What is a Retaining Wall? – Retaining Wall Planter 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.

What is the purpose of a retaining wall?

The Functions of a Retaining Wall – Retaining walls are often found in places where extra support is needed to prevent the earth from moving downhill with erosion. The most basic function of a retaining wall is to battle gravity; the lateral force of the slope must be offset in the retaining wall’s design.

• Retaining walls can also: Provide usable land.
• For millennia, humans have used retaining wall techniques to create terraces of usable land on slopes.
• Consider the incredible terraces of ancient South American civilizations; farmers in Peru’s Sacred Valley still use the area’s Andinas, or agricultural terraces, to grow lush produce.

A retaining wall can serve the same purpose (albeit on a much smaller scale) for your house; landscaping is much easier when you have a level area in your yard. Manage water runoff. Retaining walls also help slow the flow of rainwater; in this way, they can increase the utility of your gardening and lawn care.

• Portland homeowners can help keep polluted street water out of nearby rivers by installing a water-thirsty retaining wall system, perhaps with a rain garden incorporated in its design.
• Provide extra seating.
• Once your retaining wall is up, it may provide several unanticipated services; landscaping seating is an example.

Depending on the location of your retaining wall, it may prove to be a popular place to sit and chat.

What is retaining wall and its example?

Definition – A wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation. A retaining wall is a structure designed and constructed to resist the lateral pressure of soil, when there is a desired change in ground elevation that exceeds the angle of repose of the soil.

• A basement wall is thus one kind of retaining wall.
• But the term usually refers to a cantilever retaining wall, which is a freestanding structure without lateral support at its top.
• These are cantilevered from a footing and rise above the grade on one side to retain a higher level grade on the opposite side.

The walls must resist the lateral pressures generated by loose soils or, in some cases, water pressures, Every retaining wall supports a “wedge” of soil, The wedge is defined as the soil which extends beyond the failure plane of the soil type present at the wall site, and can be calculated once the soil friction angle is known. As the setback of the wall increases, the size of the sliding wedge is reduced.

1. This reduction lowers the pressure on the retaining wall.
2. The most important consideration in proper design and installation of retaining walls is to recognize and counteract the tendency of the retained material to move downslope due to gravity,
3. This creates lateral earth pressure behind the wall which depends on the angle of internal friction (phi) and the cohesive strength (c) of the retained material, as well as the direction and magnitude of movement the retaining structure undergoes.

Lateral earth pressures are zero at the top of the wall and – in homogeneous ground – increase proportionally to a maximum value at the lowest depth. Earth pressures will push the wall forward or overturn it if not properly addressed. Also, any groundwater behind the wall that is not dissipated by a drainage system causes hydrostatic pressure on the wall.

• The total pressure or thrust may be assumed to act at one-third from the lowest depth for lengthwise stretches of uniform height.
• It is important to have proper drainage behind the wall in order to limit the pressure to the wall’s design value.
• Drainage materials will reduce or eliminate the hydrostatic pressure and improve the stability of the material behind the wall.

Drystone retaining walls are normally self-draining. As an example, the International Building Code requires retaining walls to be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift; and that they be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning.

What is the meaning of retention walls?

: a wall that is built to keep the land behind it from sliding.

What is name of the retaining wall?

4. Cantilever Retaining Wall –

• Cantilever retaining wall composed of stem and base slab
• It is constructed from reinforced concrete, precast concrete, or prestress concrete.
• Cantilever retaining wall is the most common type used as retaining walls.
• Cantilever retaining wall is either constructed on site or prefabricated offsite i.e. precast.
• The portion of the base slab beneath backfill material is termed as heel, and the other part is called toe.
• Cantilever retaining wall is economical up to height of 10m.
• It requires smaller quantity of concrete compare with gravity wall but its design and construction shall be executed carefully.
• Similar to gravity wall, sliding, overturning, and bearing pressure shall be taken into consideration during its design.

Fig.7: Cantilever retaining wall Fig.8: Precast retaining wall Fig.9: Different pressure on cantilever retaining wall Fig.10: Different configuration for cantilever retaining wall

What is the difference between wall and retaining wall?

