How do I calculate how much concrete I need for a retaining wall?
Conversion to Cubic Yards Since concrete sells by the cubic yard, you need to divide your wall’s volume in inches by 46,656. This tells you how many cubic yards of concrete you need for your wall. For a wall with a total volume of 276,480 inches you need at least 5.9 cubic yards of concrete.
How deep should a foundation be for a retaining wall?
To construct a footing for a dry-stacked retaining wall, excavate a trench that is 5 to 7 inches deep plus 1 inch for every 8 inches of planned wall height. Lay 4 to 6 inches of course gravel in the trench and tamp it down, checking for level regularly and making adjustments as needed.
What do you put on a hillside?
Use ice plant as ground cover — If fire danger worries you, instead of ice plant, use California native plants, which tend to be more fire-retardant than other varieties, and use mulch, which helps keep plants hydrated and a little less flammable.
How do you level ground on a hill?
Lay an 8-foot-long 2-by-4 flat on the ground at the top of the slope. Position the board so that its length is running down the slope, leaving one end even with the slope’s top horizontal edge. Place a level on top of the board and lift the lower end of the board until the level indicates that the board is level.
What is a modular block retaining wall?
About Modular Block Retaining Walls Segmental block retaining walls consist of masonry units that are placed without mortar and rely on their mass as well as interlocking to prevent sliding and overturning.
What is semi gravity retaining wall?
Semi-Gravity Retaining Walls They are a blend of the cantilever wall and gravity wall designs. These walls are often constructed of reinforced concrete, un-reinforced concrete, or stone masonry. The rigid gravity walls develop their soil retaining capacity from their dead weights.
What is a Counterfort retaining wall?
A counterfort retaining wall is a cantilever wall with counterforts, or buttresses, attached to the inside face of the wall to further resist lateral thrust. Some common materials used for retaining walls are treated lumber, concrete block systems, poured concrete, stone, and brick.
What is the difference between gabion wall and retaining wall?
Large unsubtle concrete structures are unnecessary, as gabion walls contribute an element of prestige to your infrastructure. Classic concrete walls or retaining walls are monolithic, while gabion retaining wall blocks, filled with local material, are more in sympathy with their surroundings.
What degree of slope requires a retaining wall?
What is the slope? If the slope is greater than a 3:1, consult with an engineer. If the slope is over 2:1, it will require structures or special stabilization techniques.
How many 80lb bags of concrete make a yard?
One 80lbs bag of Quikrete Concrete Mix will yield approximately . 60 cu ft. So it will take 45 bag to equal one cubic yard of concrete. If you have a project over a 1/2 a cubic yard you should consider our Mix On-site Concrete especially if you are hand mixing.
How thick does a concrete wall need to be?
Traditional foundations are constructed of poured concrete or concrete block. A typical foundation wall minimum thickness of eight inches applies to walls eight feet or less with no more than seven feet of soil pressing against it.
How deep and wide do footings need to be for a retaining wall?
For a wall that will be higher than 750mm make the footing three times the thickness. All footings should be a minimum of 150mm (6′) in depth, with the bottom 350 – 400mm (14-16′) below ground level on most soils. For clay soil however, thicker and deeper footings should be used.
How long does a retaining wall last?
How Long Should A Retaining Wall Last? Stone retaining walls should last somewhere between 40 and 100 years or more. Wood retaining walls last around 40 years. Stone and concrete retaining walls last between 50 and 100 years.
Can cinder blocks be used for retaining wall?
A cinder block retaining wall is only as straight and solid as the base it’s built on. For a 4-ft. tall wall, excavate a trench deep enough to accommodate 4 to 6 in. of compacted base, 1 in.
What causes a retaining wall to collapse?
Poor drainage allowing the structure to be weakened by hydrostatic pressure. Heavy rain is a major cause of the retaining wall failure as the moisture causes reactive clay to expand and exert pressure onto the retaining wall which then can crack and fail.
How do you drain water from behind a retaining wall?
For proper drainage, the first 12 inches of space behind a retaining wall should be filled with crushed stone or gravel. This is so that when water gets into the space, it does not become bogged down in soil but instead can flow down the wall to the drains or weep holes.
How do you compact soil behind a retaining wall?
Fill behind block with drainage rock until it is level with the top of the first course. Compact the fill with a hand-operated plate compactor on both sides of the first course to required specifications, or to 95% of maximum Standard Proctor Density (a method used to determine compaction).
What type of wood is used for retaining walls?
The best kind of lumber for these walls is Douglas fir pressure treated with preservatives to discourage rot. It will be green or brown in color and rated for earth-to-wood contact. For timber walls, large timbers for can be very expensive, which is why railroad ties are a common alternative.
What kind of gravel do I use for a retaining wall?
Our experts prefer crushed stone for the base rather than naturally occurring gravel dug from a pit. Crushed stone is a little more expensive. However, it provides better drainage, and because of the sharper angles on the stone, it requires less compacting, and once it’s compacted, it stays that way.
What is the legal height of a fence?
The laws actually state that a fence can be as high as 100 meters. However, this is only allowed if proper planning permits have been obtained. This means that any fence under 2 meters in height does not require a permit. This simple law has a few complications to it.
