Have you ever wondered how homes on steep hills keep their landscaping intact? Or why some commercial properties use large brick walls along roadways and embankments? The answer lies in retaining walls.
Retaining walls serve a versatile role, doing more than just hold back soil.
Keep reading to find out how retaining walls add beauty, strength and structure when crafted by experts in brick masonry construction.
What Is a Retaining Wall?
In essence, a retaining wall is exactly what its name suggests – a wall that retains something. Typically, this “something” is soil or water. Often composed of brick, stone, or concrete blocks, a retaining wall holds back soil or water so that it does not interfere with construction.
Imagine you are attempting to build a structure on a slope or hill. If you build with the ground as is, the structure would be at an angle and susceptible to soil erosion.
Instead, you first need to level the ground and keep any soil from collapsing into the structure. This is the purpose of a retaining wall. It holds the soil back so that it does not interfere with the structure.
For another analogy, imagine an overpass for a road. As you are driving underneath the overpass, you notice that there are bricks or concrete on either side of the road, underneath the bridge.The function of these bricks is two-fold. For one, it acts as support beams for the overpass. It’s second function is to hold back the soil from collapsing into the road and impeding traffic.
While this structure is called an abutment, it acts in much the same manner as a retaining wall.
Now, retaining walls can be used in both residential and commercial spaces. This is because they provide the functional benefit of supporting the structure as well as the aesthetic benefit of enhancing the landscape with a distinctive and polished look.
So, let’s get into some of the different types of retaining walls and how they can enhance your space both functionally and aesthetically.
Residential Retaining Walls
Retaining walls in residential areas are typically smaller than in commercial spaces. This is because they have less load to support. Below are some common walls you will see in home landscaping:
Gravity Retaining Walls – These rely on the gravitational force of their own weight to hold back soil. Essentially, the weight of the wall is heavier than the soil pressure behind it, preventing it from toppling or sliding.
Cantilever Retaining Walls – These are L-shaped or inverted T-shaped structures reinforced by concrete. The concrete sits beneath the soil, offering extra stability against soil pressure.
Segmental Retailing Walls – Composed of interlocking masonry bricks, these walls give better flexibility and durability.
Terraced Retaining Walls – These walls are built in a series of stepped sections. It breaks up a large section of soil into smaller sections that are more manageable.
Commercial Retaining Walls
Due to commercial spaces needing more robust and larger soil work, these retaining walls are often larger and more reinforced than residential. Here are some types of retaining walls that you will notice in commercial projects:
Reinforced Masonry Walls – These retaining walls use steel reinforcements to increase their strength and hold back heavier loads of soil.
Anchored Retaining Walls – Often used in areas where there is limited space or heavy soil loads, these walls use anchors driven into the ground to support the wall’s front.
Sheet Pile Walls – These walls are typically composed of interlocking sections of concrete or steel. They are ideal for excavation structures, such as parking garages and bridge abutments.
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining Walls – These walls use layers of compacted soil and backfill reinforced with geogrids or metal straps that support the outer facing. The facing is the visible part of the wall and can be composed of concrete, geocells, or segmented blocks.
Signs that a Retaining Wall Needs Repair
Now that you understand the different types of retaining walls for residential and commercial properties, the next step to mastering them is understanding the signs that they need repair.
As these structures are essential to ensuring ground stability, it is crucial to recognize the early signs of damage and wear.
If you notice any of the following failures in your structure, contact Primo Contracting in Rochester Hills and we will help you ensure its longevity:
Cracks in Brick or Mortar – Cracks appear when the structure settles into the soil. It is natural. However, while small cracks indicate minor settling, larger cracks could point to instability.
Leaning or Bulging – If your retaining wall appears to be leaning or bulging, that means it is not capable of holding back the pressure from the soil. It may need reinforcement to continue doing its job.
Water Damage – Standing water or excess moisture can weaken the structural integrity of the wall. This may cause it’s foundation to weaken and accelerate deterioration.
Loose or Missing Bricks – Over the years, bricks may become weak and loosen. If this happens, contact our masonry and construction services right away. If left untended, the structure could fail.
Soil Erosion – While the purpose of retaining walls is to hold soil back, soil near its base is essential to its stability. If too much soil erodes at the base, the structure could fall entirely.
Masonry Construction Services for Beauty and Strength that Lasts
A well-built retaining wall can last for decades, but only with proper care and maintenance. If you notice that your retaining wall is suffering from any of the above damage or failures, contact the expert masonry services at Primo Construction in Rochester Hills today. Our masonry and construction services are known and trusted throughout the industry.
We will send an expert contractor out right away to assess the issues and recommend the best course of action to stabilize your wall and ensure it maintains its structural integrity for years to come.