An odd foundation

Not mine, but saw it being built in the village and thought I would share.
It's being built on a riverbank and the floor is (pwill be) a few feet higher than the last big flood level.

Walls are solid concrete cast in place and tied into the pillars. The interior is sort of an inverse cantilever setup. I'm not sure if they are trying to stop the walls collapsing in or prevent them from blowing out.

Sees a very odd way to build in a flood zone.

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2013/03/462.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2013/03/463.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2013/03/464.jpg

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Originally Posted by Necron99

I'm not sure if they are trying to stop the walls collapsing in or prevent them from blowing out.

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It's to stop either. Actually this sort of thing is quite common, just not visible for long.

the force of flood waters and debris can be quite high, so those buttresses are to stop the walls collapsing inwards

Yes, I appreciate the forces involved. Just though it was an odd way to build a Thai shack. Trying to resist the water rather than allow it to flow. All the surrounding are the usual stilt jobs.

I have seen the usual "stilt jobs" just about snapped off by debris in flood water

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Originally Posted by DrAndy

I have seen the usual "stilt jobs" just about snapped off by debris in flood water

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Good point

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Originally Posted by Necron99

Yes, I appreciate the forces involved. Just though it was an odd way to build a Thai shack. Trying to resist the water rather than allow it to flow. All the surrounding are the usual stilt jobs.

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You Tink Too Mut.
Remember where you are

One would have thought that if the force of flowing floodwater was the concern, a bit of a wedge would be added on the side from where floodwater is expected. If just rising floodwater, stilts are the answer, not gonna be snapped. weird foundation.

It's on the bank of the chaophaya. So, bit of force involved.

It looks like the principle of the 'flying buttresses' on Gothic cathedrals, only placed inside instead of out.

exactly that

Needs to work on his arches if he wants to move into cathedral building.
Anyway, I suspect the whole box will fill up with water leaving his house sitting on a giant cube of rotting mud.

and who cares?

I suspect it may fill up, thus making it even stronger, then it will drain out again

What i believe they are doing is making a rectangle of retaining walls to hold the fill they are pushing into the middle.
If you have a look at the thread "Anyway to repair a perimeter wall" in post 317 i have inserted a diagram of how I reckon a retaing wall should be built and it looks just like what they have done.
So IMHO they have built it to contsain the fill and nothing to do with flood protection, and I might add done a bloody good job. Those walls will never bugle out.

Forget the floods, imagine a heavy rainy season. From my understanding water always seeks the easy way out.Therefore, the problem...
I have thought about the same idea but it does waste a lot of space.

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Originally Posted by ootai

What i believe they are doing is making a rectangle of retaining walls to hold the fill they are pushing into the middle.
If you have a look at the thread "Anyway to repair a perimeter wall" in post 317 i have inserted a diagram of how I reckon a retaing wall should be built and it looks just like what they have done.
So IMHO they have built it to contsain the fill and nothing to do with flood protection, and I might add done a bloody good job. Those walls will never bugle out.

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seems like the biggest force those walls would withstand would be outside pushing in

although I am sure the buttresses would increase the strength in the opposite direction too

Dr andy
If the inside of the walled area was empty AND the surrounding area flooded then I would agree with you. However if the inside is filled (as they appear to be doing) then the wieght of any water "pushing in" would not be as great as the wieght of the fill it was trying to move inward. SG of water is 1 while fill would have an SG of 1.8 to 2 even more if it were compacted.

I am not saying that this was their reasoning but imagine this scenario:
The whole area floods and the fill inside the walls become water logged i.e. saturated and then the flood water recedes. The force of the wet fill from inside would push the "walls" out.

I would never try and second guess why someone from this country would do anything as at times it defies logic. There is obviously (to the person doing this) some reason why they want the built up area to be tightly confined. Maybe to prevent the fill from being washed away in a flood?

Anyone who works with fill would know that the problems don;t nrormally come from dry fill it is when it gets fully staurated that problems arise. Dry fill has some friction cohesion whereas wet fill (esentially a fluid) has none and it also has no shear strength so exerts the full wieght against whatever is holding it back.

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Originally Posted by Notnow

It looks like the principle of the 'flying buttresses' on Gothic cathedrals, only placed inside instead of out.

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Or tiebacks used when building a retaining wall.

The wood will rapidly rot away if it is not treated with some kind of preservative. The local termite will have a good feed.

what wood?

What,you cannot see the wood for the trees? LOL
looking at the highet of the weeds it appears the project has ground to a halt.
Pics when completed please.

I can see someone has left their phone on one of the columns

Is that wood?

^ that's a can of coke zero.
Not made of wood.

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Originally Posted by wasabi

..looking at the highet of the weeds it appears the project has ground to a halt...

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Waiting for the ground to settle?

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Originally Posted by DrAndy

what wood?

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The posts all appear to be concrete, however the siding appears to be wood boards with a thin coat of concrete or something over them. You can see a grain on them. I guess it could be the grain from the framing boards used to provide a space to pour walls. Maybe one of you know.

I know, the op says they are solid concrete.

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Originally Posted by Notnow

I guess it could be the grain from the framing boards used to provide a space to pour walls. Maybe one of you know.

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good guess

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Originally Posted by Necron99

^ that's a can of coke zero.
Not made of wood.

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you mean the can is empty?

could be wood if it was a Warhol

I've seen this method use quite a bit around Issan. Usually it has been in dry areas, so I'm guessing it's to keep the fill from pushing the walls out...

But whatever, it would be effective in both directions.

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Originally Posted by Notnow

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Originally Posted by DrAndy

what wood?

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The posts all appear to be concrete, however the siding appears to be wood boards with a thin coat of concrete or something over them. You can see a grain on them. I guess it could be the grain from the framing boards used to provide a space to pour walls. Maybe one of you know.

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The grain seen on the concrete walls is the impression of the grain of the rough boards used as formwork (shuttering).

They will also act as braces for any external forces applied to the walls.

I see no sign of any pressure relief drains which would assist in equalizing the pressure should the soil within become saturated.