Retaining walls are an important overlooked part of many landscapes

Retaining walls are a structure designed to hold back soil when there is a change in the ground’s elevation, hence why retaining walls are used along the sides of roads and highways in the Pacific Northwest in order to prevent rocks, dirt and debris from sliding into traffic. To help prevent soil erosion, create usable beds out of steep terrain, and add a touch of decoration or functional seating, retaining walls can also be used in private yards and gardens.

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Here is a look at the four basic retaining walls by type, created by humans, each serving its own specific purpose:

Gravity Retaining Wall 

Though it’s short, a gravity retaining wall uses its own weight to hold back rocks and soil. They are thicker at the bottom that the top and are battered backwards. The base of gravity retaining walls should be about half to three-quarters of the wall’s height. A battered wall leans back towards the soil it’s holding, which creates a sloped look in the front.

This type of wall can be made of stone, brick, concrete, or cinder blocks, and depend on the weight and friction of the connected wall materials to be a stronger force than the materials it holds back.

Piling Retaining Wall 

Piling retaining walls (aka sheet pile retaining walls) consists of wood planks, steel or vinyl that has been driven into the ground and is held up by soil on either side. Piling retaining walls are used in areas with soft soil but not a lot of room to create wide barriers.

For taller piling retaining walls, a tieback anchor is used to help it stay in place. Usually, these anchors are set up behind the face of a wall and the potential failure plain of the soil. Then a cable connects the retaining wall and anchor together. It’s important to make sure that the piling retaining wall is able to endure the bending forces created by the dirt on either side of it.

Cantilever Retaining Wall 

Cantilever retaining walls, made of mortared masonry or concrete and contain steel reinforcements within them, support the weight of the soil to its attached footing. This type of barrier can have the same thickness throughout or a front-buttressed wall or a counter-fort (a right-angled wing wall that looks like a tight triangle places at the main trend of the wall) along the back.

How this barrier works is that the horizontal pressure behind the wall gets transferred to the vertical pressure below the ground. This is why it is very important to place the footing below the frost level in the earth.

Cantilever walls require fewer construction materials as compared to gravity retaining walls. It does require special engineering to make sure it can resist the weight of the dirt though.

Anchored Retaining Wall

Though it is similar to the previous walls above, an anchored retaining wall is stronger because it has extra cables or stays that are fastened into the earth or soil behind the barrier. The anchors expand in the ground with the help of pressurized concrete that expands into a bulb shape, or by mechanical means, and secure the retaining wall. Anchored retaining walls are perfect for heavy or tall loads, or in areas with limited space.

No matter which type of retaining wall you need, get in contact with a contractor before beginning your project in order to prevent problems from occurring down the line.

Retaining walls are used to hold back soil and dirt from spilling into streets and even prevent soil erosion in your backyard. Here is a look into the four types of retaining walls and the purposes each of them serve.

Visit our website to read more about the four main types of retaining walls and the purposes each serves. www.RicksFencing.com is one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest decking and fencing retailers and offers design, service, and installation of fencing and decking as well as advice and further fencing information, such as the uses for a retaining wall, for your backyard.

By: Dave Nichols

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