ᐅ Cutting open the concrete slab due to incorrectly installed drainage pipes
Created on: 5 Nov 2018 19:13
H
Heik0
Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum and have become quite frustrated today regarding our house construction. We are currently building a single-family bungalow with an architect and separate contracts for the trades. The foundation slab and masonry work are being done by the same company.
Today, the first outer row of bricks was laid on the foundation slab. It was then discovered that the three drain pipes from the guest bathroom (sink, toilet, shower) were all installed 70cm (28 inches) too far to the left. The drains from the toilet and sink are now located in the hallway, and the shower drain is directly in front of the bathroom door. The architect says this is not a major issue. For the sink and toilet drains, they plan to cut into the slab and reposition the pipes 70cm (28 inches) to the correct location within the slab. For the shower, there seems to be some other solution. The architect assures me this poses no structural problem. It should be noted that we do not have strip foundations, but a base layer of 25cm (10 inches) foam glass gravel, followed by a 25cm (10 inches) load-bearing slab made of waterproof concrete.
I am paying the architect for construction supervision (phase 8), and yet something like this happens—this shouldn’t be the case. He said that when he inspected the site, there was no formwork board at that location for the slab, so he couldn’t measure it then. Of course, he measured everything else beforehand.
What can and must I do now? Is this really harmless? What rights do I have, and what should I pay attention to in order not to make a procedural mistake? Should I file a defect notice? Document everything? Request a new structural analysis? Do I have to accept it as is? Why build a 25cm (10 inches) slab with reinforcement if it can be cut open and removed without issue in some places?
Best regards,
Heiko
I am new to this forum and have become quite frustrated today regarding our house construction. We are currently building a single-family bungalow with an architect and separate contracts for the trades. The foundation slab and masonry work are being done by the same company.
Today, the first outer row of bricks was laid on the foundation slab. It was then discovered that the three drain pipes from the guest bathroom (sink, toilet, shower) were all installed 70cm (28 inches) too far to the left. The drains from the toilet and sink are now located in the hallway, and the shower drain is directly in front of the bathroom door. The architect says this is not a major issue. For the sink and toilet drains, they plan to cut into the slab and reposition the pipes 70cm (28 inches) to the correct location within the slab. For the shower, there seems to be some other solution. The architect assures me this poses no structural problem. It should be noted that we do not have strip foundations, but a base layer of 25cm (10 inches) foam glass gravel, followed by a 25cm (10 inches) load-bearing slab made of waterproof concrete.
I am paying the architect for construction supervision (phase 8), and yet something like this happens—this shouldn’t be the case. He said that when he inspected the site, there was no formwork board at that location for the slab, so he couldn’t measure it then. Of course, he measured everything else beforehand.
What can and must I do now? Is this really harmless? What rights do I have, and what should I pay attention to in order not to make a procedural mistake? Should I file a defect notice? Document everything? Request a new structural analysis? Do I have to accept it as is? Why build a 25cm (10 inches) slab with reinforcement if it can be cut open and removed without issue in some places?
Best regards,
Heiko
Of course, he “has to” see it. But something constantly gets overlooked. It’s very likely that it wasn’t even measured. The client also has some responsibility to take a few measurements themselves. I walked through the house with a laser distance meter and took dozens of measurements. It wasn’t about being off by 1 or 2 cm (1 inch), but rather to check if the dimensions generally made sense. Everything matched up fine.
Yes, @Payday, of course, I did that too. I also measured all the penetrations in the foundation slab, since sometimes it was a matter of just 1–2 cm (about 1 inch). We had 13 or 14 of them, and everything fit perfectly. I’m a bit experienced when it comes to construction. Most homeowners we know approached it like this: “I’m paying a lot of money for everything, so others should take care of it.” The result was sometimes mediocre.
But I also overlooked some things... you can’t be everywhere at once. I have to live with that now.
But I also overlooked some things... you can’t be everywhere at once. I have to live with that now.
Payday schrieb:
Incorrectly installed pipes occur quite often. Especially: when it happens, it’s usually in multiples. The original poster’s description suggests that a reference point was measured incorrectly, and from that point on, almost everything else is actually "correct."
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
M
Mottenhausen7 Nov 2018 14:46Well, sure, one meter (3.3 feet) next to the first pipe comes the other pipe, and then another 50cm (20 inches) to the next pipe. Perfect, fits! Pour the concrete!
Well, on the other hand, we also know the not so uncommon case of a first-time home builder who measures with a broken folding ruler and desperately proclaims: "Help, NONE of the measurements are correct!"
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I remember with our build, since we were working full-time, if we were at the site in the morning and came back in the evening, suddenly everything was finished. Taking a day off on important days, like when concrete is being poured or similar, is definitely recommended.
But you also need a bit of luck when building a house, otherwise it just turns into a nightmare.
But you also need a bit of luck when building a house, otherwise it just turns into a nightmare.