I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

Forming and reddy mix is the way to go.
First you need good base to put the blocks on.
If your looking for an electric mixer I highly recommend the Gibson.

http://www.constructioncomplete.com/...150WBPL15.html

Small enough to go through a door way but stable. I did some concrete work
inside with one recently.
I see that the price took a jump. I paid just over $300 for mine delivered.

Trying to do an retaining wall over a couple of years seems lame to me. I
would be interested in getting the ground stabilized. If you doing this on
the fence line maybe your neighbor would be interested in pay for part.
After all he would be getting a wall out of the deal. I certainly would
ask.

You'll have to pour a foundation, or it will fall over.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

Maybe his neighbor would want him to hire someone so it doesn't fall and
hurt some kid when they are playing on it.

"SQLit" wrote in message
...

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

Forming and reddy mix is the way to go.
First you need good base to put the blocks on.
If your looking for an electric mixer I highly recommend the Gibson.


http://www.constructioncomplete.com/...150WBPL15.html

Small enough to go through a door way but stable. I did some concrete
work
inside with one recently.
I see that the price took a jump. I paid just over $300 for mine
delivered.

Trying to do an retaining wall over a couple of years seems lame to me. I
would be interested in getting the ground stabilized. If you doing this
on
the fence line maybe your neighbor would be interested in pay for part.
After all he would be getting a wall out of the deal. I certainly would
ask.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

Have you ever considered a fero-cement fence?

Mixing cement and sand together does not make concrete. You will need lots
of gravel. You make concrete with one part Portland Cement, two parts sand
(it must be clean, coarse sand to make it work) and three parts gravel. You
will find making it yourself very tiring, will take a lot of materials and
have to mix lots of batches. For example, a wall 100 feet long x 1 foot
thick x 5 feet high (it really should go deeper than 1 foot into the ground,
depending on your frost situation and soil stability) will take 500 cubic
feet. Your mixer may make 1, 1 1/2 or 2 cubic feet at a time, this will take
500 to 250 batches to make your wall. When you figure the work, cost and
time involved, plus buying re-inforcing steel, the retaining wall blocks
will look good.

Check out other brands of retaining wall blocks, some are good for 4 feet
high and more and are not that expensive. Don't look at the home center to
buy them, look in the yellow pages for concrete products and buy direct from
the manufacturer.


"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block,

Couple of thing to do it right. You need a footing. Depending on local
regulation, that may be 12" to 48" so check that out. Footings are easy,
pretty much filling up a big hole and leveling the top. I'd use a reddi mix
truck for that so it can be done in one pour.

If you want to mix yourself, you can probably find a used mixer at
reasonable cost.

Check local regulations. You don't want the building inspector make you tear
it out for some silly reason that you missed.

In addition tot he sand, you need some gravel. There are books and charts
to give you the right proportions for the mix.

I have heard of people doing what you intend to do and though it took time,
it can be done. Lots of work hauling the sand and gravel though.

The problem with your project may be your sand. If you are thinking of
using "beach sand" for the concrete, it could well have a high level of
salt. Too much salt in your cement and you get nothing concrete.

I suppose you could check and see what the salt level is in your sand,
and then wash it somehow to get rid of the salt if indeed there is any
problem.....(and don't use seawater HAHA).

Or buy sand from a contractor.....

Tony Sinclair wrote:
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

....

I suggest you need a local professional to take a look at your lot and
plan. Retaining walls, especially when built on unstable ground tend to be
unstable. You need a good well engineered design first. You will also
likely need to meet some sort of local zoning and building requirements as
well as need permit, especially since it is near the property line.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:54:18 -0700, "SQLit" wrote:
If your looking for an electric mixer I highly recommend the Gibson.

I didn't even know I needed a mixer. I thought that if the form is
only 1 foot deep, I can mix it right in the form with a metal rod. Is
that stupid?

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 18:22:46 -0600, "Freckles" Little Red
wrote:

Have you ever considered a fero-cement fence?

