Cement Bag Retaining Wall

[PAGUY]

All your work and expense in building could go for naught if a heavy hurricane comes along and causes an overflow of the dam breast. I visualize an erosion that would wipe out the road should the pipes get blocked by debris from such a storm.

Putting in a bridge over the original crevice (ravine) might have been less consuming and practical in the long run.

JMO PA-GUY

 

[EddieWalker]

All your work and expense in building could go for naught if a heavy hurricane comes along and causes an overflow of the dam breast. I visualize an erosion that would wipe out the road should the pipes get blocked by debris from such a storm.

Putting in a bridge over the original crevice (ravine) might have been less consuming and practical in the long run.

JMO PA-GUY

Hurricanes take out bridges all the time. Bridges also fail more often then culverts, they cost a lot more money, and it would not have dealt with the need for a ramp to get to the other side of the pond.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

It's coming along nicely. How are you going to smooth out the dirt so you can mow there?

I'm hoping to get clover and some moss established. I will have to buy new rolls of landscape blanket since my thief took all of mine.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

All your work and expense in building could go for naught if a heavy hurricane comes along and causes an overflow of the dam breast. I visualize an erosion that would wipe out the road should the pipes get blocked by debris from such a storm. Putting in a bridge over the original crevice (ravine) might have been less consuming and practical in the long run. JMO PA-GUY

My land is separated by a serious ravine upstream of the pond and stream and marsh below the pond. The engineer designed the bridge to handle the "100 yr storm". Will it work? I do not know, but I have done everything I can to insure it is built properly. The engineer's original plans didn't call for a cement headwall. It was designed for soil at a 1 in 3 pitch. When I told him I was going to use a stack wall he said that would make it even stronger. I have had lots of questions from people about why I don't just build on the other side of the pond. My wife was one of them. My answer is simple. Because I want to build on the far side of the pond. At the top of the hill. If I build closer to the road, I would have a beautiful view. But it wouldn't be what I want. And I would spend the rest of my life living a quarter mile from the spot I want to wake up every morning. With the view I want. And the sunsets I want and the feeling of privacy that I want just out of my reach...because I didn't have the courage to build a bridge for fear that a storm might wash it away.
If I can't build where I want, then why bother building at all. I might as well sell the place and stay in the suburbs.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

The last few post made me question if it should be called a bridge? Should it? Land Bridge? Levy? Just pondering.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

The last few post made me question if it should be called a bridge? Should it? Land Bridge? Levy? Just pondering.

A levee is built to prevent overflow. Basically a raised area on the bank. That isn't this. This is the opposite. This is an avenue for water to escape. A land bridge is usually land that joins to other areas of land across water. This isn't really that since even when it is wet you can usually just wak across it. This is a culvert bridge

 

[WoodChuckDad]

BTW. Currently the overflow is dry. And it has been dry for a couple months. The rain that we have had has been easily handled by the 18 inch outflow pipe in the middle of the pond. I have only owned the lad for a year so I have limited experience with it but so far winter is when it has been the most active. Ice snow and ice fall and build up and when they melt they flow down to the stream in significant enough and sustained enough volume to raise the water level. I'm sure that ice forming around the pope also will cause the level to rise. Also if leaves and branches build up around the outflow pipe the water level goes up.

 

[cat fever]

All your work looks great.
I know many areas of our country have lots of water so land owners have ponds and small lakes. Yours looks awesome. I am always jealous when I see that much water.
Looking forward to the house build.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

All your work looks great. I know many areas of our country have lots of water so land owners have ponds and small lakes. Yours looks awesome. I am always jealous when I see that much water. Looking forward to the house build.

I'm looking forward to it also. I wish I had been able to start the bridge earlier because I am not likely to be able to get my foundation done till spring.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I had poured buckets of water along the top of the bags I stacked. From what I saw previously, I knew they would all have cracks in them. I peeled off the paper from the top bag This week and mixed up a couple additional bags of cement and made some patches of the cracks, filling in the voids. I't's not pretty but that doesn't matter. We want to have it gather a patina and I also plan to transplant some ferns and moss from a rock wall a couple hundred years away, on the other side of the swamp.

It has come along quite nicely. I had a couple contractors come in for my road build and they got their quotes to me in the last couple days. I will probably make a decision this weekend on who to use. Moving forward to the home build will be great...I'm sure it will make me crazy but I really want to get to the point where I am there every day.