Basics on concrete and cinder block walls

[RayCo]

Hi forum,

One of this season's projects is to build some material bays in a hillside next to my driveway. I have the perfect steep slope on the correct side of my driveway, such that I can dig out an area, pour concrete right up to the edge of the driveway, and then build three walls (tapered on the sides) to build small material bays for mulch, dirt, etc. I've never poured a concrete slab before, so I'll have to do some reading about that. But, does it seem safe to assume that I'd want the cinder block walls to be on top of the concrete, as opposed having the walls there first and them containing the concrete within? Any other pointers would be fine as well.

Thanks

 

[newbury]

What size are you pouring?
Reason I ask is Lowe's might be selling bagged concrete

Lowe's $1.98 60lb concrete coming soon
According to a store employee they are going on sale for $1.98 a bag around 3/31. I'm guessing this will be nationwide but I'm in Buffalo, NY. We are ordering a ton for my company and he told me to wait till then.
Thought the SD world may like to know, this is usually a popular thread when it is. I've been waiting for them to go on sale we are buying two truck loads.

from

 

[RayCo]

Ah, nice, thanks. I believe I'll be doing two pads, about 8'×8'.

 

[Streetcar]

The concrete block will need a foundation
Pour the concrete slab and have dowels for the block wall location

 

[Cord]

How tall and long are the walls?

 

[timswi]

Guess it depends on what your expectations are...Personally, I'd put footers down (seems that you are in a cold zone like me) stack the block and pour the floor pads between...If you are doing a few of these, a concrete truck would be a pretty good investment for having the footer and floor material delivered....Might even want to grout a few cells in the block depending on the wall height.

You could also do Versa-Lock or Keystone walls-- 2nds are reasonable and they don't use concrete footers. Then pour the pad between those. That would be a fairly quick way to do this.

 

[EddieWalker]

The biggest reason for a retaining wall to fail is water build up behind it. If it freezes in your area, that water will expand and push over the wall. So drainage behind the wall is very important. There are tons of examples online about how to get rid of water behind the wall. You'll need rock, drain pipes and a liner of some kind.

If it was me, I would pour the pad first with a deep footing along the side where the wall is going to be. The depth would be based on your location, your frost line and your soil type. I might even run my auger down in the corners for a little extra strength. Then I would figure my spacing for the block and and install half inch or bigger rebar going up from that footing to just below the finished height of that wall. I would also have rebar every 12 inches or less going horizontal on the vertical pieces into the footing. Kind of making a ladder that the concrete pad will cover up. Then when laying the block, I would add a horizontal stick of rebar on top of each row of bock. Probably 3/8's. Then fill each cavity of the block. You can either fill them all when you are done, or fill each one up half way as you go up. I like to have the seam of different pours when going up to be in the middle of the block.



Th

 

[chim]

I'd be very tempted to pour the walls with rebar turned up into them from the slab. If you go into them while scooping the stored material they may not hold up well in the long run.

 

[GLyford]

I have seen poured material bins, I have seen ones made of prefab sections (look like tall Jersey barriers, similar to what they sometimes use for bunk silos), and I have seen some made of the "surplus" blocks some concrete companies make when they have trucks return with a partial load. Sort of like a double size cinderblock, but solid, and may or may not have interlocking bumps and hollows for neater stacking (think Lego, but little pyramids rather than cylinders).

 

[Streetcar]

I have seen poured material bins, I have seen ones made of prefab sections (look like tall Jersey barriers, similar to what they sometimes use for bunk silos), and I have seen some made of the "surplus" blocks some concrete companies make when they have trucks return with a partial load. Sort of like a double size cinderblock, but solid, and may or may not have interlocking bumps and hollows for neater stacking (think Lego, but little pyramids rather than cylinders).

I have used the precast blocks from concrete producers
They work well but you need the equipment to install the blocks. The blocks I used weight over 1000 lbs each