No, and there's a very good reason for that. I have never heard the
term before. I'll look it up, but it sounds expensive.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:27:41 -0500, "EXT" etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM
wrote:
Check out other brands of retaining wall blocks, some are good for 4 feet
high and more and are not that expensive. Don't look at the home center to
buy them, look in the yellow pages for concrete products and buy direct from
the manufacturer.

Thanks, I will do that. One problem, though, is that I am in a very
small town, and the nearest city of any size is over an hour away, so
the delivery charges may be prohibitive.

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:39:52 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:

Couple of thing to do it right. You need a footing. Depending on local
regulation, that may be 12" to 48" so check that out. Footings are easy,
pretty much filling up a big hole and leveling the top. I'd use a reddi mix
truck for that so it can be done in one pour.

Thanks, I will check into it. There is no room for a truck to get
back there, though. Can they extend their chutes 100 feet?

If you want to mix yourself, you can probably find a used mixer at
reasonable cost.

As I said to another person, I didn't know I needed a mixer. Is it
impossible to mix concrete by hand, even in very small batches? I am
pretty strong.

Check local regulations. You don't want the building inspector make you tear
it out for some silly reason that you missed.

Hadn't even occurred to me. Thank you.

In addition tot he sand, you need some gravel. There are books and charts
to give you the right proportions for the mix.

I thought I read that you can just use sand. Guess I have to read
some more.

I have heard of people doing what you intend to do and though it took time,
it can be done. Lots of work hauling the sand and gravel though.

The sand is already right there. If I need gravel, that will be a
problem, but not a big one. I can have them dump some in front of my
house, and move it back one block's worth at a time.

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

On 18 Jan 2006 16:53:00 -0800, wrote:
The problem with your project may be your sand. If you are thinking of
using "beach sand" for the concrete, it could well have a high level of
salt. Too much salt in your cement and you get nothing concrete.

Yes, I assume it's beach sand, since I'm in a coastal dune area.
Thanks for the tip, I will do some reading on this.

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:00:42 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

I suggest you need a local professional to take a look at your lot and
plan. Retaining walls, especially when built on unstable ground tend to be
unstable. You need a good well engineered design first. You will also
likely need to meet some sort of local zoning and building requirements as
well as need permit, especially since it is near the property line.

Yes, it will be right on the property line, so I need to see about a
permit. As for the stability, I think the ground is pretty stable. I
live in a double wide mobile home, and they are pretty sensitive to
the ground shifting. No problems in seven years so far. As I said in
another post, the climate is moderate and there is zero clay in the
soil.

Even if there's no chance of freezing, a foundation of some kind is needed
to stabilize anything that heavy. Concrete weight varies depending on
density, but even if you figure 125# per cubic ft., a 1' x 4' x 100' wall
will be 50,000 lbs. Put that together with water pressure from rain, and
you've got an accident waiting to happen without a proper base.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 18:56:16 -0500, "Bob" wrote:

You'll have to pour a foundation, or it will fall over.

I thought a foundation was only necessary when the soil was
susceptible to cracking or freezing. Neither is the case here. Pure
sand, and it very rarely gets below freezing. Or above 75, for that
matter. Does that make any difference?

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars

Find a better source. Get them in bulk from a block supplier, not home
depot.

recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

Any number of interlocking systems can span heights in excess of 30' so your
tiny wall shouldn't be a problem.

But more importantly you should check local code requirements FIRST. You
don't want to put up something that doesn't pass local codes.

Before you go putting something on a property line you want to be SURE about
it. Make a mistake and put it on their side of the line and you could get
stuck with paying for whatever methods THEY might choose to have it removed!
Put it too far on your side and you potentially set up a future boundary/use
issue.

Best to be CERTAIN what the law requires. If it's on the property line have
a SURVEY done to make sure you're putting it in exactly the right place.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place.

