Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Oct 13, 2017 11:40 am Hi Everyone, I need help.... I have been locked into a dispute with my builder for the past few weeks, which is delaying our build, regarding our retaining wall. We have an embankment on the left hand side of our house that drops into our neighbours block. All of the block on our street are like this and resemble a stair like pattern. The bottom of the bank lowest level is 41.72m and the highest point is 41.78m. Our actual pad level is 42.70m and they are proposing to build only a 1m retaining wall as they advice this is the minimum requirement that meets code. My dispute with these figures are: - It provides NO wall for any form of landscaping and with the slab being at a finished height of 43.10m this means that there will be a 40CM drop from slab to the top of our retaining wall which we now have no wall to put the soil against so we practically are stuck with landscaping on that side. - In the event that our neighbour has cut ANY height off their soil the wall will no longer be suitable as there will be exposed soil underneath the wall BECAUSE the wall is only JUST high enough there is no room from height changes... I need to know what my possibilities are here because I am starting to feel helpless with this whole scenario and feel like Coral is trying everything is their power to avoid making the wall over 1m high and therefor stepping into council approval requirements etc. Be aware our original plans had this wall at 1.4m but apparently this was an "error". They amended our plans when we were required to extend our retaining wall to the rear and wrap around. Re: I need professional advice regarding a builder retaining 2Oct 13, 2017 10:45 pm Hey mate, your neighbour to the south here, it's got to be stressful handling two walls, we thought our one was enough! Your measurement of 400mm fall, is that to the top of your slab? It's typical for about 150-250mm of your slab to stand higher than the finished ground level. Our current residence has 250mm and it doesn't look excessive at all. So that would leave about 150mm height remaining, and you will want to have the ground level fall down to the height of the wall for water movement, plus given (in a bad storm) water will be cascading down our blocks, this would be ideal to have sufficient fall. What distance do you have from the wall to your slab that you have in question? Take a read of this too: http://anewhouse.com.au/2014/02/height-above-ground/ Hope that helps mate Clarendon Denton 24 | Gold Coast Status: Internal fitout! ETA: April 2018 Re: I need professional advice regarding a builder retaining 3Oct 13, 2017 10:54 pm Hey Mate, No way youre behind us at Ormeau Ridge?! Let me know if that is the case!! Thanks for the help Re: I need professional advice regarding a builder retaining 4Oct 13, 2017 11:00 pm Haha, no no Lot 427 Finally got some time to properly look through this forum and maybe make a build thread until I run out of beer tonight. We're happy to flick you an email with the wall certification and our slab/siting so you can compare how another builder has done it. Hopefully, that'd help your case with Coral. Clarendon Denton 24 | Gold Coast Status: Internal fitout! ETA: April 2018 Re: I need professional advice regarding a builder retaining 5Oct 13, 2017 11:02 pm Sounds like a great idea mate!! I actually have been talking to your builder and need to run some things by you both! Ill send you a PM Re: I need professional advice regarding a builder retaining 6Oct 14, 2017 10:21 am Caydenn Be aware our original plans had this wall at 1.4m but apparently this was an "error". They amended our plans when we were required to extend our retaining wall to the rear and wrap around. Unfortunately people make mistakes and client wear them, that's how it works, when you move from sketch stage to Engineering & Working drawings. The builder has offered you a solution with lower retaining & FFL this is probably within your budget, upgrading will cost more and you will need to do a cost benefit comparison . If you require further professional engineering advice you need to put up your site/contour plan (mostly to inform others). goodluck Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Thank you @. Tried to play with the facade models but the exact colour is not matching up. 2 1033 Go to an actual paint store, not bunnings. Dulux even have trade centers. Don't have to be a trade to but their paint. 1 14058 Versaloc is a mortarless besser block system that still needs a properly engineered footing. If you just do a 400x200 footing it will fail in time. At 17m long you need it… 1 3369 |