Everything you need to know about retaining walls

The original function of the retaining walls is to reinforce terraces and slopes. Structures support the earth mass, preventing it from crumbling and collapsing. But a person is a person who can turn an absolutely practical thing into an elegant decor. The retaining wall is no exception.

The need for retaining walls is not a new story. Since ancient times, people have mastered the relief terrain, cultivated plots on it, were able to find a balance of adjustment to nature and its partial curbing. Terraces, "tamed" by retaining walls, over time have become a familiar landscape element.

Why do we need such a vertical.

• Formation of terraces. Even if the slope is steep, it can be turned into a playground for recreation, sports, a pool, and finally, a vegetable garden. The wall will become a reliable basis for such terraces.
• Strengthening the slope and decorating it. The cut of the slope will be resistant to shedding. Its clear outline is also pleasing to the eye. If you want to build paths on the site, make terracing, you also cannot do without retaining walls.
• Zoning. A well-known engineering trick is to create zoning with a wall. This will help to order the volumetric-plastic organization of the territory.
• Mastering complex reliefs. Retaining walls will help to break up a vegetable garden where it is not very convenient to do it.

Finally, it is the only reliable tool that will allow you to create permanent objects located below / above the base level of the garden, that is, the horizon. These structures will be good resistance to lateral ground pressure. They will not let him slide, strengthen slopes, depressions, slopes, bulges.

Each retaining wall is both functional and decorative. In landscape design, they are classified as vertical objects and elements of territory structuring.

Well, in recent years, retaining walls from objects that obey SNiP and allow you to master complex areas have also been transformed into an ideal model for the embodiment of design ideas. The walls make the site unique.

The peculiarities and nature of the creation of walls allow you to classify objects into certain types and types. The main division is into strengthening and decorative supports. All other types of rankings overlap with these two in one way or another.

Walls can help strengthen the soil on slopes and slopes. They will prevent ground collapse, prevent the ground from sliding. Areas located close to lakes, rivers or ponds often face these risks. If the site, for example, is adjacent to a ravine, the threat is, without exaggeration, serious. Therefore, one of the main purposes of the wall is strengthening.

Other appointments include the following.

• Decorative. The wall can be located on a perfectly flat area. This is the wall for which the owner has his own plans.For example, to break a special flower bed in front of her or decorate the wall with loaches, put a bench next to it, organize a corner for rest.

• Zoning. If in this way it is decided to separate the different functional areas of the site. Perhaps it is the retaining wall that will separate the vegetable garden from the garden or the recreation area from the farmer's corner.

• Terracing. Horizontal areas resulting from terracing can be filled with a fertile layer and conditions favorable for the future harvest can be created.

Achieving wall stability is often associated with their massiveness. And here, too, there is a division.

• Massive. The mass of the wall defines the shear and overturning stability. These structures are mostly material-intensive, it is not easy to erect them. In terms of height and width, the dimensions of these structures may coincide.

• Semi-massive. The stability of the wall is provided by a set of conditions: its mass and the earth layer, which lies on the foundation slab. This is usually a reinforced concrete system, often monolithic.

• Fine element. These are two reinforced concrete slabs connected to one another. Stability in this case is achieved by the mass of the soil above the foundation slab; there is practically no calculation for its own weight.

• Thin. Stability determines only the pinching of an object in the ground.

The classification of wall types does not end there. This division is also appropriate.

• By location: there are free-standing walls, and there are those that are associated with adjacent structures (for example, stairs, niches for planting and ramps).
• Types of walls in height: low - no higher than 1 m, low or medium - from 1 to 2 m, high - from 2 m. The walls are shallow and deep in depth. In the latter case, it is assumed that this indicator is 1.5 times the minimum width of the wall.
• By construction technology: monolithic and prefabricated. Monolithic ones are made at factories in the form of separate fragments, they are transported to the construction site and there they are turned into one integral object. They have a corner profile, can be cantilever and with buttresses. They are made of reinforced concrete or rubble concrete. Prefabricated walls are laid out from various building materials right at the construction site.

Once upon a time, to form the walls, everything that was at hand and could be useful was used - logs so logs, stones so stones. The so-called image of a timeless landscape is still in use today. But the possibilities of choice for the modern owner of the site are wider.

What retaining walls are made of.

• Stone. Classics of the genre, and the most organic material for this type of construction. And even if today they do not build from stone due to the high cost, they use it for cladding. It's all about the strength and naturalness of the material, its decorative self-sufficiency. Since the stone is high-spring, the foundation for it will need a very serious one, which means that the foundation must be designed carefully.

