PSA: That brick pattern at the Johnson Library job site didn't work like everyone said

Last month I was working on a retaining wall at the Johnson Library downtown and tried the basket weave pattern everyone in this forum raves about. After two days and 300 bricks, half the wall started sagging in the center. Turns out the soil base wasn't compacted enough and the pattern needs a solid foundation, not just good looks. Has anyone else run into trouble with popular patterns failing on tricky ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary77614d ago

Did you check the soil drainage" yeah that's the thing, I assumed it was fine because the ground looked dry on top. But I dug down about a foot later and hit this clay layer that was holding water like a bowl. My dad used to call that "fool's gold dirt" because it looks solid but will shift on you overnight. He had a whole patio collapse once because of it, ended up having to tear out 500 pounds of stone and start over with a French drain first.

drew69015d ago

Did you check the soil drainage before laying the first brick?

taylor66813d ago

That "fools gold dirt" thing cracked me up, your dad knew what he was talking about. Reminds me of the time I dug up a spot in my own yard thinking it'd be perfect for a little fire pit area. Ground looked dry as a bone on top, but I got about six inches down and hit a wet, sticky mess that smelled like rotten eggs. Ended up having this weird layer of decomposed shale that just turned into soup when it got wet. Had to backfill the whole hole with gravel and sand before I could even think about putting a brick down.