Engineering a Retaining Wall

Retaining walls is not as simple as it looks. It’s not all about simple stacked stone, block, or Timer but it is an excellent example of engineering systems that fight with one of the most powerful natural force known as gravity. They prevent restrains from tons of saturated soil that would otherwise slump and slide away from a foundation or damage the surrounding landscape. In addition to this they also act as inviting spots to sit, and can increase usable yard space by terracing sloped properties which is a boon to houses having small surface area. The sloped landscapes where water runoff causes hillside erosion are ideal location for retaining walls. If you want to install a retaining wall in your home just watch out for the four specifications namely: timber; interlocking blocks; stacked stone, brick or block; and concrete.

Retaining walls are simple but very important structure of any house. The common problems associated with retaining wall structure include bulging, cracked, or leaning. These problems arises due to poor drainage system of walls or they may not able be capable of handling the hillside which they are supposed to hold back. The second problem is that even the small retaining walls have to contain enormous loads. For instance a 4-foot-high, 15-foot-long wall could be holding back as much as 20 tons of saturated soil and if you double the weight you will need a wall that is 8 times stronger than the previous wall. The problem can be solved by limiting the wall height to 4 feet tall (3 feet for mortar less stone). Taller walls can be built by step-terracing the lot with two walls half as big or give a call to architect and get the problem solved. One should add additional costs for troublesome landscapes and $10 hiring a landscape architect or engineer.