Retaining walls are essential in creating a yard that’s both safe and enjoyable, but selecting the appropriate type may be tricky.
There are various kinds of retaining walls available, each offering its own benefits, drawbacks and styles. Here we take a closer look at some of the more commonly seen ones.
Wood
Wood retaining walls can be an economical and attractive choice for homeowners, yet require special care in order to avoid rot and weather damage. Selecting wood designed specifically for ground contact as well as treating it twice with preservatives and insect repellents will increase its lifespan significantly.
Timber walls blend organically into any landscape and work wonderfully in many garden designs. Timber walls can help reshape slopes into flatter areas suitable for paver patios, driveways, gardens and children’s playgrounds.
Large timbers can be costly; for a more cost-effective solution, use railroad ties instead. Not only are they more budget friendly but their durability and attractiveness also makes them an appealing option. Brick or concrete block retaining walls are another popular choice; their regular and consistent bonds between blocks or bricks make them more reliable than walls composed of natural stones.
Plastic Lumber
Retaining walls are constructed from any material that will help hold back soil. They may be constructed decoratively or functionally to add value and prevent erosion while making landscape features usable in areas with undesirable slopes.
Gravity walls are the core element of any retaining wall system, counteracting earth pressure through their weight while taking into account bearing, sliding and overturning stresses.
Gabions are strong shells filled with stone of different sizes that provide an effective retaining wall solution in tight spaces, as they can be constructed quickly and easily – ideal for tight quarters where time is of the essence. Gabions are commonly installed in soft soil conditions near bodies of water as an economical and functional retaining wall solution.
Sheet Pile
Sheet pile retaining walls are composed of long structural sections interlocked together to form the wall’s design. Used mostly for earth or inland water retention purposes, but sometimes also found on marine platforms such as quays and harbour walls, sheet pile retaining walls are sometimes known by civil engineers as cofferdams.
Steel design makes them ideal for temporary construction work, providing high resistance to driving stresses while being watertight for use above or below water.
Retaining walls are also easier to install than other forms, like masonry walls, with driving guides recommended to help achieve desired driving depth and maintain straight and plumb walls.
Cantilever
This type of wall is constructed to withstand lateral earth pressure. It offers high structural strength and easy construction; various materials like concrete and wood may be used. When designing this type of retaining wall, always consult a professional engineer first.
Internal propping provides additional passive lateral resistance and helps them resist sliding and overturning, using piles or drilled shafts made from reinforced concrete, steel sheet piles or timber as necessary. Furthermore, adequate drainage must be provided to avoid water collecting behind the wall – which reduces soil failure while increasing stability – plus they’re designed to withstand impact loads.
Anchored
An anchored retaining wall differs from other forms of retaining walls in that it offers additional strength by using cables or stays that are anchored into the rock or soil behind it. Their ends may be driven into material using garden irrigation repairs adelaide boring anchors before expanding mechanically or by injecting pressure concrete that expands to form a bulb-shaped expansion in the soil.
This method can help reduce differential settlements and frost heave that occur in certain parts of the country, while at the same time offering tiered gardens or other landscaping needs an ideal solution. An experienced professional will be able to guide you when selecting design elements and materials for your project and ensure all calculations are performed accurately so as to prevent weak spots or bulges from developing in your project.