Encid

The Thai implementation/definition of "woke"...

Hey Will... how's your project progressing? I haven't seen any updates?

Yep... our pond is overflowing now too... into the rice fields. The solar well pump has not been used in months.

Did you use any mesh in the concrete on the sides? I'm thinking along the lines of chicken wire mesh (not reinforcing mesh) just to stabilize a fairly dry (not runny) pour. It's not load-bearing and is really only needed to prevent further erosion.

Do you get many rabbits in Buriram? If there were any in Khon Kaen the locals would catch them and eat them before they became a nuisance!

I think it would serve adequately as the second layer of geotextile... the one between the Hin Kluk and the compacted sand beneath the RC. I don't think it would be suitable as a load spreading high tensile strength geotex like those that OneStockHome are selling. And I do not want to rely on the RC to take the entire vehicular load on a slope as it will have expansion joints where water can get through. The HDPE membranes claim to be resistant to chemicals, acids, alkalis, hydrocarbon compounds, salt derivatives, alcohol, amine and oil derivatives, heat and resistant, Ultraviolet light, mold, moths, termites, insects and organic matter. Only problem is that they come in 8 metre wide rolls that (depending on the thickness) are up to 210 metres long. I am still looking for alternatives.

Thanks for the tip! I've been a forum member for 16 years but never thought about that! Now sorted.

Thanks for that suggestion. As the land (fill) is already a sandy loam do you think I need any additional base sand at all, or just level and compact the existing land then add the Hin Kluk etc.? The other reason for a geotextile layer is to increase the structural integrity or shear strength of the land, and to spread the load of vehicular traffic over a wider area. That's why I like the idea of the Hin Kluk sandwiched between 2 layers of geotex. Considering the minimal cost of that blue plastic sheeting stopping the migration of the Hin Kluk into the sand during compaction I think it's probably worth it.

I found some on Global House's website: And being waterproof on both sides and tear resistant it appears to be used for many applications too...

What sort of yearly maintenance do you have to do? I currently have a slope that is about 6m long and 3m wide with an elevation differential of 2m, so the slope angle is about 18°... much steeper than yours. We may need to lengthen the ramp to reduce the slope angle. After the comments here I am now thinking about using a geotextile to lay over the soil after levelling and compaction, then a 50mm layer of Hin Kluk, followed by a second geotextile layer, followed by compacted sand, then finally reinforced concrete. Any further comments anyone? And... thanks for everyone's input to date.

Do you mean this stuff? Did you use it on a slope or relatively flat land? It does sound like a very inexpensive solution.

Sadly there isn't one available locally, but I still want to be sure that our access ramp will not subside/sink/collapse in a few years. The soil is a very sandy loam, and if have read this entire thread you will know that we elevated the building site by approximately 2 metres back in March this year (6 months ago) using locally sourced topsoil so it is very weak structurally. All the heavy rain we've had has certainly helped with settlement, but there's no way I would construct an access ramp with about a 10-15° slope using compaction and reinforced concrete only. Hence my questions about experience from other forum members using geotextile.

Correct! Here are OneStockHome's offerings:

Plus a lot of $$$. Total overhead cable route from the nearest PEA pole to our building site was about 400 metres.

OneStockHome has several types of geotex available.

Next on the agenda is to plan the entry ramp to the site (and an exit ramp into the farm). It needs to be concrete and not too steep as one of our vehicles has low suspension (factory built) and we are also thinking of buying a small 4 wheel electric bike for trips into the village, so both need to be able to manage the changes in grade without scraping on the underside. The ramp will also need to be wide enough to allow farming equipment to access the farm for crops preparation and cultivation as well as harvesting. Currently only rice is being grown so tractors are the only machinery accessing the farm, but we would like to consider alternative crops in the future so alternative vehicles might need access. I am thinking about using some kind of geotextile to lay over the soil after levelling and compaction (it is a very sandy loam), then a 50mm layer of crushed rock, followed by a second geotextile layer, followed by compacted sand, then finally reinforced concrete. My concerns are not so much about water permeability and drainage, but with stabilizing the geotechnical structure and increasing the soil shear strength capacity. Has anyone got any experience or ideas on this subject?

Another visit to the farm last week and with all the heavy rain this year the grass is doing very well and we have no erosion problems. The vetiver is even flowering! A quick run around with a whipper-snipper (or weed-whacker) on a regular basis keeps the boundary clear and our wall prominent. We will continue to wait for the land to settle before we start building.

But DECO don't appear to have a 4 wheel covered version. It is important for the wife to remain out of direct sunlight (or rain) as much as possible and that's why we were looking at the L&P GVX500II. It even has a windscreen wiper!

I'm thinking about getting one of these for the village... L&P Funbike GVX500II Motor power : 500 W Battery capacity : 48V 20Ah (12V 20Ah 4 balls) Battery charger : 220v (48v20ah converter) Max speed : 20-25 km /watch Top speed : 25 km /watch Continuous Running Distance : 40-50 kilometres Charging time: 7-8 hours Braking System : Drum Brake Front/Rear Size of car : Tyre Size : 3.00-10 Front/Rear ( Alloy Wheel 10“) Going up the hill : 20 degrees

Have you considered using an interior film for your feature wall? There is a company called Just Wrap that produces many different types of film from wood grain to stone to marble to granite to metallic as well as plain colours etc. that can be applied to any smooth surface. They market their products at Thai Watsadu stores.

If you wanted to install a plug and socket you could try these from Thaiwatsadu...

There is a way to dismantle it if you have the right tool. This video shows you how. It would not be easy however trying to dismantle in a fully assembled domestic water piping system.

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I have just tried a couple with both Chrome and Brave browsers... none are much good compared with the OS personalization as lopburi3 has mentioned. A dark theme for the forum would certainly be easier on the eyes.

Sounds like a much better deal than Boonthavorn even though it is only half the capacity... for most families 150L should suffice.