How to Use Pieces of Broken Concrete to Build a Wall
Many homeowners, landscapers and gardeners are turning to greener, more environmentally friendly techniques for their projects, and one very popular option is to use pieces of broken concrete--in place of river stones or wood--to build a wall. Not only does this technique use recycled materials, but broken concrete pieces can often be found at extremely low prices or even for free from some construction sites, making this technique both environment and wallet friendly.
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Instructions
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Plot the area where you will build the wall. You'll need to know precisely where the wall will be going to assess the amount of broken concrete you will need to use and to anticipate any major obstacles like trees, boulders, streams or abnormal land formations.
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2
Call 811, the "Call Before You Dig" number. This nationwide number contacts your local utilities center, which will assess the area where you are planning to build the wall. Representatives will come out to your property and mark where there are any dangerous underground items, such as electric, phone, gas or sewage lines. Visit the "Call Before You Dig" website for more information (see Resources below).
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Stake out the line of the wall with wooden stakes and string. Not only will this allow you to visualize the final placement of the wall, but it will also help you keep the wall vertically level as you build by keeping the distance between the stones and the string consistent.
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4
Dig a trench about 12 inches deep and at least 12 inches wide along the path of the wall. The width will be determined by the height of the wall, but 12 inches should support approximately 2 to 4 feet in height.
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Line the trench with landscape cloth. This prevents weeds, trees and other plants from growing up in between the broken pieces of concrete, since letting them grow freely would eventually cause the wall to fall in places. Putting down landscape cloth as a bit of preventative medicine prior to building your wall may keep you from hours of repair labor over the life of the wall.
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Fill the trench with 4 to 6 inches of gravel to give a solid foundation to the broken concrete pieces. Skipping this step may cause the wall to settle more than necessary, making the wall lean or fall. It also gives the foundation a "tooth" for the concrete pieces to hold on to, making it stronger and more stable.
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Place the larger rocks into the trench to create the foundation for the wall. Using the largest pieces first will create the most solid foundation for you to build your wall. At this point, it is not necessary to keep the height even, since you can adjust for the unevenness by using fewer or smaller broken concrete pieces in the higher zones and more in the lower ones.
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Fit the broken concrete pieces together like a giant puzzle. This will be the most time-consuming part of your project, but the more care you take to make sure the concrete pieces fit together properly, the less trouble you will have later with falling stones or collapsing sections. Test each concrete piece's stability before moving to the next stone. They should not move once placed.
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Use a level to keep the top of the wall straight. If your property slopes, you'll have to compensate for this sloping by adjusting the slope of the wall, or you can keep the height of the wall level by making it shorter or taller where necessary.
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Finish off the wall by placing the final piece of broken concrete with the flat sides facing up, as this will give the wall a nice, polished look.
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Tips & Warnings
Use crushed concrete or gravel to fill in any spots that you're finding hard to level or fit with a piece of larger concrete.
Build the wall no higher than about 3 feet for maximum stability.
Break up larger pieces of broken concrete even more with a sledgehammer. For a more controlled break, use a hammer and chisel.
