# Thoughts On Construction of Block Wall - Look at Pictures



## EricAnderson (Apr 1, 2010)

I'm working with a concrete contractor who is constructing block retaining walls which will be capped with stone and covered with color concrete. The one side of the wall will be backfilled and the other side will be exposed concrete with a 4" stamped concrete patio. The finished wall will be ~40" tall.

The bottom row of blocks are sitting on a few inches of mortar...there isn't a footer. How can these walls be secured moving forward to prevent movement? Can the walls be filled with concrete with 8' rebar in each hole...3-4' in the ground and 3-4' in the wall? This wall is in Maryland.

Please give your thoughts/reply. I'm going to share this information with the contractor.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Rip it out, dig down, start over.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Underpin? Dig under the wall, pour footings. 

Do you have a building department? Permits?


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## darr1 (May 25, 2010)

knock it down and put a footer in and on the first row of fill the cavitys with concrete and then just carry on as normal


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## NJ Brickie (Jan 31, 2009)

Most definitely time to start over.


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## darr1 (May 25, 2010)

NJ your a brickie what would you do ?


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

That wall should certainly have a footing and walls BELOW the frost line. 3" of mortar doesn't qualify as a footing, nor does rebar pounded into the ground constitute legitimate CMU re-enforcement.


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

Rebar cannot be in contact with soil

What happened, how did the footing get missed or forgotten?


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

No wonder I keep getting undercut on my bids!


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

:laughing:laughing::laughing:


lukachuki said:


> No wonder I keep getting undercut on my bids!


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

That wall is going to fall over. Sad part is I can tell the person who built it probably knows better.


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

It looks like one of those new fangled masonry landscape wall hybrids I've been hearing about.

Ever taken apart one of those jobs and gone "how did they get away with this?"

That is one of those jobs.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

.....and what is that white pipe that seems to be seeping liquid? Sewer?


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## festerized (May 19, 2007)

I have seen recycled block being used for retailing walls. Pretty sure there cheap too. I know they can be moved with a bob cat so they can’t be that heavy.

Tried finding a pic from their web site but no luck

I think the block measure 3’ wide x 5’ long x 3’ high. Blocks have male and female grooves to accept another block.

Come to think of it the landscaping business up the road uses the same block to separate gravel in the yard


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Should laid a battered dry stone wall if you weren't going to pour footings.


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Unreal. What is wrong with people? How do they go about doing stuff like this?


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## NJ Brickie (Jan 31, 2009)

festerized said:


> I have seen recycled block being used for retailing walls. Pretty sure there cheap too. I know they can be moved with a bob cat so they can’t be that heavy.
> 
> Tried finding a pic from their web site but no luck
> 
> ...


Come on..... another Jersey guy does not know they are called mafia blocks. :laughing:

You are right they are cheap usually $30-$50.


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## NJ Brickie (Jan 31, 2009)

darr1 said:


> NJ your a brickie what would you do ?



Answer is here. Thanks Jomama


jomama said:


> That wall should certainly have a footing and walls BELOW the frost line. 3" of mortar doesn't qualify as a footing, nor does rebar pounded into the ground constitute legitimate CMU re-enforcement.


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## 3bar (Jan 14, 2011)

that wall is guaranteed to crack and probably push out.


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## festerized (May 19, 2007)

NJ Brickie said:


> Come on..... another Jersey guy does not know they are called mafia blocks. :laughing:
> 
> You are right they are cheap usually $30-$50.


That’s it! Ty can never remember the name :thumbsup:


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