Replies

1. 
   davidmeiland | Mar 16, 2009 03:58am | #1

   A surveyor could shoot the corners for you....

1. 
   dovetail97128 | Mar 16, 2009 07:13am | #4

   ""A surveyor could shoot the corners for you...."" You forgot a couple of words there... A "Good and Accurate" surveyor...
   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

2. 
   MikeSmith | Mar 16, 2009 04:16am | #2

   i'd do the 14' batter boards

   Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
3. 
   JohnCujie | Mar 16, 2009 05:54am | #3

   Are you concerned about the excavation or the form work? Run the outside downhill form leaving it long on each end. Use it as your batterboard. You can step the measurements down the form very accurately as required.

   John

4. 
   dovetail97128 | Mar 16, 2009 07:16am | #5

   I have done it in stages.

   Set a pair of batter boards 1/2 way down the slope, a high and low board on the middle set of batter boards. Work to the high boards from the top, , drop plumb lines to the lower elevation and carry that set down to the bottom elevation.

   They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
5. 
   Westcoast | Mar 16, 2009 07:36am | #6

   Batter boards are cheap, if you want to spend more use the surveyor.

6. 
   Piffin | Mar 16, 2009 12:51pm | #7

   "be 14' in the air (not very practical). "

   you are going to find that not much about building on a site this steep is "very practical" so the footings is a good time to get used to the idea.

   We can't even get a permit to build on a site steeper than 20%. you have a crew of billygoats lined up to work on this?
   ;)

    

    

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7. 
   popawheelie | Mar 16, 2009 07:02pm | #8

   I built a couple of foundations on steep hillsides in the L.A. area.

   We used 2x6-2x8-2x10 material. I can't remember which. Cost wise you figure the taller the board the faster it will stack.

   2x4s are used for the verticals and stakes/bracing.

   The steps in the foundation are wherever the stem wall gets to high.

   I don't remember that we had walls 3-4' off grade. You just step them.

   That means more anchor bolts.

   I think there were post in some places for bigger loads. can't be sure.

   We did use a surveyor to spot the corners. They need to be pretty accurate ones or it will be off.

   He would set up on the street above and shoot down and over. If he was off just a bit the corner would move a fair distance. We had one guy come back and when he shot it the second time they were in different spots. Makes you wonder.

   These hillside lots were narrow and the builder would put the house as close to the property line as possible. So getting the corners right is a good idea.

   I built them with a crew of Mexicans I knew. It was pretty tuff work slogging up and down those hills. It was a long time ago.

   One more thing. Are you putiing in piles under this? The reson I ask is because if you just put a footing or grade beam under these stem walls there is nothing to keep the whole thing from sliding down the hill. We had friction piles drilled that would pin everything into the slope.

   You could step the trench so the bottom of the trench is level.

   But alot of the slopes have a layer of loose soil on top that has slid down from up upslope over the years. It can be thin or pretty thick.

   A soil servey would tetermine how thick the loose layer was and then the friction piles would go through that and get to solid ground.

   
   

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   Edited 3/16/2009 12:13 pm ET by popawheelie