What’s the difference between a retaining wall and a garden wall? Landscape & Hardscape Ideas A number of landscaping elements have similar terms but mean very different things. Getting them mixed up can cost you time and money. We all know what a house’s walls do: they divide rooms and perhaps support the roof and upper floors of the home. Walls used in landscaping can have similar looks but provide very different functions. A few uses for outdoor walls:

Retaining slopes and creating more usable land space Defining a garden bed Support Seating

A retaining wall is a strong structure that is made to keep a hill, slope or mound of earth in place. Unlike indoor walls, retaining walls receive pressure horizontally instead of vertically. Due to the weight of the earth behind the wall, a retaining structure must adhere to high construction standards.

Almost always, a retaining wall is part of a system which may include, stone, and drainage pipe in addition to the decorative, front-facing wall block. Unlike garden or free-standing walls, retaining walls typically require engineering and civic approvals. Retaining walls can be of any height but are usually higher than 3 feet.

Garden walls Garden walls are low walls, usually about 18-24 inches in height, that line a landscape feature. The garden wall acts as a division between the installed feature and the rest of the landscape. These smaller decorative walls act to bring emphasis to the landscape element and to provide visual and architectural interest to the design as a whole. A landscape wall built for supporting outdoor structures are sturdy installations that are designed to hold the vertical weight of architectural elements like pillars, gazebos, gates, pergolas or fencing. Support walls must be strong to withstand the vertical pressure applied by the constructed element.

• These walls will typically be double-sided, i.e.
• Surfaced with decorative stone on all exposed sides.
• Seating wall Seating walls are built to provide a permanent arrangement for guest accommodation.
• Seating walls can define a patio or circle a fire pit or outdoor fireplace.
• While seating walls do support some vertical weight as they are used, they are not considered to be retaining or structure-support walls.

Seating walls will use double-sided wall systems as they are visible from both sides. Like garden walls, seating walls have their own construction methodology which is simpler than that used for retaining walls. Seating walls often are terminated by columns which can support lighting or decorative planters. Caps Depending on what style wall you choose, you may need cap stones to finish the installation. While some walls are “self-capping” solid units, other units are hollow and require a cap to finish off the wall. Typically only garden walls are solid and self-capping.

Caps come in both single and double sided and are typically 2 to 3 inches in height. There are also square caps for columns. Enhancing your landscape with a stone wall is a great investment in your home. Consult with an for out what kind of wall is best for you. Check out the photos here or take a look through our catalog for examples.

Published: August 10, 2018 Category: Landscape & Hardscape Ideas : What’s the difference between a retaining wall and a garden wall?

What are the three types of retaining walls?

What Are the Main Types of Retaining Walls? Your home’s value can be boosted by adding properly built retaining walls or by upgrading or replacing the current retaining walls on your property. The main elements to consider when building a retaining wall are materials and quality of installation.

• A properly installed wall will withstand the elements and last for decades.
• You may be wondering what are the different types of retaining walls? The three main types of retaining walls are concrete, and masonry or stone.
• The materials you choose will depend on the location of the wall, the aesthetic qualities you prefer, and how long you expect the wall to last.

A retaining wall is used to contain soil and hold it in place in areas where a slope is present. Retaining walls can be used to set off patio and entertainment areas or create paths in residential backyards. Also they can be used to restrain soil in order to form usable roads.

What is retaining wall in RCC?

🕑 Reading time: 1 minute Types of reinforced concrete retaining walls are cantilever retaining walls and counterfort retaining walls. Functions and parts of these retaining walls are discussed. Retaining wall are generally used to retain earth or other material to maintain unequal levels on two faces.

1. The material on the back face is called backfill.
2. Retaining walls are used in the construction of basement below ground level, wing walls of bridge and to retain slopes in hilly terrain roads.
3. Retaining wall can be constructed with masonry as well as reinforced concrete.
4. In case of masonry retaining wall, the thickness of wall increases with height because masonry resists the lateral pressure by its weight.

