Retaining Wall IdeasRetaining Construction and Design
If you’re looking to level the contours of a sloped section, to have flat areas for patios and lawns, you’ll need a retaining wall. They may be a landscaping must have, but retaining walls can also be imaginative additions to your property. Below are some great retaining wall ideas.
Council approval is often required for retaining walls, when they are over a specified height, next to a boundary, or supporting a driveway, car park or other structures. Make sure to check your local authority’s regulations prior to starting work on your retaining wall. The design of any retaining wall should also include the design of the drainage system, to prevent hydrostatic pressure building up behind the retaining wall. Poor drainage or no drainage leads to most retaining wall failures. The soil behind the retaining wall and becomes saturated, and the wall can not support the saturated soil and the weight of water.
Gabion retaining walls are a simple low cost gravity wall, that do not require a concrete foundations or deep footing piles. This gabion wall has a attractive night lighting and is a feature of the garden, while providing retaining. The welded mesh wire gabion baskets have a longer life expectancy than timber in ground. Farmers are continually replacing rotten fence posts, when the fence wire is still good. Gabion Retaining Walls
Reinforced concrete masonry retaining walls, are built on an reinforced concrete footing. The retaining walls strength relies on the steel reinforcing bars and concrete infill inside the block walls. An engineer will specify the size and locations of the renforcing steel used in these retaining walls, and will also specify the drainage system required behind the wall, which is critical to prevent hydrostatic pressure damaging the retaining wall.
Small timber or wooden retaining walls are a form of cantilever retaining wall and are DIY friendly. However when the timber retaining walls are over 1.2m tall they require larger diameter, heavy duty posts to be used, at much closer spacings, and the construction may require specialist piling equipment. Tall timber retaining walls can be uneconomic compared to other design options.
Interlocking concrete blocks are assembled without mortar, come in many styles, and are available at any home improvement center. Simple but labour-intensive to build, a concrete block retaining wall is a good do-it-yourself project. Most manufactures state that these retaining walls have a maximum height of 1m tall and that they are not able to support vehicle loads
Instu concrete retaining walls, are generally all engineer designed, and can be built in a huge range of shapes and heights. Some of these retaining walls use a combination of tieback rock anchors, pile foundations, and canilerved footings to resist the lateral earth pressures. The amount of reinforcing steel and detailed form work in their construction, make these one off concrete retaining walls, beyond the capabilities of most DIYers
Gabion retaining walls are a quick and easy to build, that do not require a concrete footings. This gabion wall steps back up the sloping site and bench seat built into the wall. Because the gabions are porous, it is virtually impossible for hydrostatic pressure overturn the retaining wall. When you have cheap low cost local rock, gabion walls are very inexpensive. Gabion Retaining Walls
Gabion retaining walls can be filled with recycled brick, concrete and other hard durable materials. This gabion wall was an exhibit in the Chelsea Flower Show. Gabion baskets come in a variety of sizes and purchsed online are delivered in a flat pack kitset direct to you. The gabion is easy for the DIYer to build, no spercial tools are required to assemble a gabion retaining wall. Gabion Retaining Walls
The rounded river rocks are a decorative veneer in front of the curved concrete reinforced masonry block retaining wall. This wall requires an extra strong foundation to allow for the weight of the rock cladding. The architect has combined with the engineer to design wall that is both structural and aesthetic in this garden design.
The stone veneer clads the concrete reinforced masonry block retaining wall. This wall has a barbeque, built in servery beside a water feature and makes the most of a steep sloping hillside. The designer has combined with the engineer to design wall that is both structural and creates a very usable flat patio space.
A terraced slope gains stability with the addition of simple rock retaining walls. Called dry stack or dry stone walling; because they doesn't use any mortar, this type of natural rock wall is especially cost-effective if you have access to stone on your property.
By combining raw sand stone, uncut blocks with cut retaining wall stone, the builder of this wall brought together two earthy elements. This design sometimes requires an experienced mason and careful planning;
Gabion retaining walls very strong and with an engineers design can retain 5.0m or taller, they can be used for supporting driveways and carparks. Gabion retaining walls are able to cope with a small amount of settlement, without cracking or losing thier ability to retain the sloping ground they are supporting. Gabion Retaining Walls
Gabion retaining walls are free draining and able to retain a variety of soil types, including clays, silty clays and sand, as well as gravels. It may not be possible to build a gabion retaining wall on poor load bearing organic soils such as peat. All retaining wall design carried out by engineers including gabion walls, is based on a site inspection of the soil, and site contours to establish the soils properties and strengths.Gabion Retaining Walls
Railroad or railway sleeper retaining wall's life span, depends on the age timber and any preservative treatment the timber has had when installed. Rot and insect attach can also be an isuue. A drainage system required behind the wall, to prevent hydrostatic pressure pushing over the wall. These walls work well up to 600mm tall, over 600mm tall vertical support posts need to be added to the walls construction to prevent overturning. However these retaining walls can be quick and easy the home owner to build.
The corten steel is a decorative veneer infront of the permanent retaining wall which is most often a reinforced concrete wall or a concrete masonry block wall. In years to come the steel cladding may need to be replaced as it rusts away. This is on of the many architectural solutions used by designers to dress up a plain concrete retaining wall.
Motared rock retaining walls, need to built on an reinforced concrete footing, as the wall itself has no steel reinforcing to hold it together. A first class drainage system required behind the wall, to prevent hydrostatic pressure damaging and cracking the wall. These walls are very decorative in the garden, but not very strong.
This home owner has used natural timber and rock to create a gabion retaining wall with a built in seat. The design uses different sized gabions building a wall that is both structural and architectural. The welded wire mesh provides nice clean straight lines around the random rock retaining wall.Gabion Retaining Walls
Designed to hold back soil, this retaining wall employs big stones or boulders that were moved into position with heavy equipment. Despite the size of the stones, the builder has delicately sloped the wall to help resist outward soil pressure. These walls are rarely able to be permited, due to the inconsistant nature of the construction, the stability analysis becomes too unreliable to be certified.
A small gabion basket supports the granite table top on this backyard deck. The retaining wall has steps with basalt treads and is made possible with the variety of gabion baskets sizes that can be purchased online. Low cost gabion retaining walls are quick and simple to build. No need to hire a specialist stone mason to get a designer stone wall.Gabion Retaining Walls
Concrete crib walls are a form of gravity retaining wall. These walls are able to be engineer designed to over 5m tall if required. Most crib retaining walls require a reinforced concrete foundation. Over time the crib walls can be visually enhanced with planting. Often a more expensive option than gabion retaining walls.
Old tyres find new life as a retaining wall. The builder has taken pains to install each row of tires level. These walls are rarely able to be permited, due to the inconsistant nature of the construction, the stability analysis becomes too unreliable to be certified.
The design of all retaining walls needs to consider, the soil profile, soil type, (clay, gravel or sand), the final height of the wall and any loadings from driveways and nearby buildings, that will increase the forces that the wall has to withstand. Site access, the look of the wall, material and labour costs are also factored into the final retaining wall selected for any project.
Often local authorities require the design work to be done by a registered engineer, before issuing a building consent. The geotech or civil engineers stability calculations, site inspection notes and soil analysis are submitted with the consent or permit application.
Home owners, weekend builders, and diy specialists can build most retaining walls depending on size over several weekends. For larger retaining walls you can get a quotes from, local landscapers, small earthworks contractors and specialist retaining wall builders, who have both the machinery and experience to build the larger retaining walls quickly for you.
