Crawl space dug out

**Sam Morris** · 08-21-2013, 02:13 PM

Inspected house built in 1937 today and had some concerns about the foundation. The crawl space had been dug out to put in a air handler and water heater. What bothered me was how close they had dug out around the footers (within a foot). Is there an comments about this. Thanks

**wayne soper** · 08-21-2013, 05:00 PM

pics are hard to see.Are those dirt walls? Was the block wall never finished. Looks like POS.

**Sam Morris** · 08-21-2013, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by wayne soper

pics are hard to see.Are those dirt walls? Was the block wall never finished. Looks like POS.

Poured concrete footer, dirt has been dug out below footers. Yes a partially finished wall. This was originally a crawl space, know it a cellar/ basement.

**John Kogel** · 08-21-2013, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Sam Morris

Poured concrete footer, dirt has been dug out below footers. Yes a partially finished wall. This was originally a crawl space, know it a cellar/ basement.

That dirt wall needs to be stabilized before it all comes down. Maybe shore it up with a new block wall, but poured concrete with lots of rebar would be better.

It would be a major concerns in my neighborhood, moist with an occassional tremor.

**Garry Sorrells** · 08-22-2013, 04:35 AM

One foot out from footers is wrong. No reinforce retaining wall is also wrong.
24inch of undisturbed earth left from digging and a retaining wall is what I would want to see.

Check your local code requirements.

**James Kollhopp** · 08-22-2013, 11:42 AM

Damn.... Dont want to miss that one!! Is that space supposedly conditioned space now? Any insulation down there?

**Mark Reinmiller** · 08-22-2013, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Sam Morris

Inspected house built in 1937 today and had some concerns about the foundation. The crawl space had been dug out to put in a air handler and water heater. What bothered me was how close they had dug out around the footers (within a foot). Is there an comments about this. Thanks

Rule of thumb in engineering is that you do not excavate below a 45 degree line projecting downward from the bottom corners of the footing.

**Raymond Wand** · 08-22-2013, 06:49 PM

For reference

**Claude Lawrenson** · 08-23-2013, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by Mark Reinmiller

Rule of thumb in engineering is that you do not excavate below a 45 degree line projecting downward from the bottom corners of the footing.

I have seen similar conditions on a number of older homes.

Also known as "angle of repose". Ref - Angle of repose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angle can vary with material and/or condition.

**Mark Reinmiller** · 08-23-2013, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Claude Lawrenson

I have seen similar conditions on a number of older homes.

Also known as "angle of repose". Ref - Angle of repose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angle can vary with material and/or condition.

The loading under a strip footing is more like about a 30 degree angle from vertical, but the 45 degree number is used to be conservative. The angle of repose defines the natural slope of a material, but it is not the same as the stress distribution below a footing.