Oh lordy, how ****ty looking do you want this to be? Creating consistent
concrete, especially THAT much, is not a DIY job, especially not by trying
to use your own sand.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what?

Does "slowly make an enemy of your neighbor" sound like a reason not to do
it? If it's in sight of the neighbor think about how annoying it'd be to
have a half-constructed wall being an on-going eyesore.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly?

No. Especially not from beach sand.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid.

Well, it's not "stupid" but it's not smart either. Look into other block
products. Then look at planning a decent schedule for getting the job done.
Get a backhoe, dig a trench for the foundation, have a load of concrete or
other base material trucked in and get the base layer laid all at once.
That way you'll have a nice level base on which to lay the block courses.
Laying interlocking block systems actually goes pretty quickly. Since
you'll be getting then in bulk, try to have them drop the palettes of blocks

your back will be ruined in a two days, and you'll be left with a noisy
machine and truckloads of concrete mix nobody would touch.
alternatively your small home improvement loan payments and the
beautifully professionally installed concrete on a safe inspected
foundation will be painless and last forever.
your post is entertaining and ambitious. your project despite what old
neighbors may have constructed nearby may not presently be proper for
your area, check with the building inspector at your permit office and
other offices managing costal areas. whether any wall is allowed and to
how many feet of the property line and to what altitude is in your
local ordinances. recheck your survey to see how far the legal property
line goes, and the permit office will tell you how far inside it you
must build.
your sand especially when wet behaves very differently from our buffalo
ny soil.
a homemade improper retaining wall may have a negative effect on your
property value and neighbor's view.
perform a written petition of your neighbors within the specified
numbers of feet from your property before you apply for any zoning
variance.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message

I didn't even know I needed a mixer. I thought that if the form is
only 1 foot deep, I can mix it right in the form with a metal rod. Is
that stupid?

Yes.

There is no way you will mix it in the form. Mix it in a wheelbarrow and
then dump it. Or in a trough and shovel it into the form.

Before you invest heavily into this, make a small form. Buy a bag of the
pre-mixed stuff and give it a go. Once you realized the weight of it and
the amount of turning over needed, you will start looking for a better
method.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Tony Sinclair wrote:
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.

I shouldn't do so as others have already rained on your plans but some
things need to be said even stronger than have been.

No, you cannot just use your local sand. It is dirty no matter how
pretty it looks. Dirty sand makes for weak (or no) concrete.

Standard mix is 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 3 parts agregate (or is
it the other way around. Been a long time since I mixed from scratch.

You will almost certainly need a permit. They will not issue one
without a plan showing what the footing is, width/height of wall,
placement of re-bar, etc. You haven't shown that you have any concept
of retainer wall design, that is so basic to the project that without
that the wall will fail just from the weight of the sand behind it.

Even if you were to take time off work you will not hand-mix that
amount of concrete in any reasonable amouint of time even using a
mixer.

You say a truck can't get back there. Well, every pound of cement,
gravel, sand will have to gotten back there somehow. Pre-mix can pump
the mud back there with no problem.
You could build the forms yourself or have them built (a whold field of
knowledge in itself) and buy pre-mix - probably find that the cost of
the concrete in place would exceed by much your cost of mixing it
yourself.

Don't worry about the delivery cost of purchased blocks. It will
probably run in the 2-3 dollar/mile range (last time I had it done it
was on $1 per mile), very minor add on to the a truckload order.

Harry K

way betrter to slope the yard.

Walls ALWAYS FAIL! No mater how well constructed one day you will be
rebuilding.

On 18 Jan 2006 20:24:43 -0800, "Harry K"
wrote:

I shouldn't do so as others have already rained on your plans but some
things need to be said even stronger than have been.

No problem, I appreciate all the input.

No, you cannot just use your local sand. It is dirty no matter how
pretty it looks. Dirty sand makes for weak (or no) concrete.

And someone else said that salt does the same, so that probably kills
the whole idea right there. The main motivation for this was that I
had the sand already.

