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How high can a stem wall be?

You are inferring the enforcement authority. My position is that if this enforcement authority is delegated to the building official that the legislature should be explicit in granting the authority.

I understand regulating the practice of engineering to include both the authority to adopt regulations but also the authority to enforce the regulations

By the way I am talking about American law, not Canadian.

This does not prevent the building official from not issuing a permit when the technical provisions in the standard are not complied with.
 
Mark, I think that we all have understood your personal take on the matter. You are very well informed and passionate.

That said, I do not think you are winning our hearts and minds. Seems a number of us disagree, and that is ok. Until a court case is tried, one that gets large enough to become well known in the code enforcement world, it seems that there is a gray zone.

Good points have been made on all sides, so, let's all give it a rest and stop kicking the horse.
 
It isn't always necessary to hire a PE to design something "in accordance with accepted engineering practice." Most states allow architects to do engineering that is incidental to an architectural design. There are many predesigned solutions for retaining walls in Graphic Standards, NCMA, and other trade organizations that they can use as guidance.
 
I disagree.... the limit is 4-ft.

If a wall supports more than 4-ft of unbalance fill, and is not supported at top and bottom, then it must be designed by a licensed engineer. In the case the OP has put forth, the slab on grade should be tied into the interior slab-on-grade floor by rebar.

R404.1.1 Design Required
Concrete or masonry foundation walls shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice where either of the following conditions exists:
  1. Walls are subject to hydrostatic pressure from ground water.
  2. Walls supporting more than 48 inches (1219 mm) of unbalanced backfill that do not have permanent lateral support at the top or bottom.
What is considered "unbalanced fill". If I build a 6' stem wall and backfill on both sides of the crawl space and outside and compact with compactor, would that be considered "balanced."
 
Mark - We will not see eye-to-eye, and that is ok.

But just know, the statement above is false. Thanks for your input though.
I would just like to know with all this arguing what is considered "unbalanced." I am building outside city limits in Alaska and frost line 42" and I am on sloped lot. I have to build 6' stem wall then backfill 42" around my stem wall. Its not possible to be below the frost line on sloped lot and only have 4' stem wall. Some of us are building out of pocket and not of us have money to pay an engineer
 
Mark, I think that we all have understood your personal take on the matter. You are very well informed and passionate.

That said, I do not think you are winning our hearts and minds. Seems a number of us disagree, and that is ok. Until a court case is tried, one that gets large enough to become well known in the code enforcement world, it seems that there is a gray zone.

Good points have been made on all sides, so, let's all give it a rest and stop kicking the horse.
Table R404.1.1(1) states you can go 6 feet of unbalanced backfill if you are on SP Soil and have 8" thick stem wall, am I reading this correct?
 
What is considered "unbalanced fill". If I build a 6' stem wall and backfill on both sides of the crawl space and outside and compact with compactor, would that be considered "balanced."
Yes, it would be considered balanced if you backfill both sides of the stem wall, unbalanced occurs when one side is backfilled higher than the other side.
 
What is considered "unbalanced fill". If I build a 6' stem wall and backfill on both sides of the crawl space and outside and compact with compactor, would that be considered "balanced."
Yes, backfill on both sides is balanced.

The other option to backfill on both sides is to have the wall permanently supported at top and bottom. This it the typical basement wall that has a slab-on-grade against base of wall, and a framed floor connected at top-of-wall.
 
I would assume Alaska is in a seismic design category "D0" "D1" "D2". Are you using plain concrete walls?

R404.1.4.2 Concrete foundation walls.
In buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category D0, D1 or D2, as established in Table R301.2(1), concrete foundation walls that support light-frame walls shall comply with this section, and concrete foundation walls that support above-grade concrete walls shall comply with ACI 318, ACI 332 or PCA 100 (see Section R404.1.3). In addition to the horizontal reinforcement required by Table R404.1.2(1), plain concrete walls supporting light-frame walls shall comply with the following.

1. Wall height shall not exceed 8 feet (2438 mm).

2. Unbalanced backfill height shall not exceed 4 feet (1219 mm).

3. Minimum thickness for plain concrete foundation walls shall be 7.5 inches (191 mm) except that 6 inches (152 mm) is permitted where the maximum wall height is 4 feet, 6 inches (1372 mm).

Foundation walls less than 7.5 inches (191 mm) in thickness, supporting more than 4 feet (1219 mm) of unbalanced backfill or exceeding 8 feet (2438 mm) in height shall be provided with horizontal reinforcement in accordance with Table R404.1.2(1), and vertical reinforcement in accordance with Table R404.1.2(2), R404.1.2(3), R404.1.2(4), R404.1.2(5), R404.1.2(6), R404.1.2(7) or R404.1.2(8). Where Tables R404.1.2(2) through R404.1.2(8) permit plain concrete walls, not less than No. 4 (No. 13) vertical bars at a spacing not exceeding 48 inches (1219 mm) shall be provided
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