There is an existing boundary wall on two sides of the property that is about 1 meter high. It is fairly typical of the walls in Thailand, having columns at about 2.5m spacing, standard block work, with a cast concrete top. We had planned to leave the existing wall in place, but increase its height. To do this, we would extend the height of the columns, then use wood effect fencing panels between them. The existing block work at the bottom would then be rendered to give a smooth finish. To extend the height of the columns, we would make new steel re-enforcement structures and attach them to the existing re-enforcement structures , then cast the columns around them...... The problem? The existing wall has NO STEEL RE-ENFORCEMENT! Apart from reducing the strength of each column, it also means that the columns are not tied to each other through the top cross beams, as intended.... This probably explains why the wall is not straight!
This wall has stood for about 12 years so far and I'm sure that if we were not planning on increasing its height it would probably be stand for quite a few more years. However, disturbing the structure and adding extra weight to the top of it would definitely reduce its stability significantly. Now we have a bit of an issue - whether to completely rebuild the entire wall or to try to fix what is there. One thing is for certain... it is not worth risking building on top of it as is.
This wall has stood for about 12 years so far and I'm sure that if we were not planning on increasing its height it would probably be stand for quite a few more years. However, disturbing the structure and adding extra weight to the top of it would definitely reduce its stability significantly. Now we have a bit of an issue - whether to completely rebuild the entire wall or to try to fix what is there. One thing is for certain... it is not worth risking building on top of it as is.