You will almost certainly need a permit. They will not issue one
without a plan showing what the footing is, width/height of wall,
placement of re-bar, etc. You haven't shown that you have any concept
of retainer wall design, that is so basic to the project that without
that the wall will fail just from the weight of the sand behind it.

Think of my post as a trial balloon. Since we are strangers, you will
just have to take my word for it that I wouldn't begin the actual wall
without learning a lot more than I know now.

Even if you were to take time off work you will not hand-mix that
amount of concrete in any reasonable amouint of time even using a
mixer.

I was actually planning on taking an unreasonable amount of time.
Another person thought that an unfinished wall over a long period
would cause problems with the neighbors, but I don't see why it would
be that unsightly if I was doing one layer at a time. At worst, the
entire length would have only one block difference in height.

You say a truck can't get back there. Well, every pound of cement,
gravel, sand will have to gotten back there somehow. Pre-mix can pump
the mud back there with no problem.

OK.

You could build the forms yourself or have them built (a whold field of
knowledge in itself) and buy pre-mix - probably find that the cost of
the concrete in place would exceed by much your cost of mixing it
yourself.

Either you left a word or two out, or I don't have a clue what you are
talking about (or both). Can you restate that paragraph?

Don't worry about the delivery cost of purchased blocks. It will
probably run in the 2-3 dollar/mile range (last time I had it done it
was on $1 per mile), very minor add on to the a truckload order.

A lot of places have jacked their delivery charges up since the gas
prices went up, but I'll check it out. Thanks.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:54:18 -0700, "SQLit" wrote:


"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
.. .
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only

You want a 100' long retaining wall, 4' above ground, 2' to the
footing, with a 2' wide footing say 8" thick, and the wall itself
about 8" thick, so you're looking at 8" x 8' x 100 = 534 cubic
feet of cement. If a bag is about 1/2 cubic foot,
then you're looking order-of-magnitude, 1000 bags of ready-mix.

If you're making your own concrete out of local materials
(which you shouldn't do), then the concrete is only around 15%
by volume of the ultimate wall, so you only need around
160 bags of cement.

What's a bag of cement cost you, retail? Somewhere around $9.00?

How does that compare with the price of having some guy in a truck
drive out to where you are, and shovel directly into a form that
he set up the weekend before?


Doing large-scale concrete work yourself is almost never cost
effective. Your sweat equity isn't anywhere near enough to
make up for the lack of heavy equipment.

Tony Sinclair wrote:
My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place.

That gets you mortar, not concrete. You need aggregate too for
concrete.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Tony Sinclair wrote:

The sand is already right there.

What kind of sand? Sharp or not? Size? Clean? How wet is it? Got
salt in it?

All are things that affect how useable it is.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

I was actually planning on taking an unreasonable amount of time.
Another person thought that an unfinished wall over a long period
would cause problems with the neighbors, but I don't see why it would
be that unsightly if I was doing one layer at a time. At worst, the
entire length would have only one block difference in height.

It's all a matter of being cooperative. If you're already on great terms
with your neighbors they might not mind the on-going project. Heck, they
might even throw in some labor to help speed it along. But think about it
from their perspective. Looking out and seeing some on-going construction
effort tends to get a little annoying. Some folks tolarate it more than
others. It's one thing to have a garden or something being tended to over
time. It's another thing to have an open trench, a lot of sand piled back
away from the work, worn pathways and construction debris littering the view
for months on end. If you have the choice of being nice to your neighbors
it's always worth considering.

But for a 100' foot it really shouldn't take all that long if you're using
prefab blocks. Rent a backhoe/loader (from sunset or someone like them) for
a weekend and clear out where the foundation needs to go. Along with pulling
back the sand to allow the work. Backhoes are actually not that hard to
operate. Something like a small TerraMite with a backhoe and a loader is
pretty simple and would do the job. Form it up, have concrete poured and
let it dry. That part of the work should take about 3-4 days along with a
week or so to let the concrete dry. Then spend the next week laying the
blocks and get a Bobcat to push the sand back up against it.

