Failure of foundation

[Valentino123]

Hi Everyone,

I am no civil engineer hence I would like some assistance with this problem.

Sometime last year November/December i hired some guys to do block wall fencing at my home it has not even be a full year and one side of the fence was full of cracks and was about to fall so decide to completely remove: The causes which I could identify just based on observation is that when the mortar mix was done there wasn't sufficient cement used a it seems as though more sand was used with respect to what ratio of sand and cement that was supposed to be used, 2nd observation is on the foundation, on the foundation there seems to have been a step which was made on based on the research which I have been doing on google it seems that the step was made in correctly, i.e.:

According to google this is how it should be:

or

According to what I gather it doesn't seem as though the step was done like those in the picture, it seems it was done like either of the below:

or

How do I resolve this step on the foundation when it has been done like this?
I am also thinking increasing the height an width of the foundation by adding on top of the foundation which is already there also including some rebar reinforcement on the second layer of the foundation. Would it be a good idea to do this?

Thank you in advance.

 

[dik]

A typical detail... compare your detail to this.

Dik

 

[LittleInch]

How do you resolve it?

Options are:
1) Dig it all up and do it again properly with steps lid as a single foundation as per diks drawing or your internet sketches
2) Break out say 300mm off each end of the footing, drill some bars into both ends and then cast a step part as a single block
3) build a series of single walls based on the length of each slab
4) Don't build it when its really cold ( anything below about 5C results in pretty weak mortar
5) Pay for a decent builder to use more cement in his mortar mix
6) Use something different to block wall which can accept some differential movement (timber panels?

some pictures or dimensions wouldn't go amiss

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[cvg]

it is likely that there is either an express or implied warranty. but you need to deal with the contractor for a remedy. If you remove and replace yourself, than good luck with any legal remedy.

https://www.americanbar.org/publica...ion/2013/august_2013/construction_basics.html

unless you had an adequate inspection (by a qualified person), how do you know what caused the problem? there are a lot of things that could cause cracking, not just the step configuration.

 

[Old Eng]

This is a problem that may or may not be correctly diagnosed by the poster.
Thus, any advice here may not be suitable. You are much better off to hire a local civil engineer versed in structures and soil engineering. I'll bet some important information about this is missing here. Missing important information is very common when first posted even by professional engineers.

 

[LittleInch]

last year November/December I hired some guys to do block wall fencing at my home

Can't see much in the way of "warranty" there, plus he's already knocked the bloody thing down, so no one other than the OP can say what it looked like or why he thinks the foundations are the issue.

It's a garden wall, not some engineered structure supporting something built by a couple of blokes off the street by the sound of it. Any local qualified person will cost 5 X the cost of the wall.

Without some proper sketches, details and photos not to mention an response form the OP we're all rather in the dark here.


Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.