Pouring Concrete Stem Walls

There are several stages to the construction of a stem wall which begins with cinder blocks that are reinforced with steel rods and concrete.

Pouring concrete stem walls. Here are the steps tom ralston owner of tom ralston concrete in santa cruz ca follows when pouring a retaining wall. When installed properly concrete offers much more room for customization than any other retaining wall material. This type of foundation has special requirements for horizontal and vertical dowels or bars. Then we compact the subgrade dig and pour the footing and then install the masonry foundation wall.

The structures require three components for their construction a poured slab a foundation wall and a spread footing. Once cured the concrete provides a secure and stable foundation for the home that will be built above. Poured concrete retaining walls can be colored textured accented with embedded objects and much more. When pouring start with the corners of the stem wall.

Poured concrete foundations also require reinforcing steel if you want the walls to resist the horizontal forces of wet soil. When the cement overflows stop pouring and smooth the top of the stem wall. Depending on the building the stem wall is usually built to the height of three cinder blocks. Another key point to remember is that foundation walls buried in the.

To construct a stem wall the first step is to clear the site. Today stem walls are used in construction of many residential or public buildings. Poured concrete foundations are an alternative to block or treated wood foundations. Poured concrete foundation walls cost anywhere from 7 000 to 21 000 including the cost of a concrete slab.

The slab subfloor must be several inches thick. A monotlithic slab foundation also known as a slab on grade foundation combines the footing stem wall and a concrete slab subfloor in a single pour. The process involves building a form to hold the concrete in place installing reinforcing rods and then pouring the concrete. Pour into the empty block cells with concrete until they will be completely filled.

Each row of cinder blocks is laid in turn before the concrete is poured.