Once you've got a good base it's REALLY easy to plunk down the blocks and
get a wall built in no time. Be sure to have someone around to help massage
that sore back!

You say a truck can't get back there.

Is it because you think the ground won't support it or that there's
physically no way to fit a truck in there?

Depending on local code and conditions there might be alternatives to using
a poured foundation. But you'd have to ask the local building inspector's
office.

A lot of places have jacked their delivery charges up since the gas
prices went up, but I'll check it out. Thanks.

It's always a good idea to shop around and do some haggling. This should be
a slow time of the year 'round there so there ought to be someone hungry for
the work...

-Bill Kearney

Tony Sinclair wrote:
On 18 Jan 2006 20:24:43 -0800, "Harry K"
wrote:


snip

You could build the forms yourself or have them built (a whold field of
knowledge in itself) and buy pre-mix - probably find that the cost of
the concrete in place would exceed by much your cost of mixing it
yourself.

Either you left a word or two out, or I don't have a clue what you are
talking about (or both). Can you restate that paragraph?


You're right. it should have read "would NOT exceed by much the cost
of doing it yourself" By the time you have a mountain of sand,
aggregate and a pallet of cement hauled in, the costs have started to
add up before you mix the first shovel full.

There was a good suggestion made by someone. Get a standard bag of
premix, make up a cobbled together mortar tub (couple boards and piece
of flashing or just use a wheelbarrow) and mix it to specifications
using a common garden hoe. Now look at it and see just how much work
that was to mix up just 2/3 of a cubic foot - that is the amount in the
common size bag. The work is some less but still hard even using a
mixer. It is a valuable bit of practice as you will no doubt be wanting
small quantities of concrete around your place in the future for other
tasks. Good to know what it is like before you go into a project.

Harry K

if you need 5 yards or more its way cheaper to have it delivered all
ready mixed. although you will need help laying and finishing fast.

last ime i need a slab my neighbor needed a sidewalk, we worked
together to meet the 5 yard minimum.

i kinda inherited a cement mixer but woulds still prefer pre mix

According to Tony Sinclair :
My idea is to pour the concrete myself.

As others have mentioned:

100' of retention wall up to 4' high is a pretty massive undertaking.

Doing it a couple blocks at a time without proper design from
somehow who knows what they're doing just isn't going to work.
It'll probably fall over long before you complete it.

Your cheapest bet in terms of concrete is probably a poured concrete wall
rather than blocks.

4' of sand, especially where at least 2' of it is freshly disturbed,
_will_ push the wall over without careful attention to footings,
reinforcement and drainage control, regardless of whether you get freeze-thaw.

You're best off getting an engineer to design the wall first, and
ensure that you can get a permit for it.

Once you have an approved design, you can figure out what parts you
can do yourself, and what you need help for.

If you can do the forms (and probably rebar) yourself, then just bring
in the pre-mix trucks to fill it.

The biggest difficulty in doing it yourself (aside from exhaustion) is
the cost of material in the forms. It's quite possible you can find a
concrete contractor who has pre-made re-useable forms. In which case,
you're just renting them for a few days.

It may be possible to pour it in sections if you can reuse the forms.

You are _definately_ going to need professional assistance on this.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:21:39 -0800, Tony Sinclair
wrote:

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:27:41 -0500, "EXT" etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM
wrote:
Check out other brands of retaining wall blocks, some are good for 4 feet
high and more and are not that expensive. Don't look at the home center to
buy them, look in the yellow pages for concrete products and buy direct from
the manufacturer.

Thanks, I will do that. One problem, though, is that I am in a very
small town, and the nearest city of any size is over an hour away, so
the delivery charges may be prohibitive.

