First stop - Hello!

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
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Thanks @Bluey some very helpful tips and ones that ill bring up with the builder and engineer. I have heard them say agi line behind the wall will question that and the steel no idea but again question to ask.

Sorry gone way off topic from the normal caravan talk. Ill keep everyone posted.
we are here to talk about everything you now have us very interested in your out come rust in that steel would take a long time but still its going to be there a long time ?????
water and soil can be a funny thing things you think it will do it mite not to me one agi at the bottom of that wall may work depends what they back fill with water may get trapped half way down and not make it to the bottom hence a build up half way down in saying that the material they back fill with should be compacted !!!!!!!!!! how will they do this with not much room ???? seriously look at stabilised sand im no engineer so it may not be for that job , but it compacts itself when poured , hard as a rock when it sets great stuff with a wall like that at least 2 drains one at bottom and one half way up maybe with risers to the top so they can be accessed with a hose to clean out or just checking to make sure there working how long are there guarantees on there work ???? and there retaining wall behaving itself as I said im no engineer just 25 years driving diggers with the stab sand you would need to seal up the front some how with timbers as it would flow out it comes out like quick sand mmmmm don't know interested to find out what they do
 

caax

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2015
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Wollongong
Cheers @Bluey I was think of getting the builder to run 2 or 3 drainage line 1 right at the top, one half way and one at the bottom.
I think they said they will be using blue metal but all great question which ill now ask because it's not now thats the issue it's 5/10 years from now.
Will I have a life time warranty on the work?

The Great Wall of CAAX
Block%20Work%20great%20wall-3_zpsdhpkbvok.jpg

Block%20Work%20great%20wall_zpsnu0bxrts.jpg
 

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
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Cheers @Bluey I was think of getting the builder to run 2 or 3 drainage line 1 right at the top, one half way and one at the bottom.
I think they said they will be using blue metal but all great question which ill now ask because it's not now thats the issue it's 5/10 years from now.
Will I have a life time warranty on the work?

The Great Wall of CAAX
Block%20Work%20great%20wall-3_zpsdhpkbvok.jpg

Block%20Work%20great%20wall_zpsnu0bxrts.jpg
is that bit even straight do they have string lines ???? to line up the steel reference points to keep the hole thing straight sorry its just me things have to be straight !!!! I don't see much steel lying around I hope the hole wall is covered like this all the way around the ground looks ok but not to be trusted
blue metal or crushed rock we call it just tip it in with the bucket not compacted this is where I piff my hard hat sit in corner scratch my head and say to the boss are you for real please tell me there shoring up the hole wall I would have started in back corner worked my way all way to front then across back and down the other side to front again

I would have put a few timbers in 500mm at the most , then rock a bit damp then hit it with a jumping jack compactor keep doing this to the top ive hung jumping jacks from the digger in hard to get to places to help the bloke on the ground anything is better than nothing
I don't like how the soil slipped off its self with a smooth surface left seams in it not good we can have hard ground with thin layers of clay greasy back huge chunks come off ,,,,, a job in the city 27 meters deep in mud stone again with big seams in it as we dug it chunks as big as houses slipping away the hole wall at one end slipped 120mm into the job but cracked all the huge concrete piles filled with steel cracked all the shot creat wall spray concrete big crack from bottom of job all the way to the middle of the then shut down road out the front 80,000 meters leaning on the wall broke water mains caused havoc very scary job but that was very deep I just hope they retain the hole wall
 

Smergen

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Jun 8, 2014
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Bacchus Marsh
So it was you busting our pipes @Bluey!! Was you pouring concrete into the sewers as well?? :)

Back to @caax... I'm not going to get into this too much mate, as to be honest, I know nothing but the pics and that doesn't nearly tell enough of the story. Trust your instinct. If something doesn't look right, ask. If you don't like the answer, ask again. Still don't like it, ask someone else. Take pics. Take lots of pics at all stages.

But at a minimum, like @Bluey mentions, I'd want that hole behind the wall stabilised very well. Crushed rock won't do it by itself.
 
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Bluey

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Mar 31, 2014
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So it was you busting our pipes @Bluey!! Was you pouring concrete into the sewers as well?? :)

Back to @caax... I'm not going to get into this too much mate, as to be honest, I know nothing but the pics and that doesn't nearly tell enough of the story. Trust your instinct. If something doesn't look right, ask. If you don't like the answer, ask again. Still don't like it, ask someone else. Take pics. Take lots of pics at all stages.

