posted February 16, 2004 04:46 PM            

I could not believe how high these retaining walls were with no type of safety railing on walls.

Also can you imagine having to mow that yard. I'm afraid I would put me a mower on that lower level and leave it there. Maybe put up a storage building in the front yard for it.

Click for photo (69247 Bytes)

posted February 16, 2004 05:40 PM            

At first glance, that is hideous!! Usually code calls for a railing if there's a drop within 30" of a walkway (though that may vary in that area). There should definitely be a handrail though with that many steps!!

Looks to me like the corner by the streetlamp is already starting to lean forward toward the walk. Hopefully it was designed by an architect or engineer and that support and drainage issues were addressed (given that it's over 4 feet tall). I only hope that if this was not the case, someone moniters it closely as I would hate to see a pedestrian or toddler on a tricycle get clobbered by that brick/stone!!

Having the gate there would hopefully deter little ones from going in there to play in the "fort"!!

Great picture!!!

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"With All Due Inspect"

posted February 17, 2004 03:05 PM            

Bob

posted February 18, 2004 06:42 PM            

On every occasion where I saw an American observing foreigners keeping their children on a leash so they won't dash off into harms way, (where is harms way?)they commented on how awful it is, like having an dog on a leash.

Well this is one place where parents should tether their very young when taking them outside. Other than that I can see no other reason for concern from a statistical point.

If we are so worried about preventing even one injury why haven't we done something about the almost 40,000 deaths from vehicle accidents, not to mention serious injuries
and the high risks undertaken when driving motorcyles! (there are no minor motorcycle accidents)

Anyhow I visited my state's code which is derived from the NBC and ilt said this regarding earth retaining walls.

GUARDS: Where retaining walls with differences in grade level on either side of the wall excess of four feet (1.2m) are located closer than two feet (0.6m) to a walk, path, parking lot or driveway on the high side, such retaining walls shall be provided with guards that are constructed in accordance with 780 CMR 1021.0 or other approved protective measures.

(* CMR = Commonwealth of Mass. regs.)

That four feet was not a typo. The 30 inch thing is for places where people have good reason to be or congregate such as decks, porches, etc.

As a youth I spent a lot of time sitting on, walking on climbing up and down and jumping off of earth retaining walls at the edge of Boston harbor. We had rocks below and in some sections there was sand. I once tried an evel Kneival off a wall with a mans bicycle and never repeated that stunt.

[This message has been edited by Ken Bates (edited February 19, 2004).]

posted February 18, 2004 06:46 PM            

That is because a wide angle lens was used to take the image from a close perspective.

The only means of countering perspective disortion is to take the picture from a far distance (using a tele lens) or employ a view camera with tilts and swings.

Of course you may know this and have taken this into account and made the judgement that regardless of perspective distortion the pole is tilted. You may be correct. But I rarely see concrete poles tilted. It's the wooden ones embedded into the earth that tilt, mostly due to earth creep which was discussed elsewhere.