Seems to me you're paying delivery charges for everything, including
the stuff they deliver only as far as the store you buy it at. If the
store is 10 minutes away and the supplier is an hour away, the
supplier is at least 50 minutes from the store. Unloading might be
a little cheaper at the store, because they have a forklift, but to
buy it from the store, you'll have to load it a second time, and
unload it a second time at your house.

I know that this is not perfect, because you plan to only buy the raw
ingredients, which are sold from a different place than pre-made
blocks, but it seems to me it would all add up the same way.

This is NOT a recommendation to buy from the manufacturer an hour
away, only an effort to challenge your idea that shipping would be
more. It might well seem more because it would be itemized, but the
stuff at your local store doesn't ship itself for free, and it doesn't
hitchhike. If the place an hour away had to send a whole 2
two-ton truck to carry 5 pounds for you, that would cost you a lot,
but it sounds like you need a whole truck load or whatever you need.

You have to look at total price, including how long it's going to take
you. If you make 20 dollars an hour at your job, maybe you shouldn't
figure 20 for your spare time, but at least 1 or 2 dollars an hour for
your spare time. Unless you plan to enjoy this so much that it will
replace *spending* money on recreation, and I think you might for the
first day, but it will take longer than that. There is also the pride
of doing things from scratch. You have to consider all that.
Sadly, I doubt many people will be very impressed that you mixed your
own concrete.

Is that true guys?

It would just be something you are prooud of, and they are slightly
impressed by.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

"Tony Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I live on the Oregon coast, and my lot is almost pure sand. It is
about four feet above the lot next door, so I need a retaining wall to
keep my sand from sliding into the neighbor's yard. When I first
bought the place, there were some railroad ties there, but they are
weathering away, so I need a more permanent solution. They are only
two feet high and my lot slopes down from my house to the edge; I want
to make a four foot wall so I can have a flat lot (I can get more
sand).

Every conventional solution I've seen is too expensive for me. My
property line is over 100' long, so buying concrete landscaping blocks
at $2 apiece or so would cost thousands of dollars, plus most
recommendations I've seen say they shouldn't be stacked much more than
two feet high anyway.

I'm not much of a handyman by nature, but when I have to do something,
and when I have good instructions, I can usually get it done.

My idea is to pour the concrete myself. I've never done it before,
but I already have a lot full of sand, so I'm thinking that if I just
do a few trial runs to figure out how much cement and water to mix
with the sand, I can cast the blocks in place. It seems to me that
all I would need would be a rectangular wooden form, and I could make
it a lot bigger than a typical landscape block, because I wouldn't be
lifting the blocks, I'd just put the form where I want it, shovel in
the sand and cement, add water, and mix it up. When it is solid, I
knock the form off and do the next block. I guess I would have to use
a slightly smaller form for each layer, so the concrete doesn't run
out of the bottom, but I can figure out how big to start at the bottom
so that the top layers are still big enough.

I am thinking that if I did it this way, I could make a wall four feet
high, because the blocks will be bigger and heavier than regular
landscape blocks, and also I can gouge grooves in the top of the
blocks I pour before they harden, so that the next layer fills the
grooves and they lock together to resist sideways motion. I could
even make the bottom layer with a wide flange that goes back toward my
house, so the earth helps hold it in place.

I realize this would take a very long time, but I have time. If I
just do a block or two a day after work, and maybe a dozen or so on
weekends, maybe it will take five years, so what? At least the total
cost will be less, and the cost will be spread out for as long as I
want it.

So, I'm asking the experts here if this is feasible. Can a rookie
learn to mix concrete good enough for this use fairly quickly? Is
there something I don't know that makes it hard to cast a block on top
of another block? If I make the blocks big, say 3'x2'x1' (lxwxh),
and groove them the way I described, will they make a wall strong
enough to hold back four feet of earth, or would I need some kind of
additional measures? I know that I am not good enough to make a wall
with mortared joints, but I was thinking I could imbed some kind of
deadman anchors halfway up.

