Putting in new fence drains

[StevieHyberB]

Hi,

With the recent winds one of our fences decided to rip its self to pieces (was a mess), so this has been taken down. I am just about to start getting stuff in for a new fence but have a few questions as never come across this before!

Basically as I took the fence down it appears there used to be a brick wall there at some point. So there are some bricks below the surface and then what appears to be concrete under the bricks, I am guessing foundations for the wall?

Now the bricks + foundations run about halfway down the side of our house where the fence needs to go. Then toward the last third there is what appears to be a concrete slab (about 6ft long - not sure on width), and the brick + foundations stop, then the other side of the slab they start again. This is also raised a little bit up. To the side of the slab is my neighbors manhole cover (about 1ft away) and mine is diagonally about a 1ft and a half away.

So my question is could that slab be a lintel protecting some drains running under it? I am guessing if there was a wall originally there this would have been done to protect the drains from getting squashed?

The concrete foundations for the brick are nearly a foot down, but I need 2ft for putting up my fence posts, hard one to picture but can you imagine there being any drains running under or through the concrete foundations for the old garden wall? Till I found that slab I was going to break the concrete foundations down another foot to fit and cement the new concrete posts into. Then now I guess perhaps put one either side of the concrete slab.

Any advice would be useful, as I have not ever come across this before when doing a fence. Normally there has been a fence before.

I am tempted to get some more bolt down fence support's into the old walls concrete with some concrete anchors and then concrete over the reset

Thanks
Steve

 

[JohnD]

So my question is could that slab be a lintel protecting some drains running under it?

yes it could. Excavate cautiously in the ground between the two covers before you start breaking up the wall and concrete. When you know what you're dealing with you will know what to do.

Open the cover(s) to gauge depth and direction of the drains.

 

[StevieHyberB]

That would be nice to excavate the ground, but they are both are under our patio's which is a pain in the rear.

But I could open up my cover and work out how far down they go, that is a good idea! At least then I should know if breaking the old wall's concrete foundations is sensible.