recycled concrete stack wall: sanity check
#1
03-08-06, 08:31 AM
recycled concrete stack wall: sanity check
Hi,
I'm preparing to build 180' linear feet of 2' High recycled concrete stack wall. It's purpose is to define a raised planter using an existing concrete block wall as the back of the planter.
I have plenty of concrete for the job and lots of friends willing to break their backs for some cold beer
Now to the questions. In my research and in speaking to people I plan to move forward with the following steps:
1) Waterproofing the existing block wall with Grace Bituthene 4000, then protecting that membrane with "Foam panels" - I forget what they are called, but they're blue and about 1/4" thick. This will protect the bituthene while backfilling
2) I'm not going to do a poured concrete footing, but rather go down about a 8" and lay my first two courses using very large pieces of concrete. Very large being 2' x 2'
3) Instead of a mortar, I will be using a mix of clean soil and compost. This is not my idea, but was recommended by someone. Apparently it will form a bit of a bond and not wash out?
4) Subsequent courses will be laid offsetting the joints and building a sort of pyramid using increasingly smaller pieces as I work up to finish height of 2' above grade.
5) Backfilling the planter as I lay each coarse.
So, do those steps all check out? Am I missing something? I have found it hard to find a contractor that is experienced in doing this, that is part of the reason I decided to do it myself. If I found a guy that did this all the time and was great at it, I would consider paying him, but otherwise with a bit of research and careful planning I should be fine.
My other question is about breaking concrete to semi clean edge. If you look at the two pictures here:
http://66.74.171.9/TempImages/Stackwall01.jpg
http://66.74.171.9/TempImages/Stackwall02.jpg
(That is exactly what I want my wall to look like)
Notice the pretty straight edge on the face pieces. It's not saw cut, still has that cool rustic broken look, but it's clean. How does someone do that? Are there tools, tricks? Do you think they worked each piece before placing it?
OK, well I hope you pros will have some good advice for me. This is by far the biggest project I have taken on and I'm a little nervous.
Also, if you are in the So. Cal. area and have experience building a wall like this and might want some work, please call me: 949-903-9533
Look forward to reading your responses, thanks!
-Steve
I'm preparing to build 180' linear feet of 2' High recycled concrete stack wall. It's purpose is to define a raised planter using an existing concrete block wall as the back of the planter.
I have plenty of concrete for the job and lots of friends willing to break their backs for some cold beer
Now to the questions. In my research and in speaking to people I plan to move forward with the following steps:
1) Waterproofing the existing block wall with Grace Bituthene 4000, then protecting that membrane with "Foam panels" - I forget what they are called, but they're blue and about 1/4" thick. This will protect the bituthene while backfilling
2) I'm not going to do a poured concrete footing, but rather go down about a 8" and lay my first two courses using very large pieces of concrete. Very large being 2' x 2'
3) Instead of a mortar, I will be using a mix of clean soil and compost. This is not my idea, but was recommended by someone. Apparently it will form a bit of a bond and not wash out?
4) Subsequent courses will be laid offsetting the joints and building a sort of pyramid using increasingly smaller pieces as I work up to finish height of 2' above grade.
5) Backfilling the planter as I lay each coarse.
So, do those steps all check out? Am I missing something? I have found it hard to find a contractor that is experienced in doing this, that is part of the reason I decided to do it myself. If I found a guy that did this all the time and was great at it, I would consider paying him, but otherwise with a bit of research and careful planning I should be fine.
My other question is about breaking concrete to semi clean edge. If you look at the two pictures here:
http://66.74.171.9/TempImages/Stackwall01.jpg
http://66.74.171.9/TempImages/Stackwall02.jpg
(That is exactly what I want my wall to look like)
Notice the pretty straight edge on the face pieces. It's not saw cut, still has that cool rustic broken look, but it's clean. How does someone do that? Are there tools, tricks? Do you think they worked each piece before placing it?
OK, well I hope you pros will have some good advice for me. This is by far the biggest project I have taken on and I'm a little nervous.
Also, if you are in the So. Cal. area and have experience building a wall like this and might want some work, please call me: 949-903-9533
Look forward to reading your responses, thanks!
-Steve
#2
03-08-06, 02:06 PM
That wall looks far better than I had imagined it would. As to the straight split faces, I would try a large (6 inch?) brick chisel and a 2 or 3 pound hammer. MAKE CERTAIN you are wearing gloves and safety goggles! Good luck.
