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Thread: Laying Concrete Blocks
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24-05-2019, 08:15 PM #1
Laying Concrete Blocks
Is there a reason why they are laid flat instead of laid upright with two walls, I worked it out today that we'd use less blocks, tying the two walls together maybe the reason, but surely that could be over come with wall ties???
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24-05-2019, 11:40 PM #2
More joints make more strength.
They’re tied together stronger. Wall ties don’t help mate. Trust me, I learnt the hard and expensive way. It’s just. It worth scrimping on for s couple of hundred quid extra. In the overall scheme of a pond it’s a drop in the ocean so to speak.
You can save money elsewhere if you need to.
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25-05-2019, 08:47 AM #3
cant see how you would use les sblocks laying them vertically, that doesnt make sense.
Laid flat you get only half the height, but you get half the height on both inner and outer skins so your not losing anything
I think the strongest way by far if you really want to go o.t.t is to have an inner and outer skin with a reinforced concrete filled cavity ….bomb proof but not needed.
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25-05-2019, 10:49 AM #4
Last edited by Tom Koi; 25-05-2019 at 11:02 AM.
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25-05-2019, 11:38 AM #5
yes you are right if you are only building a single skin, but you wont save any blocks if you build a double skin, thats what i meant
personally I wouldnt trust a single 100mm skin.
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25-05-2019, 12:15 PM #6
You’ll use the same number on edge as laid flat, they’re modular 440 x 215 x 100 if you lay them on edge like you’re thinking then with the mortar joint your wall will be 215 +/- wide x 215 high per course, if you lay them Flat then with the mortar it’ll be 215 wide x 215+/- high per course, there’s nothing in it.
Last edited by Poochops; 25-05-2019 at 12:17 PM. Reason: .
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25-05-2019, 01:26 PM #7
Yeah, but 8 blocks laid on edge 4 on inner wall and 4 on outer wall would give you a height of roughly 8ft, but it;ll take 16 to if you laid them flat, that's my point.
Anyway as you Bigcarp said flat is best, it was just a thought I had, I know I know, thinking is bad for you
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25-05-2019, 03:57 PM #8
im not understanding you, the only way you can save blocks is if you go for one single skin wall laid vertically, which personally I wouldnt trust, so if we discount that, you have to go for a twin skin wall, but theres no need for 2 skins of vertically laid blocks, you just lay them flat, then your wall is 225mm thick instead of 100mm, and while yes its only a single skin because its only one block, it is thicker and probably stronger than a twin skin wall built with an inner and outer skin of blocks laid vertically.
4 blocks laid on edge cant give you 8ft height, they are only 235mm each when laid with cement, so 4 high is 940 mm give or take which is about 3 foot.
To build a 9 inch or 200mm thick wall, or a twin skin wall, at what ever dimensions and height you want, it will take exactly the same number of blocks laid flat as it would laid vertically. a single block laid vertically will of course be twice as high as a block laid flat, but when you lay them flat your are building the inner and outer skin at the same time, so you aren't losing anything.
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25-05-2019, 04:04 PM #9
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25-05-2019, 04:48 PM #10
Yes you're right, I got my sums wrong, I've had a mare, my dogs got me up early this morning, its a poor excuse but its the best one I've got hahaha.
I mistakenly called it that 2 blocks on edge with a bed of compo was around 36" and its 4 blocks so yes, it'll take 8 to reach 72" doubled up would be 16 same as laying them flat
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25-05-2019, 11:57 PM #11
You can test the strength theory with Lego
Build a scale model of your pond with thin blocks then another with the flatter wider blocks and see which one you can knock down easiest.
I’m kinda joking but actually, it might work
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01-06-2019, 12:46 AM #12
Im building a koi pond (12' x 6') and raising a wall above ground by 450mm. I was wondering if a single skin of blocks will be strong enough since the wall won't be high?
Thanks
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01-06-2019, 06:38 PM #13
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01-06-2019, 07:16 PM #14
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01-06-2019, 08:52 PM #15
Rubber liner
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01-06-2019, 08:53 PM #16
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01-06-2019, 08:56 PM #17
Yeah if twas fibreglass then wall strength isn't a massive concern. I am building a new pond 11ft x 5ft x 5ft deep with 2 feet below ground and I have laid the block flat. Easier to lay no need to cavity fill with concrete. For such a small build I figured this is best. Each to their own I suppose
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