Over time, soil has washed out behind this concrete curb, leaving gaps underneath it along much of the fence line. The curb hasn’t cracked yet, but there are visible voids and continued erosion.
The fence and brick columns sit just behind the curb, so I’m trying to stop the problem before it turns into a structural repair.
Constraints:
- Curb and fence need to stay in place
- No major changes (historic district)
- Looking for a durable fix, not just filling dirt back in
For those who’ve dealt with this:
- What actually works long-term?
- Is a trench drain (inside the fence line) a practical step to prevent ongoing washout? (see diagram).
Once a solution is in place, I believe backfilling the distance from fence to curb with soil + ground cover outside the fence (from fence to curb) to aide in soil-retention – but feel like the issue / cause should be addressed first?
The neighborhood has a City Historic Preservation Ordinance, so the goal is stabilization without removing or altering existing curb, fence, or brick.
Thoughts? Thanks!
by TearLeather440
2 Comments
Plants, you need plants to hold the soil together. That’s it.
I would suggest:
1.Backfill with a high clay content soil or concrete on the backside of the curb.
2. Install a very large sump pump and French drain to evacuate the water as quickly as possible to prevent the clay from washing out.
Goal: intercept the water before it hits the curb and pump it to a more suitable location or to the storm drain if permitted.