Hi,
we are currently building our house without a basement. The plot is a field sloping down towards the street, so we had to raise the ground about 0.8m (2.6 ft) below the slab to reach street level. The plot measures 17m (56 ft) wide by 45m (148 ft) long, and the house starts 11m (36 ft) away from the street. In front, the crane area of 8x8m (26x26 ft) and the driveway were raised. Around the slab, we currently have about 2-3m (6.5-10 ft) of fill for the scaffolding. The entrance is on the side with approximately 3.5m (11.5 ft) to the property line, while the other side is 4.5m (15 ft) wide and has two doors leading to the garden.
Now we are considering how to shape the ground level of the plot. The neighbors probably won’t raise their ground right up to the property line. At the back, we plan to extend the current fill for the terrace. The side with the entrance we would like to fill up to the boundary to save as much space as possible, while on the other side we would reduce the perimeter fill to 1m (3.3 ft) and then use stairs down to the garden.
Does anyone know websites where you can find inspiration on this topic, or can recommend how to carry out this work independently and at reasonable cost? Is it best to use L-shaped retaining walls for filling up to the property line? How do you calculate how high the retaining walls should be? Are there any guidelines on how to allow a slope to run out, and which gradients are suitable? I am having a hard time finding information online :/
Many thanks,
Claudia 🙂
we are currently building our house without a basement. The plot is a field sloping down towards the street, so we had to raise the ground about 0.8m (2.6 ft) below the slab to reach street level. The plot measures 17m (56 ft) wide by 45m (148 ft) long, and the house starts 11m (36 ft) away from the street. In front, the crane area of 8x8m (26x26 ft) and the driveway were raised. Around the slab, we currently have about 2-3m (6.5-10 ft) of fill for the scaffolding. The entrance is on the side with approximately 3.5m (11.5 ft) to the property line, while the other side is 4.5m (15 ft) wide and has two doors leading to the garden.
Now we are considering how to shape the ground level of the plot. The neighbors probably won’t raise their ground right up to the property line. At the back, we plan to extend the current fill for the terrace. The side with the entrance we would like to fill up to the boundary to save as much space as possible, while on the other side we would reduce the perimeter fill to 1m (3.3 ft) and then use stairs down to the garden.
Does anyone know websites where you can find inspiration on this topic, or can recommend how to carry out this work independently and at reasonable cost? Is it best to use L-shaped retaining walls for filling up to the property line? How do you calculate how high the retaining walls should be? Are there any guidelines on how to allow a slope to run out, and which gradients are suitable? I am having a hard time finding information online :/
Many thanks,
Claudia 🙂
Schindela schrieb:
Therefore, we had to add about 0.8m (2.6 feet) of fill below the foundation slab to reach street level. The plot is 17m (56 feet) wide by 45m (148 feet) long, and the house starts 11m (36 feet) away from the street. In front of that, the crane area was filled and leveled to 8x8m (26x26 feet), as well as the driveway. I keep reading about filling. Has all that already been done? Building a house on a slope and just filling everywhere without any proper planning beforehand? I think I’m out.
As I understand it, the house is supposed to be at street level, and since there is a sloping embankment right at the boundary between the street and the property, the driveway and parking spaces “had to” be built up.
Of course, you are still right: a slight slope could be planned for the 11m (36 feet) driveway, and the house could be set a few decimeters (a few inches) lower… that would be even less invasive 🙂
@Schindela would that be another option?
Of course, you are still right: a slight slope could be planned for the 11m (36 feet) driveway, and the house could be set a few decimeters (a few inches) lower… that would be even less invasive 🙂
@Schindela would that be another option?
S
Schindela6 Apr 2021 07:36Exactly, the house is not located on a slope. Our plot is a lower-lying field, which even rises again towards the back. At the front, the land drops about 1.3 meters (5 feet) from the street (the described embankment) and then around 1 meter (3 feet) below street level at the building area.
The architect advised against positioning the house lower than the street or especially below manhole cover level because of standing water issues. It would have been possible, but then the house would need elaborate waterproofing to protect it from water. It’s better to build a small hill for the house instead.
The architect advised against positioning the house lower than the street or especially below manhole cover level because of standing water issues. It would have been possible, but then the house would need elaborate waterproofing to protect it from water. It’s better to build a small hill for the house instead.
K
knalltüte6 Apr 2021 12:01However, 1 meter (3.3 feet) is quickly reached with the foundation cushion (50 cm (20 inches) of gravel), insulation (8 cm (3 inches) of EPS), and a 25 cm (10 inches) concrete slab.
There isn’t much left to fill after that. And if there is, filling is certainly cheaper than excavation. Compressible material is often available for free (possibly with delivery costs) from nearby builders. Disposal fees at a landfill often exceed the budget for additional construction costs.
If the terrain rises again at the back, a gentle landscaping adjustment would be reasonable. However, it shouldn’t require building a 3-meter (10 feet) high retaining wall to hold it back.
There isn’t much left to fill after that. And if there is, filling is certainly cheaper than excavation. Compressible material is often available for free (possibly with delivery costs) from nearby builders. Disposal fees at a landfill often exceed the budget for additional construction costs.
If the terrain rises again at the back, a gentle landscaping adjustment would be reasonable. However, it shouldn’t require building a 3-meter (10 feet) high retaining wall to hold it back.
S
Schindela6 Apr 2021 12:23Yes, even with roughly 10,000 extra costs, we are still cheaper than expected/feared 😀
I definitely went with gentle grading, both for cost reasons and because it looks better aesthetically.
I definitely went with gentle grading, both for cost reasons and because it looks better aesthetically.
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