We built in North Georgia according to Mike Oehler's book and Videos, $50 & Up Underground House.

The poles are shifting TOWARD the UPHILL. There seems to be no way to brace it. How can the weight of the earth push uphill? Can't understand what is happening.

-- al ricks (alricks@southol.com), February 15, 2002

Answers

How much of the building is underground? Was fill dirt brought in? Its proabily the upper earth forcing downward aganist the highest externial wall and the rafters are keeping the top in its original place. In constuction you creat triangles to creat strength.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 15, 2002.

From your description, I don't understand what's happening. If you are at the bottom of a hill and you've excavated the toe of a slope you may have unbalanced the slope especially if water is getting into a layer it didn't before.

You can get a rotation of the earth at the toe so some things may actually start pointing uphill as the soil heaves at the base with the deeper lavels moving farther than the top surface.

When backfilling walls never use clay or soil containing clay. Clay produces the highest active earth pressure on a wall. Prior to backfilling you should have installed a french drain around the perimeter of your foundation.

Has any section of your slab moved? If it's starting to rise or is no longer level such that it slopes from front to back the slope above the house is unstable.

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), February 15, 2002.

IF it is the tops of the poles are moving away from the hill, then the top of the building is moveing, if it is the bottoms of the poles that are moving away from the hill, then the floor of the building is sliding out from under. As far as I know either way you have to dig it out and rebuild. Check the front walls and rear walls, you should be able to find a separation in the corners there.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

Give "Mole Man", Mike Oehler a call and get his advice. He has a phone in his underground now, the number is (208) 267-7349.

-- Tis I (really_tis_i@ yahoo.com), February 17, 2002.