cinder block raised garden box and earthquake question

If I was living someplace where there were 30 earthquakes a day, I'd forget about planters. I would move or get a change in medication.

OP-

How tall are you going ? what size blocks are you using? (I would suggest 8" high x 8" wide) What are you back filling with?

Low pile of earth seldom fail in earthquakes.

cheers Bob

Thank you!

I was looking at the 8x8x16. Pile them 3 high for 2 feet height. I will be filling it with organic dirt and compost from

Our typical earthquake is very small. A good detector is to pull a TV rabbit ear all the way out and make the tip about 1/4" from the wall. You will hear it tapping off and on all night long.

-T

That would scare the crap out of me. Sounds like it keeps you up all night too (-:

First it scares you. Then it starts to annoy, like a dripping faucet. Then the "male" part of the "we" in the family has to get up and go move the antenna.

Stacked only 3 units high and back filled with what you use..... I seriously doubt there is any possibility of failure.

If you're still worried, assemble your raised beds with running bond & interlocking corners. Buy some sch 80 1/2" PVC pipe and drive a PVC stake into every other or every third block and into the ground about 6", back fill with native soil or your mix.

If you want to do some experimentation... stack some blocks on a piece of 3/4" plywood, start with 3 units high. Check to see how high you have to lift one edge of the plywood to get the stack to begin to topple. Increase the stack height.

The angle you need to start the stack to topple gives an indication of the stability.... you will see that a 3 unit stack is very stable. 5 or 6 unit stack much less, a 8 or 9 unit stack is scary.

cheers Bob

Thank you!

e:

Let me know how it works out... cheers Bob