shoring up an earth bank

[pegasus468]

Hello,

New to the forum (so please be gentle). I am about to embark on a project building a retaining wall in brick that will need to be dug into a bank. I have a house next door to me with an elevation of some 10ft from my ground level.

I was seeking some advice/suggestions as to how to hold up the face of the excavation (which will be 6ft) in order to dig the foundation. I will be using a concrete foundation and rebar links into the brick work above. The wall is designed but I am a tadge worried that the bank- which is at its angle of repose now will shear once I start digging into it. I thought perhaps plywood sheet a la trench support to hold back the bank but cant think of a way to secure them.

I have very limited access to the area and driven/concrete piles are not an option-sadly.

Do any of you good people have any ideas?

Regards

Duncan

 

[Static]

Temp works for the excavation should be properly designed... especially if your supporting somebody elses property...

What does your party wall agreement say?

 

[pegasus468]

The property is set back by 6ft from the site of the wall, a party wall agreement wont apply.

 

[Deluks]

You might still be undermining next door's foundations laterally, depending on how deep they go. It's not just the ground directly beneath a foundation that carries the load, it's the ground below going down at a 45° angle that supports it. (you might already know this but anyway...)

when digging, you can't cross the red line, so if you don't know how deep and wide your neighbours founds are, then proceed with caution.

I'd be veering towards doing it in sections, like with underpinning, using heavy duty stainless rebar to join one section to the next as you go.

Timber formwork and ply would probably work to support the bank 'bit at a time'