Backfilling basement retaining walls

[BruceWard]

Took this picture today, I think it will show the elevation difference between the concrete wall and the peak of the hill. I plan to backfill to an inch below the the top of the concrete. The ground floor will be 18" above the concrete. This 18" rise will be built from treated materials and coated with waterproofing.

This one shows the slope beyond the house

The concrete ceiling gets poured tomorrow. The city pit has stayed put and compacted despite the 2.5", 4.5" and 1" flash floods since it was placed.

 

[JB4310]

Took this picture today, I think it will show the elevation difference between the concrete wall and the peak of the hill. I plan to backfill to an inch below the the top of the concrete. The ground floor will be 18" above the concrete. This 18" rise will be built from treated materials and coated with waterproofing.

This one shows the slope beyond the house

The concrete ceiling gets poured tomorrow. The city pit has stayed put and compacted despite the 2.5", 4.5" and 1" flash floods since it was placed.

I saw on the news, all the storms ARK has been getting. I thought I heard some crazy rainfall amounts. Was wondering how you were making out.
If you haven't had major issues yet, with everything still undone, I'd guess you shouldn't have water problems when it's all buttoned up.

Judging by the pics, you have so much to work with for surface run off. Looks like all the water from a point all the way back near the truck in the first pic, could easily be diverted off that hill in the 2nd pic. You should direct as much of the run off as possible around that side/back of the house.

It's usually advised to leave a little more than just an inch of foundation above grade. PT sills are a good idea but why the need for waterproofing the first floor box?

JB

 

[BruceWard]

It's usually advised to leave a little more than just an inch of foundation above grade. PT sills are a good idea but why the need for waterproofing the first floor box?

JB

How much foundation would you leave above grade? The more I bury the less steep the slope toward the house will be.

I doubt water will ever run up against the house. But waterproofing the first 18" above the concrete seems like cheap insurance. That 18" will be floor trusses with a block of treated 2xs and treated plywood attached to the end and waterproofed as well as possible.

Here is a side view of the structure of the house. The concrete walls make up the lower left wall and the one of the lower far side walls.

 

[JB4310]

How much foundation would you leave above grade? The more I bury the less steep the slope toward the house will be.

I doubt water will ever run up against the house. But waterproofing the first 18" above the concrete seems like cheap insurance. That 18" will be floor trusses with a block of treated 2xs and treated plywood attached to the end and waterproofed as well as possible.

There is no rule but 1 inch is not something you would design in, IMO.
Maybe 4 inches minimum ?

I don't know if you get snow, but if you did, that raises the grade and when it starts melting it will try to come over the top of the foundation.

Ideally you would have the lowest point (swale) about 4-8 feet away from and parallel to the foundation. Water should never get any closer to the walls than the swale.

You really don't have alot working against you as far as potential storm run off. I do see grade above the wall in the pic with the truck, is that stockpiled material or ledge? It looks kinda close to the foundation.

PT to box in the trusses is a good idea since it is fairly close to the ground, might help with insects, but I can't think of any benefit to waterproofing above grade. What would you cover it with, or were you gonna leave it unfinished ?

JB.

 

[BruceWard]

The material between the truck and the wall is city pit for the driveway on top of solid rock. I may see if I can cut the pit down thinner as we are backfilling but the rock below it would require jack hammering or blasting to remove leaving large holes.

The material beyond and behind the truck is a pile of sewer rock gravel for future use.

Eventually all the exposed walls will be covered with a 1/2" thick brick product backed up with 1/2" thick masonry board or fiber board. The walls themselves will be 6.5" thick SIP panels.

The ceiling pour went well this morning. The concrete truck did not sink in the well rained on backfill and the concrete stayed on top.

 

[2manyrocks]

Since I already bought the pipe and don't want to get into some tree roots that are further out from the back wall, I'll probably do the footer drain. I had not thought about using foam. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[2manyrocks]

Is that "artwork" going to get covered up or will it be a visible part of the house from now on?

There's a set of my sisters' handprints in some concrete at my parent's house from the 1950's. :thumbsup:

 

[BruceWard]

It will be covered up in a few weeks. The kitchen will sit over that area. I plan to leave a gap open in an adjoining basement storage room to be able to crawl in between the floor joists and access kitchen plumbing and the electrical lines that will run through that area. So she will be able to get in there and look at it later if she wants to. Both kids, my father and I left our hand prints in the concrete.

 

[dstig1]

I believe there is a code minimum exposure from grade to any wood framing, but I'm not sure what it is - maybe 4 or 6"?? It's basically to be able to see termites getting into the wood.

 

[JB4310]

That block room strengthens the foundation, but seeing all the devastation from the tornadoes, maybe buttressing on the remainder of the wall would be a good idea.

I see on one end you have a short return but on the other there is nothing. that leaves the wall extremely vulnerable. Back-filling is a threat by itself.
Once framed and boxed, it helps stiffen everything.
I don't see sill bolts? will you drill and epoxy them, or are they there but just can't see them in the pic?

JB.