I was removing some fence posts where they were set in metpost style sockets, but the whole socket was buried well below ground level surrounded by concrete. So I drilled a 32mm hole though the post, inserted my big f'off 6' long crowbar though it, and setup a pair of 2 tonne trolley jacks either side. Pumping them both, it was possible (just) to jack the post out of the ground.
So charged with that success, I though I can use a variation on the technique to push a leaning wall straight as well. Then found that my trolley jacks don't actually work when they are laying on their sides!
(had to resort to a more medieval solution using 3m fence posts dug into the ground at one end, leant at an angle just off the perpendicular to the wall, and a sliding pad. Then using a sledge hammer to tap the post down the pads little by little - that worked a treat)
Incidentally, how would you make sure a leaning wall stayed straight, bricks do not bend but mortar cracks, you might end up with a pile of bricks. Brian
It was a pile of bricks that started this whole saga... There was a very tall free standing trellis (about 12') sunk into the inside edge of the patio, and covered in Ivy and similar plants. A section blew over in a storm early this year and demolished a section of wall around the patio
- which was a couple of feet of single course retaining wall, and then another couple of feet of double skin perimeter built on top.
That prompted the brick cleanup exercise:
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I rebuilt the fallen section, and noticed that while the remaining bit of the original wall was in good condition, it was about 2" off plumb at the top. So I built a buttress flower bed that spanned the old and new. To support the leaning bit, disguise the transition, and provide somewhere "safe" for things to grow that will eventually cover the new trellis that is being erected on the ground *outside* of the patio.
Then I demolished the rest of the hedge / trellis and found that there was significant damage at the other end that was previously not visible. The top of the wall had broken away from the return wall that flanked the steps down to the garden, and the bottom of it had bulged out almost a brick's width due to pressure from roots. So I had to set about lifting slabs and excavating on the patio side (had to get the large concrete breaker out for that!). And spent some time digging out an extensive root system. In effect I got right down to the base of the wall on the inside, and removed what had pushed it in the first place.
(The roots were also far too close to the house for my liking)
The bulging bit I then tapped back in with the sledge hammer and a large plank. Then used fence posts as wedges / supports to push the wall back upright. On the end where it had broken from the flank wall (which is in good condition and nice and solid) I drilled through the flank, and resin bonded some lengths of 12mm threaded rod into the end of the straightened wall. That in effect pins that end to the return wall. I then made up a steel plate to go over the ends of the rods as a load spreader, and did up the nuts. That pulled the joint together on the two bits of wall. I filled the joint with resin as well - and managed to get the gap down to about a 1/4" of an inch.
At the base of the wall where the bricks were somewhat broken up by the root pressure, I made up a couple of 2' lengths of 2" steel flat bar, drilled in three places. Drilled through the wall and sandwiched the dodgy section with steel either side. I used threaded rod again, and left 6" spare on the inside, where I trapped a 2" square of steel at the ends of the rods between nuts. This is so that when I refill the space inside with concrete, the steels will end up being locked into the concrete. I also added a couple of lengths of bar drilled into the underside of the inner leaf of the wall (which currently floating in free space with no patio under most of it!), and welded a couple of short cross pieces on the end. Again once in concrete that will tend to resist tilt of the top section of wall. Lastly I added rebar around the point where the concrete will return round the base of the flank wall. Ultimately this is designed to lock the whole wall against the return, ans strengthen and support the single skin section at the base.
Once the whole is completely filled in with concrete (part done, but waiting on a delivery of more ballast), the inner course of bricks will again be supported on the patio. Hopefully at that point with no roots trying to push it over it should be stable, and I will juts need to rake out and re-point and broken / cracked mortar, and I can take out the supports and turn them back into fence posts!
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