Cement Pond Wall Strength

[Ceburat1]

I have hear or read that the width of the pond is not what you use to determine how strong to build the side wall of a pond, but the depth of the pond is what you use. I hope that makes sense, I am not an engineer. For example if you built a cement pond 40 cm deep by 10 meter wide by 20 meter long with no rebar and the pond did not leak you could, if you wanted, make the pond 50 meters wide and still use the same side walls. But if you made the pond deeper you would have to maybe make the side walls stronger. Is this correct information? How deep can one build in undisturbed soil with cement blocks filled and rendered without iron/rebar?

[superman]

Have you looked on this thread ? https://teakdoor.com/construction-in-...xperience.html

[Ceburat1]

Yes I have. I just went back to it and caught up with the last few post. A great thread, however it does not answer my questions.

[OhOh]

here are some guidlines for masonary wall and rc walls.

http://www.cadsglobal.com/hres/a71.pdf

http://www.cadsglobal.com/hres/a72.pdf

http://www.cadsglobal.com/hres/a73.pdf

http://www.cadsglobal.com/hres/a74.pdf

Both assume a certain amount of "quality" control which you may find difficult to achieve in Thailand. The "height" of the wall is the determining factor as you suggest. You may want to backfill the exterior of your tank with granular material. This, if drained with a pipe at the bottom, will ensure that you pool/tank does not start to float away in the rainy season.

[Airportwo]

Ceburat1 your above assumption that width makes no difference is correct, hydrostatic forces only increase with depth, so a 10 foot hole 5' wide will exert the same force as a 10' x 50' wide hole.
How deep you can go and construction depends on what the ground is like? if its in solid rock can go deep, if its in sand ............

[Ceburat1]

That is the same that I had previously heard or at least thought that I heard. Thank you very much Airport2.


I have built two ponds so far: (1) Koi Pond that is 80 cm deep with cement blocks filled with cement and rendered well. No leak proof in the cement and no rebar. We only get a loss of 4 to 6 cm's of water per day. The pond is 20 feet long. Half is 12 feet wide and the other half is 6 feet wide. It has been in use now for three to four years. It is surrounded with cement patio and covered with sun screen over the area (black sun screen).

(2) 2011 I got brave and built a pond for topteem 8 foot wide by 20 feet long and 90 cm's deep. I listened to my Thai uncle and built it with rebar in the floor (like house construction). Filled cement blocks using a stop leak stuff mixed in and rendered well. Back fill of the work area was packed with dirt and left over cement. No rebar in the walls. Completed in August this year and filled. To date I can not find or detect a leak of any kind. The pond sits in open sun area. This pond will supply fish poo water for my aqua phonics set up that I just completed yesterday. So now I am really getting brave and plan to build one last pond. To be built in the large hole made when the house was built. A hold that will not hold water. I plan to build this pond between 36 feet by 53 feet or reduced to 16 foot by 33 feet long. In either case it is to be 120 cm's deep planning to keep the water level at one meter. The size of this pond is being determined by how much dirt I have available. The hole is closed off by property that is not mine on three sides and houses. To bring in dirt or haul dirt out would have to be done with a wheel barrow and a laborer. A machine cannot get in because there is no room for such. I plan to build it the same as I did pond #2 except that it will be bigger. That is why this thread. I want to be sure I don't make any big mistakes that require big repair and expense later. If anyone has any comments or helpfull ideas they would be appreciated. I plan to post photos soon. I have two photos of the hole for pond #3 if I can figure out how to upload them to TD.

[Ceburat1]

Help: Who can tell me the simple way in layman's terms - how to up load photos to a thread. I read some of what is on teakdoor already and my head was spinning.

[FarangRed]

You cant load photo's on here then you have no fukin chance of doing a fish pond

[Ceburat1]

You cant load photo's on here then you have no fukin chance of doing a fish pond

Maybe you can't read - I have already built two and planning on third. Maybe you need another beer to help you along.

[Ceburat1]

Got it worked out but could not post the photos. To large, need to be downsized.

Will post tomorrow. Maybe even take better photos to post.

[ralphlsasser]

On this topic. I am building a security wall. Just to get to grade level will be about 5 feet tall. Above grade of course I'll use block. The 5 feet to get to grade will be back filled. Would it be better to build a concrete wall or would a block wall hold the pressure? Should I use good, rich dirt or the red clay fill dirt to back fill? Thanks for your help and/or comments.

[Crepitus]

On this topic. I am building a security wall. Just to get to grade level will be about 5 feet tall. Above grade of course I'll use block. The 5 feet to get to grade will be back filled. Would it be better to build a concrete wall or would a block wall hold the pressure? Should I use good, rich dirt or the red clay fill dirt to back fill? Thanks for your help and/or comments.

Assume by security you may be referring to a retaining wall.
Our house is on step on the side of a mountain and I had 'em build a retaining wall behind.
It consists of 3m apart 2x2m footings ( 1.5m deep) and poles joined by a wall base..all of reenforced ( re-bar framing) concrete ( like you would build a house)... between poles is a 25cm reenforced concrete 2m wall to grade, keyed into poles with re-bar.
.topped the concrete wall with cement bricks for 2 meters to stop mud and such splashing against house, the gap is a great repository for my junk!
all back filled on up side with the excavated dirt over building detritus
seems to do the trick...
Still too young to post pictures!!! Sorry

[ralphlsasser]

Thanks Crepitus. So basically you built a concrete wall. I was thinking that would be the only way to hold the pressure. My contractor/village handiman tells me a block wall is enough (a continueus 40cm x 40cm footer with concrete columns on 3m centers with a bond (concrete) beam every 2m in height all the way around my house. column to column would be block. I think doing it his way, I'll have the wall cracking and possibly leaning. What do you think?
Did you install any PVC to drain the possible excess water? PS- Yes, I'm talking about a retaining wall.

[Ceburat1]

Yes you must provide for drainage by the use of weep holes. Otherwise water pressure will build up and push out or crack the wall.

[ralphlsasser]

Thanks Ceburati. I'm not privy to this kind of work, but common sense tells me the excess ground water will find it's lowest point during the rainy season. Either I make a drain or pressure will make one for me. LOL BTW, how far apart should they be?

[Ceburat1]

ralphlsasser -not sure how far apart they should be. Maybe a search on goggle for "weep holes for retaining walls" would provide the information. Back in the 70's I built a retaining wall out of large rocks that were available everywhere in the soil near St. Louis, Mo. About 100 feet long and four feet high between my house and the one next door. I was on the low side. Since I only stacked the rocks, largest on the bottom, is did not worry about drainage. I only know about them from reading about how to build a retaining wall.

[Ceburat1]

First Pond we built for koi

[Ceburat1]

First Pond we built for koi

[Ceburat1]

Pond I just finished to be stocked with top teem and used for aqua phonics

[jizzybloke]

[Ceburat1]

Pond number 2 for top teem. To be used with aqua phonics set up.

[Ceburat1]

Future pond will be built here. The cement collar was built two years ago and then we trashed the idea because we had no more budget. Inside measurement of the collar is approximately 36 foot wide by 53 foot long. We now plan to go to a level 80 cm lower than the collar and build a smaller pond about 16 X 33 feet by 1 meter deep. We will land scape the yard surrounding the smaller pond, most likely with more fruit trees.

[Ceburat1]

Another view of the future pond site.

[sunsetter]

[sunsetter]