• Brick. With its help, masonry acquires a laconic drawing, precise, expressive. Maybe too strict and clear to create naturalness in the landscape, but not everyone likes the wildness and willfulness of the stone. Someone wants more orderliness, and a brick gives it. The masonry pattern can be anything.

• Wood. Traditional material in itself, but less common in relation to the retaining wall. It seems to be a more weighty structure: it is better to spend money on cobblestones, boulders, sandstone or flagstone than to make a slender wall from a tree - as many believe.But with the right choice of wood, with its high-quality processing, with well-arranged waterproofing, the wooden wall will be durable. More often, a timber or log is taken to create it. Boards are also used, but less often - if the structure is low and not very long. A wooden wall is good in an area where the cult of the tree literally catches the eye.

• Concrete. It will be a durable material, if not the strongest for a retaining wall. And you can't deny him plasticity. The shape and size can be chosen. If you don't want to leave the concrete in its pure form, no one canceled the decorative finish - and there is even a stone, even a ceramic tile.

• Metal. Needless to say, it is rarely used. But if the structure is low, this option is worth considering. If you decorate the elevation differences with metal sheets, it is better if they are inclined. Curved or broken line - the possibility of auxiliary reinforcement. The surface can be polished, but many people today prefer naturalness - natural rust also has its own aesthetics.

• Metal grid. Moved to a separate item, since we are talking about gabions. Gabion is a metal mesh box construction, and this box is filled with stone. This object is distinguished by its flexibility, mobility of the structure (when the soil swells, this means something). Installation of gabions is also possible only on a prepared base. They must be fastened to each other. The inner side is protected with geotextile.

• Other options. Retaining walls are constructed from tires and slate, from sleepers and profiled sheets. They are installed on screw piles. You can even invent your own version, which, perhaps, did not occur to anyone.

The retaining wall must be strong and stable - these are the main features of the structure, which must be resistant to active and passive soil pressure. These features are set by a strict calculation, a detailed project with a drawing, which will be a guide to construction.

8 theses on retaining wall design.

1. The height of the building is set by the characteristics of the relief and the height of the terraces that will be laid. After all, a wall is not always a fortress, sometimes it is a strengthening of a flower bed or even a garden bed. And the height of 30 cm is also normal for the wall.
2. The width of the object depends on how strong the ground is. The stronger the latter, the narrower the base of the wall. If the soils are loose and flowable, the stability of the wall should increase. On sandy areas, for example, its width can reach half of its height.
3. To increase the stability of the wall, the base can be built wider than the top. Or even the wall can be arranged with a slope. The inner part of the structure can be intentionally uneven, as this also benefits stability: this way the soil layers press the wall more strongly against the base downwards, and does not fall only from the side.
4. The width of the wall is also dependent on the material from which it is made. The thickness of the reinforced concrete structure may well be 10 cm, the stone wall - 40 or more.
5. Supports with a height of 30 cm or more must have a foundation. And even those below are provided with a sand and gravel cushion as a base. The foundation is laid either at one third of the height of the future wall, or made in accordance with the depth to which the soil freezes. The nature of the soil, the level of water occurrence also affects the size of the foundation.
6. Without laying the drainage, the design will not be competent. Water will accumulate behind the structure, increase the pressure on it, that is, the consequences can be destructive. And in winter, the water completely swells the soil, which contributes to the cracking of the wall. Therefore, it is definitely impossible to do without drainage and waterproofing.
7. In order for the water to drain safely, drainage pipes are laid along the wall above the foundation. The slope is taken into account, which is calculated according to the standard parameters for the installation of drainage. Also, as an option, it is possible to install drainage through pipes (diameter - 5 cm) in the wall at an angle at an angle, in one meter increments. A drainage layer of rubble behind the wall will provide complete protection from the action of water.
8. To prevent water from getting into the seams of the structure, a visor equipped with a drip tray can be built in the upper part. Or simply cover the top with more massive slabs.

Since there are many materials used for the design of retaining walls, there are also several construction algorithms. You can consider in more detail an example of a structure using the technology of erecting the so-called dry wall.

Construction algorithm.

1. To create a cushion at the base of the support, a trench must be dug of sufficient depth (half the estimated height) and a width that is twice the width of the object.
2. Three quarters of this trench is filled with the following composition: crushed stone, coarse sand, gravel, mineral mixture. This is a coarse drainage. Such a pillow is created strictly in layers, after pouring the layer is thoroughly moistened.
3. The first stone or slab is installed below the soil level, he / she is sunk on this pad.
4. The space between the soil slope and the stone / slab should be covered with gravel, coarse sand, minerals. In short, you need to create a suitable buffer layer.
5. The wall is being built slowly: stone by stone, with some displacement towards the slope. The free space inside is filled with gravel or drainage.