No need to be gentle with me. If this is just a stupid idea, feel
free to say so, but please tell me *why* it's stupid. Thanks for any
help.


Your can't use sand just shoveled off the ground. It needs to be washed of
any organic material. Concrete is sand and stone so you will also need stone
to add to the Portland. This is a big waste of time and energy.
If you are going to try to mix yourself than buy 80lb premixed bags. One bag
does 2/3cu ft. You have over 8 yards (216 cu ft) so that's, lets see, 324
bags. I suggest you go get 1 bag put it in your wheel barrow and mix it up.
Now do you want to do another 321bags?? And will you be able to mix them all
the same so the finished product will have uniformed look?
If you still want a concrete wall get a redimix truck and 4 guys with wheel
barrows . Park the truck at the curb and wheel it in one wheel barrow at a
time. best strength and look is to do this as a continuous pour.
This, of course, is after you have poured a footing, at least twice as wide
as the wall on top of it. And you have all your forms in, tied together, and
braced real well.
If you want a cheap masonry wall then pour a footing and dry stack standard
8x16 block. Fill the block with concrete. You can do this a section at a
time. Still need lots of material. For sure a mixer.
IMO best looking and easiest masonry wall is the precast, interlocking
blocks. Just a peastone/dust footing and then stack them up. Many will do
more than 4'.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:27:18 -0800, Tony Sinclair
wrote:

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:39:52 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:

Couple of thing to do it right. You need a footing. Depending on local
regulation, that may be 12" to 48" so check that out. Footings are easy,
pretty much filling up a big hole and leveling the top. I'd use a reddi mix
truck for that so it can be done in one pour.

Thanks, I will check into it. There is no room for a truck to get
back there, though. Can they extend their chutes 100 feet?

That's a situation I'm in, and I'm hoping to start my own thread on
questions unique to me. That's why I'm reading your thread so
closely.

I think they have 50 foot chutes (I've seen them pour foundations for
the new style of garden apartments, but I just estimated the length),
but I don't know about 100. Does your planned wall start at the
street?

Some have like a big self-powered wheelbarrow. I haven't seen one
yet, but I'm told it carries as much as 3 normal wheel barrows. I
guess it has it's own gasoline engine, and maybe treads?

Do they tip so that the concrete goes right into the hole for the
footing, or do they need to use shovels?

I actually went to a place that has this all last Friday, but the guy
she said I wanted wasn't in, and I didn't learn anything.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:29:08 -0800, Tony Sinclair
wrote:

On 18 Jan 2006 16:53:00 -0800, wrote:
The problem with your project may be your sand. If you are thinking of
using "beach sand" for the concrete, it could well have a high level of
salt. Too much salt in your cement and you get nothing concrete.

Yes, I assume it's beach sand, since I'm in a coastal dune area.

There are often, iiuc, regulations regarding coastal dunes, also.

Thanks for the tip, I will do some reading on this.


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:00:42 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:



I suggest you need a local professional to take a look at your lot and
plan. Retaining walls, especially when built on unstable ground tend to be
unstable.

I'm trying to remember where there is one I see regularly that is
leaning 10 degrees now. I wonder how long, decades? until it falls
over.

I used to think that tombstones just sat on the ground, but apparenly
they have a footer that goes ??? how far into the ground. I don't
want to guess wrong, and I'm not sure now what I was told. I think
there is a cemetery near here, where they have one footer for a whole
row of tombstones, 40 feet long. Maybe since it's one piece, it
doesn't have to be as deep as a 3 foot long footer would have to be.

Do many cemeteries just use footers as long as the tombstone is wide?
Because it is only at this one cemetery where I can see the part
between the graves, and even at this place in the older rows, the dirt
and grass has spread over the footing and I think you can't see the
part between two stones.

You need a good well engineered design first. You will also
likely need to meet some sort of local zoning and building requirements as
well as need permit, especially since it is near the property line.

