Shop and Apartment built into Mountain?

[dichdoc]

Looking into adding a shop with an apartment above it. Live on the side of a "hill" with slopes in the 25-30 degree range. Anyone have experince with this type of build? I had thought 12' shop walls and a stick built apartment second floor and a retaining wall behind it. Zoning says total hieght not more than 32' and I'm dreaming in the 30' x 50' range. Any experience with inground building, could I do a two story all concrete back wall? The only pic I have here at work but gives you a general idea of the slope the shop would be up to the left out of the pic...and we have a small snow load here! Thanks Travis

 

[autoist]

MOVE!!!

Seriously, love the Bozeman area - visited there back in 2004 for a few days.

 

[dichdoc]

MOVE!!!

Seriously, love the Bozeman area - visited there back in 2004 for a few days.

It took all we had to buy this cliff!! and you do get used to living on the side of a mountain. I do worry about teaching my daughter to rided a bike though. I'm thinking only one training wheel and teaching her to fall into the hill!

 

[PAToyota]

Can be done, but definitely consult a structural engineer about that retaining wall.

 

[REFLEXX]

You know, Everytime I think I hate The Peoples Republic of Southern California. I just take a look at a picture like that.

Thank you. I will now walk over to my shop in shorts and a tshirt (oh, and sunglasses).

As for your shop idea. How about some pics with a little less "ground cover" and heed my advice below!

 

[swgray]

Looking into adding a shop with an apartment above it. Live on the side of a "hill" with slopes in the 25-30 degree range. Anyone have experince with this type of build? I had thought 12' shop walls and a stick built apartment second floor and a retaining wall behind it. Zoning says total hieght not more than 32' and I'm dreaming in the 30' x 50' range. Any experience with inground building, could I do a two story all concrete back wall? The only pic I have here at work but gives you a general idea of the slope the shop would be up to the left out of the pic...and we have a small snow load here! Thanks Travis

The garage I built is similar to what you want. There were lots of computations made as to how much pressure the hill would put onto the walls of it. So in a sense my garage is a retaining wall.

The concrete block structure it replaced was crushed well within 40 years of being built. Closer to 20 in my estimation. Mine has been in place for 5 years and shows no signs of moving. This hill is moving around it though.

Click on the photobucket link below for pictures.

 

[dichdoc]

swgray, that is similair to what I was thinking. I pictured a walk out patio for the apartment. I have been using large (2-4') granite rocks for retaining walls all over the property. Stack them with a skid steer and balance them on three points so they don't move, and fall back vertically at least 2 inches per foot of rise. Very stout and they move with the seasons last forever. I'll try and snap some pics tomorrow but I can't promise the lack of ground cover part! Travis

 

[C_F]

Just hire Bin Laden's tunnel crew, they'll have you fixed up in no time.


BTW, is that a 78/79 Bronco I see there?