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Would you require permit / inspection / engineering?

Darren Emery

Darren Emery

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Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
510
Location
Manhattan, Ks
2009 IRC. New home, 13' tall retaining wall will support the driveway for this side-load garage. We require inspection and consider this part of the home permit. No PE design required at this point. How would/do you handle this type of retaining wall in your jurisdiciton?

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Exceeds the exception in R105.2 so a permit is required. We also consider them part of the SFR permit. However once they exceed 8 ft of unbalanced back fill then a PE is required for the design. Seismic zone D and a lot of clay soils around here.
 
Included with the house permit or not it requires a permit, design, and inspection as described above here as well. Remember that surcharges from adjacent footings are projected at a 45 degree angle from the bottom edge of footings at higher elevations, in this case of the garage adjacent, so even if it had less than the 8'-0" of unbalanced backfill it still may require design if that projected line hit above the footing of the retaining wall.

ZIG
 
Permit and engineer. Beyond the prescriptive method. Actually had a situation like this that was existing and the wall failed. What a cluster of liability between the owners.
 
Agree, beyond the prescriptive requirements engineered design required, but can be part of the house permit.
 
Darren Emery said:
2009 IRC. How would/do you handle this type of retaining wall in your jurisdiciton?

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Obviously, that form work isn't ready for concrete. What are the two extensions that point towards the house? They appear to be about six feet long and stop at the end of the cut in the bank.

Assuming that the forms depict the width of the footing, I can tell you that here in Ca. they would be much wider. There would most likely be a key.

The wall is a separate permit with engineering. Driveway loads can be substantial. Several times a year I have to back a Brinks truck up to the house to haul away all of the nickles I get when contractors tell me that they've never heard that correction before.
 
It looks like they got down right to about the cretaceous period.

I don't think there were any standardized building codes back then so they should be good to go. No permit.

Brent.
 
And yet it looks like they were about to pour right after this picture was taken...

they will need to tear it out, bummer.
 
Fort said:
And yet it looks like they were about to pour right after this picture was taken...they will need to tear it out, bummer.
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I believe it would have torn itself out after 5 min. or so. Calling those "forms" is generous.

Brent.
 
Fort said:
And yet it looks like they were about to pour right after this picture was taken...they will need to tear it out, bummer.
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Those look more like batter boards and they do forms! Kansas contractors must be something else to work with.
 
Msradell said:
Those look more like batter boards and they do forms! Kansas contractors must be something else to work with.
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No offense taken, but let's not hate on Kansas now...seriously a great state full of great folks...beautiful country.

And we all know there are subprime contractors in every jurisdiction.
 
The two extensions into the driveway area are for T-shaped wall extensions, to add stability to the wall. The forms are pretty representative of what we see here for single family spread footings. They pour pretty dry with a low slump, and let the concrete spread a bit under the form.

If the excavator is good, the 2x6 form boards will be just a touch above grade, and they end up with a very clean edge to their footing. If they excavator is really off - they end up with a 2x6, and a couple of 2x4s laterally to hold the mud in the form.

They were indeed pouring before I left the sight.
 
How about some after pictures? It looks as though there is some rebar on the ground and that's it. Seems odd to me.
 
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