If you are considering designing and building a retaining wall, there are certain things which you need to keep in mind. It takes a great deal of planning and careful thought when building a retaining wall so as to avoid any collapsing in the long run.
Choosing the right design from the experts at Retaining walls Melbourne
The main purpose of a retaining wall is to keep the soil behind them. However the specific needs for a retaining wall may vary from one individual to the other. A retaining wall can be an addition of a small scale stone wall to your landscape or it could serve as an enormous project for retaining the soil along the highway. Some people build retaining wall to help control the erosions from rain and creating a terraced yard so as to reduce the maintenance work.
The following factors need to be considered when you start building the retaining wall
- When you are about to choose a location for your wall you should have a detailed check carried out regarding the property lines and that you are not trespassing onto your neighbors property.
- You may also need to check the utility lines which lie above or under the ground for example any irrigation and water management system.
- If the wall is to be built on a slope you should have enough ample space for an additional infill.
- You need to have some idea where the excess earth would be stored especially if you are about to cut into a Hillside.
- The natural drainage pattern of the area also matters a great deal. Sometimes not doing proper research can result in the retaining wall impeding the drainage pattern and having environmental consequences.
- If you are planning to place an additional weight or vertical force above the wall in the form of a fence or a parking lot you may need to consider all the extra construction work which has to be carried out.
- There is also a need to take a look at the soil and check the base. You should be able to determine the type of the soil and whether it has the bearing capacity to have a retaining wall built on top of it. It is only possible to build a retaining wall on a base soil which is formed and solid as well as strong. Soil which is too moist may damage the wall because it expands and contracts a great deal.
Designing retaining walls
In order to design a retaining wall you need to calculate the corresponding height of the wall along with the footprint sizes and the slopes. You would also need to consider the gravity of the area so that you can understand how the retaining material can be contained for how it can be allowed to move downwards naturally.
Sometimes you may need to reinforce the walls with the help of certain methods. This would include mechanically stabilizing the earth or using any kind of artificial reinforcement such as Steel grids. Make sure you have a detailed talk with the people who will be building retaining walls in Melbourne.