Trench Dug Alongside Footings

[Mark-UK]

What if I laid two breeze blocks flat-on-flat and poured concrete over them? That would save me a packet as I've got lots of blocks.

Thing is, are breeze blocks solid enough?

EDIT: I went outside and measured everything and it turns out I need to fill a volume of 0.36m³

 

[Mark-UK]

Post deleted

 

[SpecialK]

Can you put some pictures up...

 

[Mark-UK]

Can you put some pictures up...

Good idea.

As I was typing this I got a knock on the door. The builder (family friend) has said he'll sort it out for me. Involves poured concrete and I'm pretty sure he will do it cheaper than a lot of places. I hope.

Either way I think for peace of mind I think my mind has been made up. I can't risk those foundations creaking so I'm going to fill the trench with concrete.

Thanks all for your advice. Much appreciated.

 

[Ian H]

Why not just fill it in with what you dug out?

 

[Mark-UK]

Why not just fill it in with what you dug out?

I could do but now that I've loosened the earth I doubt it would be as solid as it originally was.

Also, the reason I first dug the trench was that I was having trouble with water getting into the shed due to poor drainage. I don't have that issue now but soon as I fill it in with concrete (or the original earth as you suggest) I'd have the water issues again. This way, I'll reinforce the trench (and footings) with concrete, and have a gradient atop that diverts rain into a second trench dug along side it. If that makes sense

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I could do but now that I've loosened the earth I doubt it would be as solid as it originally was.

Also, the reason I first dug the trench was that I was having trouble with water getting into the shed due to poor drainage. I don't have that issue now but soon as I fill it in with concrete (or the original earth as you suggest) I'd have the water issues again. This way, I'll reinforce the trench (and footings) with concrete, and have a gradient atop that diverts rain into a second trench dug along side it. If that makes sense

My soil is clay, just a few inches below the surface. I made the error (40 years ago) of laying my garage base slab a little lower than was ideal and to make matters worse, it also sank down a little way too. The net effect being that at the back, where the soil level gradually rises, the soil was a little higher than the slab and the slab would tend to flood with constant heavy rain. My solution was to dig the soil out around the base and add pebbles over pipes, the pipes drilled with multiple holes to channel the water around the rear perimeter, towards the front.

I later added a workshop extension onto the rear, so stepped that up around 4", plus adding more pebbles and pipes to its rear. It has not entirely solved the issue, but flooding is now very, very rare, instead of the quite regular occurence it was.

 

[Mark-UK]

My soil is clay, just a few inches below the surface. I made the error (40 years ago) of laying my garage base slab a little lower than was ideal and to make matters worse, it also sank down a little way too. The net effect being that at the back, where the soil level gradually rises, the soil was a little higher than the slab and the slab would tend to flood with constant heavy rain. My solution was to dig the soil out around the base and add pebbles over pipes, the pipes drilled with multiple holes to channel the water around the rear perimeter, towards the front.

I later added a workshop extension onto the rear, so stepped that up around 4", plus adding more pebbles and pipes to its rear. It has not entirely solved the issue, but flooding is now very, very rare, instead of the quite regular occurence it was.

I'll be doing similar in the second trench. Perforated pipe at the base with pebbles overtop. The pipe leading to a soakaway further down the garden. Will any old downpipe do?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'll be doing similar in the second trench. Perforated pipe at the base with pebbles overtop. The pipe leading to a soakaway further down the garden. Will any old downpipe do?

If its a none traffic area, yes, that's what I used - in fact I used whatever pipe I had, which came to hand. Even some plastic electrical trunking and upside down old guttering in one area, surrounded by pebbles.

 

[noseall]

Remember these bags will make roughly their size in concrete.

Incorrect.

They will roughly do about 50%.