Thus it is also called gravity retaining wall. The reinforced concrete retaining wall resists the lateral pressure by structural action such as bending and results in thinner section. Following are the types of reinforced concrete retaining walls:

Is a retaining wall a foundation?

The foundation of a retaining wall is a key component in the wall’s longevity. A good foundation ensures the wall does not sag or settle. It will ensure the finished wall is level and straight. A good foundation prevents frost heave in colder climates. Embedment.

Tall Wall Height	Minimum Embedment
6 ft*	8-in

Is retaining wall permanent?

Temporary and permanent ground support of steep and vertical cut or fill faces. – Project works that incorporate steep or vertical faces in the ground require suitable retaining walls to provide adequate lateral support, limit ground movements, control ground water flow and prevent erosion/degradation of the face.

1. The retaining walls can be temporary or permanent and classified as “top-down” where a cut face below ground level requires support or “bottom-up” where imported fill material raises the ground level and requires support.
2. Cantilever walls rely upon embedment and bending moment capacity for stability and tend to deflect more than propped walls that have lateral restraint from ground anchors, structural slabs or props.

The selection, analysis, design and specification of retaining wall solutions requires a robust understanding of the relevant ground model, appreciation of project requirements and constraints, understanding of relevant design parameters of the soil types behind and below the wall and 2D or 3D analytical capability.

• In order to identify and select an optimised solution, in terms of cost, time, access, performance and constructability familiarity with the strengths and limitations of numerous available retaining wall types is required.
• The CMW team has extensive experience, on a global scale, of the selection, analysis, design, specification and monitoring of many retaining wall projects.

In particular we have hands on experience in relation to all of the following retaining wall types that enables us to ensure efficient and effective solutions, that meet project requirements, are adopted:

Temporary and permanent sheet pile walls. Diaphragm walls; Contiguous and secant pile walls; Timber, steel or concrete soldier pile walls; Soil nail walls; Minipile walls; Block gravity walls; Grouted gravity walls; Soil mix walls; Reinforced earth walls.

The extensive retaining wall design capability and construction monitoring experience available within the CMW team enables us to help select and specify the optimum solution to meet site constraints including critical issues such as ground displacements and impact on adjacent existing structures.

What is the formula of retaining wall?

How To Calculate Concrete Volume For Retaining Wall: – Retaining wall is a masonry wall constructed to resist the pressure of liquid, earth filling, sand or other granular material filled behind it. In this article, I will discuss how to calculate the concrete volume for retaining wall. Let’s get started. Example 1: To calculate the volume of retaining wall we need to calculate the volume of retaining wall. Here I have divided the retaining wall into two parts, part A is the base slab and part B is the stem of retaining wall. So Volume of retaining wall = Volume of base slab + Volume of stem. Here I have divided the retaining wall into three parts, part A is the base slab, part B is the stem and part C is the counterfort of the retaining wall. The volume of retaining wall = Volume of base slab + Volume of stem + Volume of counterfort = Volume of A + Volume of B + Volume of C Volume of A = l x b x h = 12 x 2.5 x 0.2 = 6 m³ Part B is a trapezooid.

What material is used for base of retaining wall?

Due to soil erosion, your retaining wall should be built on a solid foundation made from gravel. Choose gravel that has stones sized between 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch. Fill the trench with a 2- to 3-inch layer of gravel. Use a rake to ensure the stones are evenly distributed.

What type of retaining wall is best?

Which type of retaining wall should I choose? – While there are many types of strong and durable retaining wall, the best options are easily concrete or stone. These materials are long-lasting, tough, durable and super strong, and can take care of supporting your site with ease.

What is the minimum thickness of retaining wall?

Reinforced concrete bearing walls must have a thickness of at least 1/25 of the unsupported height or width, whichever is shorter, and less than 4 in.

What is the best base for retaining walls?

4. Base material – The base material should only consist of angular, sharp-edged particles such as ¾-inch minus gravel. The various-sized crushed gravel with the fines helps ensure the right amount of compaction. Round rocks, such as pea gravel, roll and dislodge under pressure resulting in failure of the retaining wall.