Pecos
Pecos
#3
03-08-06, 04:42 PM
Doesn't it look nice? I saw that wall in Temecula, CA and after seeing it decided I wanted to do the same. I stopped by HomeDepot on way home and bought a Vaughn brick hammer and a 3" (had't seen your post yet) chissel (the kind with the hand saver guard on it)
I was just in the back yard practicing on some pieces... didn't work as well as I would have liked. I tried pounding on it on the dirt and maybe that was a bad idea because it seems to bounce a little too much. I tried on another, larger piece of concrete and it ended up fracturing the piece below.
I'm thinking I might try setting the piece on a short piece of I-Beam that I have, use the edge of the beam as a break and try slamming it with a sledge. I also though about scoring a line with my angle grinder then striking it.
A little discouraged at this point, as I look at that photo again then look at the material I have to work with... gonna be a big job.
If anyone else has tricks to break concrete pieces with a fairly straight edge, I would really appreciate hearing them.
Thanks for the post PECOS!
I was just in the back yard practicing on some pieces... didn't work as well as I would have liked. I tried pounding on it on the dirt and maybe that was a bad idea because it seems to bounce a little too much. I tried on another, larger piece of concrete and it ended up fracturing the piece below.
I'm thinking I might try setting the piece on a short piece of I-Beam that I have, use the edge of the beam as a break and try slamming it with a sledge. I also though about scoring a line with my angle grinder then striking it.
A little discouraged at this point, as I look at that photo again then look at the material I have to work with... gonna be a big job.
If anyone else has tricks to break concrete pieces with a fairly straight edge, I would really appreciate hearing them.
Thanks for the post PECOS!
#4
03-09-06, 02:34 AM
Using your grinder to score them first will definitely help. You can get relatively cheap diamond blades for a 4" grinder. I buy mine at Menards for around $15 each. They work very well, and MUCH faster than an abrasive fiber blade. They last a lot longer and make a narrower, cleaner cut too. Wear a dust mask or respirator to protect yourself from the concrete dust. You don't want to get silicosis.
After you score them as deep as you can with the grinder, stick the chisel into the groove and hit it sharply. The faces don't have to be perfect, just roughly straight. Good luck.
Pecos
After you score them as deep as you can with the grinder, stick the chisel into the groove and hit it sharply. The faces don't have to be perfect, just roughly straight. Good luck.
Pecos
#5
03-09-06, 04:31 AM
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Scoring the pieces is a good idea. Home Depot also has a 7 1/4" diamond edged masonry/concrete blade one can use in a skilsaw for about $20. Make sure you use an old or a cheap skilsaw as the dust you create is quite abrasive. Is your hammer a brick hammer or a stone hammer? You might try both to nip away at the exposed face of each piece with each to attain he desired effect.
You said:
"3) Instead of a mortar, I will be using a mix of clean soil and compost. This is not my idea, but was recommended by someone. Apparently it will form a bit of a bond and not wash out?
Hmmmmmmmm, I know what your trying to do here but I just dunno about this for this job. I think I would tend to opt for a nice deeply brushed mortared face to the wall if it were mine.
Another option for your footing if you want to stay away from concrete could be crushed and washed stone. Can you picture how straight it held those old rail road tracks kept over the years. One could start below grade containing the stone in a hand dug ditch and sock it in with a strip of geo textile cloth to keep the earth from encroaching on your clean stone. You would have good drainage this way.
One other option should this job fly, instead of constructing this wall plumb make sure it bears into the filled area it is to contain. Depending on the length and height of the wall, sometimes it becomes necessary to tie the wall back into the grade to keep it from pushing over time.
I wish you well and if you are able to manage the skill of a stone mason in the process, this will be a fine wall. Some of those old dry stacked River rock barn foundations out east have been known to outlast foundations of block or stone laid up using mortar and with poured footings.
Have fun!
bs5
You said:
"3) Instead of a mortar, I will be using a mix of clean soil and compost. This is not my idea, but was recommended by someone. Apparently it will form a bit of a bond and not wash out?
Hmmmmmmmm, I know what your trying to do here but I just dunno about this for this job. I think I would tend to opt for a nice deeply brushed mortared face to the wall if it were mine.
Another option for your footing if you want to stay away from concrete could be crushed and washed stone. Can you picture how straight it held those old rail road tracks kept over the years. One could start below grade containing the stone in a hand dug ditch and sock it in with a strip of geo textile cloth to keep the earth from encroaching on your clean stone. You would have good drainage this way.
One other option should this job fly, instead of constructing this wall plumb make sure it bears into the filled area it is to contain. Depending on the length and height of the wall, sometimes it becomes necessary to tie the wall back into the grade to keep it from pushing over time.
I wish you well and if you are able to manage the skill of a stone mason in the process, this will be a fine wall. Some of those old dry stacked River rock barn foundations out east have been known to outlast foundations of block or stone laid up using mortar and with poured footings.
Have fun!
bs5
