy of a pit, ave you got a water pump for it too?
Being outside it will soon fill u when it rains IMO.

Are you going to press a button inside, thunderbirds music will play while it opens up? :D
 
I once made one of these in one of my workshops and I had lights fitted and was great. I had a board that covered it when not in use. It ended up full of car parts and spiders.
 
Hi Mattylad,

Pic 6 shows a pipe with n off cut dustbin lid on it, at the bottom of the pipe is a pump, I didn't tray and waterproof the pit, as you are quite right, it will soon get water in it from rain or us washing the car.


Leeco.

Thanks for the heads up on the spiders (mental note to self: send the wife in first)
 
Are you starting the car port next?

Then once thats up you can fit a vehicle hoist/ramp :D
 
That looks excellent and a brilliant idea. I live in St Neots and I see you're in "Cambridgeshire" so any chance I can put my car over it to do some work on the suspension?
 
really nice job.

Did you consider the mass vs volume relationship of the concrete boat you have made? :)

I've heard horror stories of empty swimming pools literally floating out of the ground in areas where the water table is high.

For it not to float, it needs to weigh more than 1000kgs per cubic metre.

Probably not an issue, the sides look pretty think, but a curiosity nonetheless!
 
Nice job.

Wish I could have one of these, but 'er indoors won't let me. :( Think she's hoping the car will slip off the axle stands, so she can claim on my life insurance.

Have you got any interesting cars to maintain, or is it for maintaining your RV?
 
Toasty

It was a consideration (plenty of images on youtube of exactly the thing you describe), under the pit is a perforated drain falling into a sump, also half way up around the outside of the pit walls is the same thing in a hope of channeling any water pressure away from lifting the pit.

The concrete mix is C40 with an approximate weight of 2400kg/m3 (according to the net) and I had just over 6m3 poured in total, I must add, not all of that was by design, the outer wall shuttering failed at a joint, so their was some waste :(

Walls were to be 200mm thick, but ended up 250 in places, the rebar must have weighed a couple of hundred kilos, I think I might have a problem with it sinking, rather than floating lol
 
Nice job.

Wish I could have one of these, but 'er indoors won't let me. :( Think she's hoping the car will slip off the axle stands, so she can claim on my life insurance.

Have you got any interesting cars to maintain, or is it for maintaining your RV?

Hi Whitespirt66,

Just general car and RV maintenance really, plus it kept me out of trouble for a month, and paying it off will keep me out of trouble for another year :)

Its weird, now its covered up and you can't see it, it seems like a bad dream until you brush the gravel off!
 

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