who's fault for this? how to fix?

15 years ago

We had a retaining wall built to add a parking area off of our driveway. After 2 years, the concrete has sunk and one section has dropped disproportionately more.

My question is who would be at fault? Would it be the crew that did the retaining wall or the concrete crew for not tamping/packing the dirt?

The other question is how would one go about trying to get it repaired? The total area averages out to about 20 ft by 10 ft.

Thanks for any input.

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Comments (3)

mightyanvil
15 years ago
If the retaining wall has not moved, the installers would probably not be at fault. Did the installers know there would be an additional horizontal load on the wall?

What was the original specification for fill and compaction under the concrete? How far down was the excavation requirement to remove organic material? If the concrete installer did not follow the contract requirements, he would be at fault. If you left these decisions up to the concrete installer it's difficult to establish his level of expertise and resulting responsibility but you can try.

In some areas of the US there are contractors who pump cement-based grout under slabs to lift them. It's sometimes called mudjacking and is common in Colorado. It requires a large pump on a large truck but it produces very impressive results.
brutuses
15 years ago
In my neck of the woods it is required code that pilings be put under any concrete form that will be supporting a very heavy load. This would not be the responsiblity of the concrete guys, but rather someone who installs pilings. Not sure who is at fault here, but the mudjacking might be your only option in getting it back up to level.
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meldy_nva
15 years ago
IF there was a proper foundation put in at the proper depth below frostline, and IF the wall was properly sloped/stepped, and IF sufficient and properly placed drains/weepholes were NOT used, you may being seeing the result of water at work. Whether it washes out the foundation, or collects and applies pressure, water can cause problems which have to be addressed as part of the repair.

Is 20x10 the size of the affected wall? If so, you've got one tall wall! French drains, weepholes, and an extensive gravel backfill are usually used to handle the dispersement of water, although proportions depend on the soil type, the backfill, and the climate.

I have also seen a "dropped" effect caused by building on marine clay, which over time literally slid the wall out of place.

OTOH, if 20x10 refers to a section of paving which has dropped, then you are possibly looking at a poorly done base [foundation] in the parking area, --whether due to insufficient tamping or to frost heave or to insufficient depth of gravel base -- the damaged area can be removed, the cause corrected and then re-topped without too much problem.

You shouldn't repair until you know what caused the drop. Cement jacking is of no use on marine clay; and it's a cosmetic repair [of unguessable duration] if the drop was caused by hydraulic pressure trying to find a way to let out accumulated water.

Link is to nicely written, very concise article about retaining walls.

Here is a link that might be useful: Retaining walls

who's fault for this? how to fix?

Comments (3)

mightyanvil

brutuses

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