And a few more tips for different types of walls.

• For high-quality construction of a concrete structure, it is necessary not only to select and mix the composition correctly, but also to make reinforcement and formwork. First comes the drainage, then the foundation, then the formwork and reinforcement under the frame are installed.
• If the wall is long, thermal gaps and special drainage for drainage are provided in it.
• Gabions are also placed on a cushion of sand and gravel.
• Combined supports are built according to the rules of dry masonry, individual elements can be fastened with cement. So you can fasten the not the most stable stones with smaller parts.

The landscape in the country can be made unique, including thanks to the retaining walls. Against the contrasting background, the shape of the bushes is especially clearly, even artistically drawn. And if this area is also illuminated by the sun, there will be real beauty. Ampel cultures will get along wonderfully here, because their hanging whips will find where they aesthetically stretch.

On the upper edge of the structure, bushy spreading crops will look good, a wonderful solution is dwarf shrubs. Groundcover and climbing patterns are also relevant here. There will be a place for hydrangeas, as well as undersized spireas. If you don't want to give up traditional roses and lush peonies, from daylilies, their location can also be a retaining wall on the territory. Ferns, cereals, bindweed, graceful lobelias and tender nasturtiums are suitable for this place. And humble petunias will also decorate this place.

If the wall is high, why not plant vines next to it. They will braid the wall with greenery, it will be very beautiful. Clematis, aquilegia and maiden grapes, hops will perfectly take root at the base.

Plants that are planted at the top can create a wonderful floristic choir with crops planted at the base. But you need to take into account the rules of scale, if two rows argue with each other, beauty will not work. You will have to choose which of the rows will solo and which will complement the soloist. Plants should not close up (if this is possible, of course), blocking the entire wall is also a meaningless option.

Or you can even stop on this path, how to build a retaining wall-pots. Yes, this decision is not conservative. But on the other hand, this design has enough space for all plantings. By the way, it is not difficult to execute such an object from ready-made modules. You can embed the pots themselves or suitable boxes into the concrete wall. And crops will be grown according to the norms of vertical gardening.

In 90% of cases, it is necessary to repair the retaining wall if something is broken during construction. But a lot is fixable.

Wall defect and how to eliminate it.

1. Vertical cracks appeared from the bottom of the wall or even along the entire height. This is due to insufficient depth of the base, frost heaving can lead to cracks. They can be expanded and filled with special adhesive or hydraulic cement. But first, the cracks will have to be cleaned. If the defects are very wide, there is nothing to be done - the wall will have to be rebuilt.
2. Part of a stone or brick wall protrudes forward. This happens due to poor drainage behind the body of the structure. Can be corrected by creating drain holes 15 mm slightly above the ground level. But such a solution is suitable only for a low wall, built in a dry climate. Usually, they still decide to open gravel backfill, lay a drainage pipe and use geotextiles. Sometimes the gravel has to be flushed to remove contamination from soil particles.
3. The lower part of the wall collapses. This happens either under the force of its own weight, or due to serious mistakes during the construction. Sometimes it is easier to rebuild the wall than to fix it. Usually, the damaged area is really rebuilt; an armored soil insert is used.
4. The wooden support is rotting. The diagnosis is logical if the treatment of the tree with an antiseptic is poorly carried out, or even completely ignored. Rotten beams will have to be discarded, and the whole ones will have to be processed and laid again.
5. Part of the wall sags. The base of the structure could fall in one place, and part of its body becomes lower because of this. This usually applies to stone and brick walls that are built in areas close to water. The extent of the defect must be assessed by specialists. If all is not so bad, the base of the wall is rebuilt, as well as the damaged area. But experts often shrug their shoulders and say that you need to decide on a new wall.

The root system will press against the wall, and cracks will not be long in coming. Here it is time to act proactively: it is necessary to plant in the wall zone those trees whose roots grow not in breadth, but downward. And you can also use geotextiles, it will not let the roots grow in the wrong direction.

Even if the owner of the site does not like construction activities, does not want to delve into the concepts of anchoring, reinforcement, modules, the aesthetics of the retaining wall alone can make him think more flexibly. It is very nice and practical. Finally, there is always an option for reflection - after all, you can invite specialists if you are not confident in your own strength.