What the hell is your neighbour doing booking a structural engineer to check something on YOUR property?
Tell him to stick it, it doesn't sound like he's going to be a good neighbour anyway.
Incidentally my pond is just over 2000G, base is 4" concrete, walls are 4" blocks on edge and it has been there about 7 years and never budged. I took the old liner out last year to fibreglass it and the render on the walls hadn't so much as cracked after 6 years, I let it dry out and fibreglassed straight over the top.
If my calculations are right the pressure on your pond base will only be around 2.4 PSI - the pressure on the legs on my living room fish tank is 6 times that.
Pond base strength – Help required
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judyanngee
- Nurse Shark
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:01 pm
- Location: Manchester, UK
Hi, I am having a pond built for me at the moment by a professional pond builder.
The pond is 6 foot deep and has a 6 inch concrete base, there will be 2 -3 inches of benching at the sides on top of this base to get the slope to the bottom drain so at the drain there will be just over 6 inches of concrete.
I have 4 inch solid blocks for the walls with concrete as backfill.
The pond is 6 foot deep and has a 6 inch concrete base, there will be 2 -3 inches of benching at the sides on top of this base to get the slope to the bottom drain so at the drain there will be just over 6 inches of concrete.
I have 4 inch solid blocks for the walls with concrete as backfill.
Just a few comments that may help.
I can't tell from the photo but I assume that your neighbours garden is level with yours, if so, you should ask him the last time he saw water running up hill ??
If you was to get a leak or even a complete failure of your concrete base and blockwork, I would have thought that the water would drain away down through your soil, unless you have a high water table. And even with a complete failure it is very unlikley that any escaping water could cause problems.
If he does get a structural engineer to review your work, do not accept or agree to any costs associated with his visit or recommendations. If your neighbour raises any issues, ask him to provide a complete copy of the report.
If things get that far let me know and I may be able to get a second opinion from a structural engineer that I use for other work.
A final note, I would agree that 12" of reinforced concrete is some what overkill, 6" with the reinforcement central in the slab should be OK.
I can't tell from the photo but I assume that your neighbours garden is level with yours, if so, you should ask him the last time he saw water running up hill ??
If you was to get a leak or even a complete failure of your concrete base and blockwork, I would have thought that the water would drain away down through your soil, unless you have a high water table. And even with a complete failure it is very unlikley that any escaping water could cause problems.
If he does get a structural engineer to review your work, do not accept or agree to any costs associated with his visit or recommendations. If your neighbour raises any issues, ask him to provide a complete copy of the report.
If things get that far let me know and I may be able to get a second opinion from a structural engineer that I use for other work.
A final note, I would agree that 12" of reinforced concrete is some what overkill, 6" with the reinforcement central in the slab should be OK.
Thanks all for your help and advice. The structural engineer visited today with a Council Building Control Officer.
To be fair to them their advice was useful and we have agreed to install some extra steelwork in the backfill between our properties. I agreed rather than discussing it further as for a little extra cost it gets things moving again and should give my neighbour the peace of mind that they were looking for.
It’s full steam ahead now and the steel work and concrete will go in tomorrow, with the block work starting later in the week.
To be fair to them their advice was useful and we have agreed to install some extra steelwork in the backfill between our properties. I agreed rather than discussing it further as for a little extra cost it gets things moving again and should give my neighbour the peace of mind that they were looking for.
It’s full steam ahead now and the steel work and concrete will go in tomorrow, with the block work starting later in the week.
Compleat overkill, do yourself a favour and cut your conrete base down to 6-8" maximum, the money you save can be put to something else, what with benching of screed for your falls you will still end up with between 8-12" thickness.
The worst thing that could happen would be for the whole slab to sink slightly with all the weight but as its reinforced it will do it as a whole slab, and thats only if you have soft ground,
Tell your neighbour to mind there own business
The worst thing that could happen would be for the whole slab to sink slightly with all the weight but as its reinforced it will do it as a whole slab, and thats only if you have soft ground,
Tell your neighbour to mind there own business
My neighbour was like yours. 'You don't wanna do it like that' (harry enfield). I found him in my garden one morning just walking around and he also thought it was ok to put his head over the fence whenever he wanted!!
Get rid ASAP - Or when the Nats turn up he will be calling rentokil
I hope your pumps and air pumps are quiet!!!!
Good luck with that.
Get rid ASAP - Or when the Nats turn up he will be calling rentokil
I hope your pumps and air pumps are quiet!!!!
Good luck with that.