Retaining Walls

Erosion is a serious concern for any residential and commercial project. The way to hold soil in place is by building retaining walls. These structures are designed to keep the soil in place, preventing wind, water, and other outside physical stimuli. Retaining walls are expected to slow the erosion process.

There are varying scales for constructing concrete retaining walls – from small landscaping walls to much larger engineered structural retaining walls.

The primary purpose of retaining walls is to prevent the earth from moving with soil erosion. By decreasing the angle of the slope, these walls can hold back soil effectively. 

It can also be used for fencing and retaining flower beds in your garden or pool fencing to make your pool walls sturdy. An excellent example of this is a concrete sleeper retainer wall or a segmented block wall. These retaining wall blocks are interlocking segments of concrete blocks that can be assembled easily. 

1. If erosion material (e.g., soil and rock) are clogging drains and specific areas in your property line, building a retaining wall can help make the ground more stable.
   
2. There are instances when erosion can threaten the foundation of a home that’s on a hillside. When soil is washing away from a downhill foundation or an uphill foundation is being compacted by erosion, retaining walls can help support the earth and slow the whole process of erosion. 

A permanent wall structure generally lasts 50 to 100 years. However, the lifespan of a concrete sleeper retainer wall depends on a lot of factors such as location, soil condition, rate of erosion, the presence of groundwater, etc. Any unexpected physical force can negatively impact a retaining wall’s ability to remain stable. 

The reasons why you see a sleeper retaining wall that’s bulging, cracked, or leaning is usually poor drainage, poor quality materials, or maybe it wasn’t constructed to hold the weight it’s supporting. Even small retaining walls need to support tremendous loads. 

For example, a four-foot-high wall that’s 15 feet long could be supporting as much as 20 tons of earth. If you double the height, you’ll need a structure that’s eight times stronger. The strength of the design, good project management, accessible system, and excellent reporting is usually what you must consider in building a retaining wall.

Backfilling a wall is a crucial step for your retaining wall project. First, it creates a barrier for water to be drained away from the wall. Water trapped near the wall can build up pressure and compromise your retaining wall’s integrity.

Crushed rock and gravel are the most cost effective materials to use when backfilling a retaining wall. You can begin by putting some soil two to three inches deep. Then, fill the rest of the space with the gravel six inches from the top. The last six inches will be a layer of compacted soil. This allows grass to grow on top of your backfill material or stone pavers. These are the minimum engineering requirements.

Weep holes should also be introduced to aid water (e.g., groundwater and rainwater) in draining away from your wall. Small pipes can be added through the structure when building, thus creating a channel for water to drain. Mesh or a non-woven filter cloth should be attached to the pipes to prevent clogging.