RETAINING WALLS


A retaining wall is a structure that holds or retains soil behind it. There are many types of materials that can be used to create retaining walls like concrete blocks, poured concrete, treated timbers, rocks or boulders. Some are easy to use, others have a shorter life span, but all can retain soil.

Retaining walls are technically challenging with many different factors needed to be taken into account, such as: soil type; location; positioning; design; drainage; size and wall type.

Two basic fundamentals remain for all forms of retaining wall: a good solid foundation and the provision of adequate drainage. The retaining wall’s foundation needs to be able to support its weight and provide structural strength. The drainage system needs to be sufficiently robust to allow for any water to freely flow away, as the increase in weight and pressure applied to walling can become immense. The weakest part of any walling is usually the foundation. If this is undermined through defects in the construction process or compromised by a lack of free flowing drainage, the result will invariably be a collapsed wall.

All builders at RED-CORE have a moral duty to make sure that they get the structural specifications of retaining walls correct, since the economic and emotional costs of any mistake can be large.

The aesthetic look of the wall will have a major bearing on the building specifications and cost. A reinforced concrete wall although structurally superior will have a more minimal feel which is often less ornate than other types of walls.

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