A retaining wall is a rigid structure usually built on sloppy areas to keep or ‘retain’ soil. These structures are common in areas where the land isn’t flat to keep soil from traveling downhill and building up at the bottom.
Materials Used
Retaining walls are usually built from various materials, all of which have a few common characteristics. For starters, it has to be water-resistant to avoid the wall being destroyed during heavy rains. The material also has to be easily sourced and cheap because there is no point in spending a fortune just to keep soil back. Some of the most common materials used by retaining wall builders include concrete blocks, concrete, treated lumber, rocks, or boulders.
Types of Retaining Walls
- Gravity Retaining Wall
This type of wall depends on its own weight to withstand lateral earth pressure. Such walls are constructed with heavy materials in order to provide the needed support to keep the soil back. Such materials include concrete, stone, and masonry. The gravity retaining wall is only economical for moderate elevations of around three meters.
- Cradle Retaining Wall
This is a type of gravity wall, only that it is built from interlocking packing containers, which might be made from wooden or precast concrete. The containers are then filled with crushed stone or any other coarse granular material to allow for easy drainage; otherwise, you’ll have an unwanted dam behind the wall. Cradle retaining walls are constructed to support plains and are not so much recommended for supporting slopes or structures.
- Cantilever Retaining Wall
These are quite rigid walls and are made up of stem or base slabs that have been constructed either by precast concrete, reinforced concrete, or prestressed concrete. They can be built offsite and then transported to the place where they are intended to be used. The cantilever retaining wall requires a small amount of concrete in comparison to the gravity well and is economical up to ten meters in elevation.
- Pile Retaining Wall
This type of wall is made by mixing the reinforced concrete piles adjoining one another. They are then forced to a suitable depth below the ground to provide the necessary support and withstand pressure used in temporary and permanent works. The pile retaining wall is economical up to six meters in height.
The Need for a Retaining Wall
Retaining walls serve a lot of purposes in addition to keeping loose soil behind. For instance, they provide excellent runoff solutions. Retaining walls keep rainwater runoff behind, thus protecting your land from floods as well as preserving the landscape. Other than that, they are used to stabilize the sloping landscapes and provide level surfaces on slopes which makes movement a whole lot easier. Finally, retaining walls can be used as a decorative feature to improve the aesthetics of your landscape. You just have to get a design that blends in well.
Retaining walls are essential in maintaining a property and are a must-have, especially for people living on sloping land. Get the bestretaining wall builders at Nortex Fence & Patio and build that retaining wall to protect your property.
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