But at a minimum, like @Bluey mentions, I'd want that hole behind the wall stabilised very well. Crushed rock won't do it by itself.
ahhhhhhh no but I know who did a certain pile company has been known to drill piles through sewers and then fill with conk they wonder where all there conk is going then the penny drops or should I say the shite hits the fan it dose cause a bit of strife
 
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dagree

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Mar 3, 2012
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Not just piling company's do it @Bluey ... Had a job to organise the repair of one of our sewer pipes few weeks ago after one of our largest "telecommunication" company's :cell: drilled three holes in it for earth stakes...... They should have just welded a few bolts to the pipe and clamped the cable direct to the pipe!!!!
 

caax

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2015
217
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Wollongong
Afternoon all,

Just a little update The wall is completed, YA!! So far it's taken 7 weeks and they have just finished the steel work for the garage.
I have another question looking for your advice. Will ask below with photo.
Here are some photo's
The Great Wall.
Garage-3_zpsgymwabga.jpg

Lots of steel
Garage-10_zpsjctriuhs.jpg

Garage-20_zpsojm7idvl.jpg

Form work for the concert.
My question is that Im concerned about having polystyrene blocks in the garage. I have heard that people jacking up their car and the jack going through the slab. This garage is build for the van and we plan on going bigger in a couple of years. I dont want them in the slab, dont like the idea.
I've rang the builder and left a message at 3pm still waiting him to return my call.
Garage-21_zpse1waznmd.jpg
 

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
2,651
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Australia
Afternoon all,

Just a little update The wall is completed, YA!! So far it's taken 7 weeks and they have just finished the steel work for the garage.
I have another question looking for your advice. Will ask below with photo.
Here are some photo's
The Great Wall.
Garage-3_zpsgymwabga.jpg

Lots of steel
Garage-10_zpsjctriuhs.jpg

Garage-20_zpsojm7idvl.jpg

Form work for the concert.
My question is that Im concerned about having polystyrene blocks in the garage. I have heard that people jacking up their car and the jack going through the slab. This garage is build for the van and we plan on going bigger in a couple of years. I dont want them in the slab, dont like the idea.
I've rang the builder and left a message at 3pm still waiting him to return my call.
Garage-21_zpse1waznmd.jpg
mmmmmmmmmm waffle slabs im not a fan either I would not have a house with them but plenty do there's heaps of them now in a shed with weight on it in one spot from van wheels over time mmmmmmmm don't know but looking good
 
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caax

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2015
217
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Wollongong
Howdy all,
After a morning meeting with builder wife about variation to some work which we now this means more $$$ I got the price down from $4500 to $3300 they tried but I read everything and some of the variation was in the contract as inclusion, nice try........LOL.

Anyway I took the kids up today and by luck the engineer was there inspecting the steel work. We had a good chat.
The polystyrene blocks are only in that on spot of the garage the rest all steel and concert, thank god! The engineer said the height from the polystyrene, steel to the top of the concert is 100mm. Normally 85mm.
See photo below.
Garage-22_zpsdwfttu2m.jpg

Now back to my very interesting chat with the engineer he told me that the wall collapse (see post 42) all that work to fix it I do not have to pay for it as he said that they had excavated to far which caused the collapse.
Thats great news for us as I was 100% sure I was selling the van to pay for i. Payment for slab/garage is due soon guess we'll find out.
Thanks for your advice guys appreciate it.
 
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peterg

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Jan 17, 2015
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and this is why I stopped doing structural engineering . tooooooo many unknowns and builder related things to make insurance affordable.......
 
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caax

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2015
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Wollongong
Merry Christmas!!
You could say that Santa has came early with the delivery of some concrete today.
It has taken 2 months to get to this stage. I'm glade it was done before they finish up this week for a 3 week holiday.
They also did some footings up the top for more block work. A lot more concrete to come.

Footings
Garage%20slab-8_zpsvijpst1p.jpg
Garage%20slab-12_zpsoy46duad.jpg

Garage Slab
Garage%20slab-9_zpsbguqjlwq.jpg

Garage%20slab-16_zpshwa5ri1h.jpg

Since 10:30am-ish we've had light rain non stop all day. Temp low 20's.
Garage%20slab-21_zpsd6jmqnuw.jpg
 
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caax

Well-Known Member
Oct 10, 2015
217
409
63
Wollongong
Well that Happy Merry Christmas was short lived when I received the invoice late last night from the builder for the great wall for the sum of 18k. Holly sh1t I was off my rocker and ready to explode and needs to be paid withing 7 days. MERRY "F*#KING" CHRISTMAS.

Little did they know that I had spoken with the our engineer last Thursday and he said the same thing that I should not have to pay for it.

With emails to and from and the builder using big words and throwing in quotes from the contract, "like under clause 2 of the contract it says" so this morning I did the same "under clause 14 of the contract and quoted what our engineer stated that the excavation company over excavated and what the workcover person said.

Now there additude has changed and now they said they look into.

Not what any person needs right before christmas, bloody wankers.
 
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mfexpanda

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Apr 1, 2011
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Well that Happy Merry Christmas was short lived when I received the invoice late last night from the builder for the great wall for the sum of 18k. Holly sh1t I was off my rocker and ready to explode and needs to be paid withing 7 days. MERRY "F*#KING" CHRISTMAS.

Little did they know that I had spoken with the our engineer last Thursday and he said the same thing that I should not have to pay for it.

With emails to and from and the builder using big words and throwing in quotes from the contract, "like under clause 2 of the contract it says" so this morning I did the same "under clause 14 of the contract and quoted what our engineer stated that the excavation company over excavated and what the workcover person said.

Now there additude has changed and now they said they look into.

Not what any person needs right before christmas, bloody wankers.


Bloody hell hope it all goes good for you and it's sorted out quickly
 
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