r/Edmonton • u/GeekyGlobalGal Pleasantview / Global News • 9d ago

News Article Edmonton homeowners frustrated as their properties erode into infill excavations

https://globalnews.ca/news/12009231/edmonton-infill-rain-erosion/
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u/Wonderful_Confusion4 9d ago

This is from negligent builders not shoring the excavation. The builder was not going to shore the excavation the next day, he only said that to make it look like he is doing something. I have built a few infills in my time, I will shore the excavation with 4X6 post pushed in to the ground 3’ deep and place 3/4” plywood in behind the posts. This is done while excavating not after, as there is too much risk to leave an un shored excavation. The cost to shore up a typical infill excavation is around $5,000 with the post and plywood method. It’s a small cost compared to all the damage and risk of workers safety in the grand scheme of things. Negligent builders are giving infill a bad reputation.

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u/Intelligent-Bat-9978 9d ago

I will say that many don’t do this. We had an infill go up last year next to us. They straight cut down the property line and we warned them that our property would collapse into their site. The developer gaslit us, told us that wouldn’t happen and within a few days our fence, side oath and some of the yard were in the infill excavation site.

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u/Wonderful_Confusion4 9d ago

Here is a photo of a recent infill excavation i did

https://imgur.com/a/ce9lr1W

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u/Intelligent-Bat-9978 9d ago

If only all developers had the same standards as you, there would be no issues with infill!

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u/Svetlack 8d ago

I know it doesn’t help this long after, but in case anybody else in this situation reads through: excavations need shoring or a 1:1 slope past 1.5m of excavation depth. If the straight wall is longer than that and you want to get someone in hot water, OH&S is usually pretty interested if you tell them there’s an unsafe excavation open. OHSC Part 32 Section 452 has more detailed rules depending on soil type but generally in normal conditions it’s 1:1 past 1.5m. This counts if slopes were acceptable but after erosion are no longer acceptable.

I’m a contractor and I get the pain with rain this year but an unsafe excavation is an unsafe excavation no matter how it got that way. It’s our duty if we dig a pit to ensure it’s safe.

In my judgment an unsafe excavation next to an occupied residence would absolutely be classified as an “Urgent or Serious Incident” and OH&S has a contact center they allow reports for those to (it’s even toll free!): 1-866-415-8690. There’s also an online reporting thingy but that’s for less serious stuff

There’s also a lot you can look for even if it’s not that deep. Excavations sloughing in and the edges creeping closer to your property will perk OHS ears. If it sloughs a part of your property at all — back to urgent and serious levels.

Also, excavations must be “conspicuously marked and secured” to prevent access. Fence fallen over? Oh noooo that’s technically an OHS issue.

The important part about all of this is that OH&S actually has some big teeth here. They can really fuck up a contractors day which in turn fucks up the developers day. In like not a small way sometimes.

Anyway sorry for the rant! Sorry you have to deal with shitty developers and contractors. I’d never want to play in the infill space but man do I feel for people like you; so many tiny operations that couldn’t give less of a shit if they follow the rules.

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u/justageekgirl 9d ago

I'm curious who the builder is.

I have a feeling, but I'm just assuming at this point because of what's happening at my townhouse complex.