What is the standard height of a retaining wall?

Stonework & Patio Services – Retaining walls can be beautiful additions to your landscape but are most often installed out of necessity. There are many factors to consider when installing a new retaining wall, and the professionals at Four Seasons Landscaping are here to help you make the right decisions.

Is a retaining wall necessary?

YOU NEED TO PREVENT EROSION. –

Retaining walls can prevent soil from falling down a slope onto your home. They can also prevent dirt from falling down a slope and out from under your house. Both of these situations are very serious, and a retaining wall may be the only thing between you and losing your home. Let us make sure your retaining wall is as excellent as it can be!

What happens if no retaining wall?

Safety Reasons Why You may Need a Retaining Wall – Past events involving abnormally heavy rains and the landslides/erosion that followed show how important it is for Los Angeles homeowners to seriously consider building a retaining wall on their hillside properties.

Let’s discuss why that is as simply as possible. Heavy rains inundates the ground with lots of water. More water means less cohesive earth. Less cohesive earth means a greater tendency for soil in hillside properties to slide down the slope (i.e. landslide). The lack of a retaining wall means nothing nothing will stop a landslide if it happens.

Heavy rains are not the only possible cause of landslides in Los Angeles. Bush fires, which occur frequently near L.A., destroy plant life on the hills. Fewer plants mean less cohesive soil, since there are no plant roots to hold the earth together. Less cohesive earth means – as already mentioned above – a greater tendency for the soil to slide down its slope.

Again, no retaining walls means nothing will stop a landslide when the slope becomes unstable (i.e. when the soil’s tendency to slide down the slope exceeds its tendency to stay in place). How do retaining walls help minimize the likelihood that a landslide will happen? Retaining walls stabilize the earth in steep slopes around your property.

They could be what is keeping the earth from eroding from and exposing your home’s foundations. All of the above discussion lead to one realization: retaining walls are a must if your property is on a steep slope and you want to be sure your family and property are as safe as they can be from the ill-effects of soil erosion and landslides.

No matter the specific reason homeowners have for building their retaining walls, retaining walls are now a common sight in Los Angeles – and they’re here to stay because of the local topography. If you need to have one built, make sure that you are working with a contractor experienced in concrete retaining wall construction,

You can reach Sinai Construction at (323) 655-0960.

Is a retaining wall worth it?

Prevention of floods and soil erosion – When it comes to soil erosion, there are several factors working against you. Flash floods, windy weather, and neighbors who continue over-watering their lawns, to name just a few. Additionally, large-scale erosion may wash fertilizers away, create sinkholes, and wreck your landscape.

As a result, you’ll end up with an entirely ruined landscape and substantial financial strain for fixing all of it. So, one of the most important advantages of a retaining wall is that it can keep your soil in place ! Retaining walls provide stability for your soil while also slowing down the rate at which water runs over its surface, reducing erosion.

Furthermore, you can also build additional channels and draining systems within retaining walls for a proper structure.

What happens without a retaining wall?

Who Needs a Retaining Wall? – Retaining walls are most necessary for people in one of the following situations:

Your property sits on or at the bottom of a hill. Low-elevation properties are the number one candidate for retaining walls as they are more prone to soil erosion and to flooding. Without a retaining wall, mud, soil, and water can flow down into your yard and cause considerable issues for your property. In severe cases, it can even damage the foundation of your home and compromise its structural integrity. As such, a retaining wall will keep your land useable and your property safe from harm. You’re on uneven terrain. Even if your home doesn’t face a large hill, you may still consider a retaining wall a necessary investment. If your property slopes or dips down for example, you can install a series of retaining walls to level off your land into multiple terraced sections. It’s also a useful tactic if you live on the top of a hill, giving you tiers of flat useable land suitable for a garden, a playground, or a swimming pool. You want a tiered garden. Tiered gardens are a great addition to any home property. They look great, increase your property value, and can transform a drab backyard into a beautiful outdoor living space. Even if your property is not particularly uneven, you may consider getting one or more retaining walls to create your very own swanky tiered garden.