Retaining walls are an essential part of any landscaping project, but they can be tricky to build. If you’re not experienced with construction, it’s essential to hire a professional excavation company with the proper skill set to prepare your soil for building. This way, you can avoid making common mistakes that can lead to failure or damage to your property.
While retaining walls can be a great way to add value to your home, they can also be expensive to build without the right fit. Here are some insights into how we can set up your home for a successful installation:
What is a Retaining Wall?
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally to be retained at different levels on the two sides. Simply put, retaining walls prevent soil from falling downslope by holding it in place. They’re usually made from concrete blocks, stones, or bricks, and must be sturdy enough to hold back soil when it becomes saturated with water.
This means that your retaining wall should be at least one foot thick and anchored into bedrock or another solid surface so that it won’t slip downslope during heavy rains or snowmelt events.
Different Types of Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are a popular choice for both commercial and residential landscaping due to their ability to create tiers and flowerbeds, as well as to prevent soil erosion. Here are four types of retaining walls and the situations in which they work best:
1. Gravity Retaining Wall
There are many types of retaining walls, but the simplest and most common type is the gravity retaining wall. Gravity walls rely on sheer weight to hold back the soil, and they allow for many different materials to be used to build them. Bricks, pavers, and unmortared stone are just a few popular choices, and dry-stacked stone is one of the most popular. Smaller walls can be built without reinforcement, but most will require digging a trench for them to sit in and some may need concrete footers to support them from below.
2. Cantilevered Retaining Wall
A cantilevered retaining wall, often called a steel-reinforced retaining wall, runs from a slab foundation to support the soil above it in an “L” shape. The weight of the soil holds this style of retaining wall down so that it cannot tip forward. This type of retaining wall is used in commercial construction because of its strength. A counterfort or buttressed retaining wall includes additional vertical wings to the foundation that provides additional strength and rigidity.
3. Sheet Piling Retaining Wall
A sheet piling retaining wall is a thin wall of steel, wood, or vinyl that can be driven directly into the ground. The pilings are often corrugated to provide extra reinforcement. These walls work best in soft soils, and to determine how many of your pilings need to be driven into the ground for every two that will be above ground, remember that one-third of the sheet piling needs to be driven for every two-thirds above ground.
4. Anchored Retaining Wall
An anchored retaining wall can support a variety of “fronts” and is attached to anchors that are driven into the earth behind it. The anchors are usually mechanically driven into the ground and their ends expanded by injecting pressurized concrete or mechanical means. An anchored retaining wall is often used for structurally thinner walls or where higher loads are expected.
Grow Your Landscape | Hire Geaux Pro Outdoors to Prepare Your Soil For Retaining Walls
If you’re thinking about building a retaining wall on a commercial or residential property in Brandon, MS, it’s important to hire the right team. Not only should your retaining wall be functional and attractive, but is should also be safe and up to code. Hiring an experienced excavation company like GPO can help you avoid common mistakes when building a retaining wall. For starters, we can ensure that your landscape has the proper drainage and that your choice of materials is adequate for the job before beginning construction. Have any other questions? Contact GPO today to get started!
