There are so many ideas that you can apply in your property to improve its value but if your property is located along a slope, your best option is to construct commercial retaining walls around to prevent soil erosion.
Retaining walls are rigid walls that are used to support the soil mass in a lateral manner there increasing the amount of usable land within their property. The retaining walls are designed to restrain the soil to a slope thereby preventing erosion and the structural damage in the soil. It is often used not only in landscaping but also for more specific functions such as hillside farming or construction of a roadway overpass. It is also constructed to protect the area from being saturated with water and eventually disintegrating causing a chunk of the slope to give away.
The purpose of a retaining wall is to resist the lateral pressure of the soil when there is a change in the ground elevation that exceeds the soil’s angle of repose. It is crucial to take note that a retaining wall supports a wedge of soil, which is defined as the soil that extends the failure plane. When designing or installing a retaining wall, it is crucial to take note of the strength of the retained material, the direction of the retained structure, and the angle of internal friction to name a few. It is also crucial to design a retaining wall to have a proper drainage to limit the amount of pressure on the wall. So what type of retaining wall should you construct in your property? Below are the types of commercial retaining walls that are commonly used today.
Sheet Pile Retaining Wall
Perhaps the simplest of all types of retaining walls, a sheet pile retaining wall is used to support soft soil in very narrow spaces. They are made of vinyl, steel, or wood planks that are driven into the ground. The retaining wall material is driven 2/3 below the ground or deeper depending on the quality of the soil. For taller sheet pile retaining walls, additional supports are usually installed such as a tie-back anchor or a buttress to be able to support the weight on the base. It is often constructed as part of the landscaping in properties. But since they are made from materials other than concrete, they need to be replaced over time. Here is some more information about sheet pile retaining walls.
Gravity Retaining Wall
Gravity walls are built depend on their very own weight as well as the soil in order to resist the lateral pressure of the soil. This type of commercial lateral wall is very economical and is used to make short landscaping walls. Often made from mortarless stone, gravity walls are very flexible and do not require a rigid footing. Gravity walls often have thick bases and a footing to support the immense lateral pressure exerted on the lower part of the wall. They can be built up to 10 feet in height to build different structures. Gravity walls were commonly used during the earlier part of the 20th century. Today, they are still used but they come in different names such as gabions, crib walls, and soil-nailed walls.
Cantilevered Retaining Wall
The cantilevered retaining walls are made of reinforced concrete. The wall consists of a thin stem with a base slab, which is then divided into two parts – the heel and toe. The heel is connected to the base under the backfill while the toe is the other part of the base. The advantage of this type of retaining wall is that it uses less concrete compared to gravity walls thus making them economical to build but it can only support about 25 feet in height of slope. While it is economical, it requires more careful design and construction to be able to support such a huge amount of lateral pressure. But to improve the strength of the thin wall on the base, buttresses can be added for additional support to the heavy load that the wall supports.
Counterfort Retaining Wall
The counterfort retaining wall is similar to the cantilever wall. The only difference is that vertical concrete webs are arranged along the backside of the wall at regular intervals. These vertical webs are called counterforts. What the counterforts do is that they tie the slab and base together to reduce the shear forces that can result in the bending of the wall imposed by the pressure of the soil. It also increases the weight of the wall. Counterfort retaining walls are more economical compared with the cantilever walls as they can be formed on site and does not need to be customized for the area where it should be installed.
Anchored Retaining Wall
An anchored retaining wall is one type of commercial retaining wall and can be constructed just like the other types of retaining walls. This means that it can take on the design of the gravity retaining wall but with additional support. It comes with cables or other implements anchored in the soil, rock, or surface behind it. The material is driven onto the surface with anchors that are then expanded at the end of the cable by injecting pressurized concrete. This creates a bulb in the soil or rock surface. This method is complex although the design is very simple, it is very effective in supporting high loads. This type of commercial retaining wall is often used in constructing a retaining wall on roads and highways.
Hire a Contractor Today
Constructing a commercial retaining wall is very crucial if your property is located near a slope. Building commercial retaining walls does not only expand the usable space of your property but also increases its value. However, building this addition in your property can be challenging and complex thus it is crucial to hire the right contractor to get the job done right the first time. The problem if you do it by yourself is that you might not be able to construct the right retaining wall that can provide protection for your property’s sloping area. If you are looking for a good contractor to build commercial retaining walls, contact Dirt Connections today.