--
Joseph Meehan


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

According to mm :

I think they have 50 foot chutes (I've seen them pour foundations for
the new style of garden apartments, but I just estimated the length),
but I don't know about 100. Does your planned wall start at the
street?

There are concrete pumper trucks that can push it hundreds of feet.

This is probably the least of his worries.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to mm :
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:00:42 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

I suggest you need a local professional to take a look at your lot and
plan. Retaining walls, especially when built on unstable ground tend to be
unstable.

I'm trying to remember where there is one I see regularly that is
leaning 10 degrees now. I wonder how long, decades? until it falls
over.

It might be. It may be a lot less than that.

I've seen brick/concrete pillars fall over on perfectly level
ground within 2-3 years. They didn't have footings, and didn't have
any lateral pressure except wind on the fencing they were trying
to hold up.

I used to think that tombstones just sat on the ground, but apparenly
they have a footer that goes ??? how far into the ground.

Some may well have footers. But there's rather a large difference
between a smallish free-standing tombstone only having to worry about a
bit of wind, and one 4' high, 100' long, trying to hold back unknown tons
worth of wet sand on one side doing its damndest to push it over.

You're _way_ over your head if your understanding is at this level.

Start he

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr...taining_walls/

Pay close attention to the stuff on drainage etc.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:35:28 -0000, (Chris
Lewis) wrote:

According to mm :

I think they have 50 foot chutes (I've seen them pour foundations for
the new style of garden apartments, but I just estimated the length),
but I don't know about 100. Does your planned wall start at the
street?

There are concrete pumper trucks that can push it hundreds of feet.

This is probably the least of his worries.

I'm glad to hear it.

My problem is that it has to go around two corners, to get behind my
house. Do these trucks do that also?


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On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:05:32 -0000, (Chris
Lewis) wrote:

According to mm :
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:00:42 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

I suggest you need a local professional to take a look at your lot and
plan. Retaining walls, especially when built on unstable ground tend to be
unstable.

I'm trying to remember where there is one I see regularly that is
leaning 10 degrees now. I wonder how long, decades? until it falls
over.

It might be. It may be a lot less than that.

I've seen brick/concrete pillars fall over on perfectly level
ground within 2-3 years. They didn't have footings, and didn't have
any lateral pressure except wind on the fencing they were trying
to hold up.

I used to think that tombstones just sat on the ground, but apparenly
they have a footer that goes ??? how far into the ground.

Some may well have footers. But there's rather a large difference
between a smallish free-standing tombstone only having to worry about a
bit of wind, and one 4' high, 100' long, trying to hold back unknown tons
worth of wet sand on one side doing its damndest to push it over.

Of course. I wasn't trying to understand retaining walls in these
terms. I guess I was changing the sujbect and trying to learn about
tombstones, if anyone here knows more about what is underneath them,
and if it's common or not to have one long footer for 10 or 15 stones.

You're _way_ over your head if your understanding is at this level.

Start he

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concr...taining_walls/

Pay close attention to the stuff on drainage etc.


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"mm" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:35:28 -0000, (Chris
Lewis) wrote:

According to mm :

I think they have 50 foot chutes (I've seen them pour foundations for
the new style of garden apartments, but I just estimated the length),
but I don't know about 100. Does your planned wall start at the
street?

There are concrete pumper trucks that can push it hundreds of feet.

This is probably the least of his worries.

I'm glad to hear it.

My problem is that it has to go around two corners, to get behind my
house. Do these trucks do that also?

yes. they typically go up and over, not along the ground. think long boom
trucks.


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On 18 Jan 2006 20:38:56 -0800, "
wrote:

way betrter to slope the yard.

Good point. Why does the yard have to be level in the first place?
If there was going to be shuffleboard, go for horseshoes instead, so
it doesn't have to be level. You can have a level patio!

I've been trying to picture this yard and can't decide if it is all
sand, or the sand is nearby.

Walls ALWAYS FAIL! No mater how well constructed one day you will be
rebuilding.


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