u/Shark_CatGremlin

Hi all. I am renovating my small property with a house lift that will add a semi below ground patio space with drainage. The slab is poured concrete and myself and some co workers will do the CMU walls reinforced with rebar and grout for the new foundation walls.

As a stone mason I wanted to build the retaining walls for the patio out of stone but I am running into trouble with engineers and planners. They want an engineered retaining wall either of poured concrete or pre engineered concrete retaining wall blocks.

I seem to lack the terminology or knowledge to guide them towards my idea or I could be incorrect in thinking this is viable. In my mind I've seen crazier builds out of stone. The damn building I'm working on restoring is massive granite and sandstone blocks. I know it can be done I just don't know how to convince these people how to do it.

If I end up having to do poured concrete how can I make it look nice? Stick on stone? I hate the idea but its better than plain concrete.

I don't understand how engineered concrete is viewed as better or stronger than a granite block but hey, I'm just an aspiring stone mason.

Any advice is welcome. Steer me in the right direction if Im wrong.

A few weeks ago this determined lady was removed from the scaffolding but she made her way back inside and successfully hatched two little birbs.

Unfortunately she's in a bit of a danger zone between the men at work and the carelessness of construction towards pigeons in general.

Ive been making it a bit of a personal mission to remove and save as many trapped pigeons as I can as I hate to watch them slowly starve to death. A few have died already and the crews here abort any nests with eggs they come across. Sadly some of those eggs were near developed.

The wildlife rescue here will not take them as they have a mother and she will not leave them. She's far more devoted than many of the birds I've encountered on site and won't even fly away when face to face with us.

If I relocate her and her babies at the same time, what's their chance of survival?

Im honestly considering using my old dog crate or buying a cage and putting them in my backyard to keep them safe until the babies are old enough, but I dont want to move them until I have a plan. Im fairly confident the mother will be easily caught with the babies. She already knows I won't hurt her.

Is there another course of action I could pursue?

Any input is welcome. I would hate to see her or her young get injured carelessly or intentionally.

These birds are not protected here and theres no course of action to protect them aside from removal.