PlanterBox Footings

[wanted]

Hi All

I'm planning on constructing some brick planter boxes in my front yard, (see attached pic) out of brick - rendered finish.

http://img183.imagevenue.com/loc495/th_31429_Planter_122_495lo.JPG (http://img183.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=31429_Planter_122_495lo.JPG)

I was wondering what would be the recommend footing sizes, mesh etc.

This is my fist attempt at some brick work but with the help of my dad and friends i'm sure we can come up with a good result.

I was thinking 300 x 300 concrete footing but some people think it's overkill for some planter boxes and indicating 100mm - 200mm deep??

Thanks For the Help

Anthony

[Dirty Doogie]

WoW ! those look like a cool set of planter boxes! Is the slab extending right across the ground under the boxes? The size of the footings is usually dependant on your soil type and the weight bearing onto them.

If you have reasonably firm soil then I'd suggest a strip footing only 100 deep and 150 wide (or 100mm wider in total than your blocks) should do it - for reinforcing I would use 2 x10mm smooth bar side by side and bent to go around corners (or just lapped if that is too tricky).

Cheers

[Brickie]

Is there a reason you have the concrete going the full width of the garden beds?
Unless you want a fish pond I wouldnt bother going full width.

100mm is way deep enough for a garden bed even on sand.
Chuck in some rio bars too.

I have a garden wall thats been there for over 10 years and it is just build on top of the dirt..:D

[wanted]

Hey Brickie

The concrete will NOT be going the full width of the garden bed, thats just my bad sketchup skills :(

So your recommendation would be 100mm deep with some rio bars, how wide should the footings be, i plan on building 200mm thick (double brick), i assume 300 - 350mm wide.

Thanks

Anthony

[Brickie]

So your recommendation would be 100mm deep with some rio bars, how wide should the footings be, i plan on building 200mm thick (double brick), i assume 300 - 350mm wide.

Thanks

Anthony


That will be plenty wide enough, they go that wide for house foundations..:)

If really want to do the Sketchup thing properly just for the sake of the exercise, draw a rectangle inside the planter and extrude it out through the bottom of the planter, it should leave you with a clear space in the middle..