Retaining Walls:
Built across the face of a bank or slope to keep soil from slipping.
Are used to retain features such as terraces, cuttings, embankments and the soil of raised beds and planters.
Are amongst the oldest and most basic of stone structures.
Are often required in the early stages of a construction project, as areas are levelled off.
Adequate drainage for a retaining wall must be provided.
Retaining walls can be either gravity or cantilever types.
Dry stone tips:
- Back of the wall is built overhand or even sometimes from above.
- Batter may be steeper with frames replaced with line bars.
- Walls built on steep slopes may require different foundation detail.
- Wall tops can be either topped formally with stone work or finished with soil/turf.
The Build:
Day 1 And 2:
- Dug out the bank, cleared debris and levelled the site as much as possible.
- Placed out a string line, placed stakes to create batter.
- Laid footings. Long axis going into the wall where rock size would allow.
- Checked footings for stability, packed with gravel and small angular stones.
- Started building up the wall in horizontal layers, filling in the back with material and keeping sones on a good level base.
- Placed some stones running long ways into bank to insure stability.
- Continued to fill the cavity behind wall with soil, gravel and old concrete.
Notes:
- Had to redo part of my section, as a rock futher down the wall was pulling on the string line. This caused a slight bump in the wall.
- Realised I need to keep an eye on the line whenever placing a stone.
