Proper drainage is also vital, as groundwater getting trapped behind the wall adds extra weight against it. Also, two features are used to counteract the concentration of pressure at the base: the first course is buried partially by compacted soil to keep it from being pushed out and the blocks are stepped back so that the wall as a whole leans against the retained soil. To make the wall as stable as possible, retaining wall blocks should have a well-compacted base for the lowest course (row of blocks) to rest on and be laid out with each course staggered from the one below. As a rule of thumb, separate these tiers with distance twice that of the walls' height. If you need to retain a greater slope, you can use multiple tiers of walls-not only does this create a distinctive terrace-like appearance, each individual wall has less pressure against it. Large scale retaining walls-over 4 feet tall-need additional supports, and most municipalities require a building permit and input from a certified engineer before you can start constructing such a wall, so they're generally outside the scope of a DIY project. Garden walls and short retaining walls made from stacked stone or concrete wall blocks can stand on their own when built correctly, using their own weight as well as friction between the wall and base and an interlocking block system to push back against soil. Driven by gravity, this wedge pushes against the retaining wall, with the pressure concentrated at the base. Your wall won't be holding up an entire hillside, just the wedge of soil between itself and what is called the "failure plane"-the steepest slope that existing soil can naturally form before it collapses under its own weight. There's much to consider in designing and constructing a retaining wall, though, from aesthetics and material choice to managing water runoff and the weight of the retained soil.įundamentally, retaining walls are built to hold back soil, and the weight of that soil puts tremendous pressure on the wall. With retaining wall blocks, it's also easy to make a DIY project of it-perfect for homeowners that want to take their landscape into their own hands. Whether it's for aesthetic purposes or to make sloped land usable for garden beds and outdoor spaces, a retaining wall is a valuable landscaping tool when used properly. Retaining walls serve a different purpose than outdoor freestanding walls-they're not built to fence in an area or to mark property but to aid in landscaping, holding back soil to fight erosion and let you reshape slopes.
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