Once the hole was completed it was time to fill it back in with a basement.
I am a big fan of poured concrete basements… either solid concrete as you see here through the use of temporary concrete forms, or by using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF’s) (which are large hollow foam blocks that are laid and then the completed walls are filled with concrete).
I once witnessed a cinder-block basement wall collapse as it was being back-filled. Although a rare event, it was enough to convince me not to use them for basement construction.
I admire cinder blocks… the ugly little devils that they are. Cinder blocks are a cost effective manufactured marvels. Just don’t use them were they will ever be seen, nor to build a wall where any horizontal pressure is ever applied, such as a basement wall.
Originally posted 2015-07-05 14:45:53.
Buttresses needed for lateral stress. Also that the base is the same width as the top. Concrete blocks are in that class of objects that are simultaneously useful yet aesthetically hideous.
Well said!