Retaining Walls
Construction of retaining walls can take many forms and will generally be dictated by the purpose of the wall, and the products available. In general terms retaining walls are built in order to hold back a material which would otherwise slip forward. The type of material varies but the most common type of wall would be built to retain earth. Other examples would be where walls are used to create bays to store materials such as aggregates and sand. Another common area of use is agricultural; this can be earth retaining banks, silage clamps or slurry stores. All of these applications will normally require retaining walls of some sort.
The type of wall will vary dramatically from precast concrete to timber walls. The type of product used will often dictate how much force can be placed on a wall and how high the wall can go. It is worth noting that when designing a retaining wall there are many factors taken into account; the material being retained, potential hydrostatic pressure, surcharges from vehicles, ground bearing pressure and the height of the wall. All of these plus other factors will determine what product is used and also the foundation it is built on. It is always advisable to get a structural engineer to design your wall.
Before doing anything have a search on the internet and look at the types of products available. Speak to the suppliers and find out what is possible with their products. Once you have an idea of the type of retaining wall that is of interest then go to a structural engineer to get a proper design done. You may find that the manufacturer can offer this service as well.
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