Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Few Words Regarding Retaining Walls

By Adriana Noton


Retaining walls do not occur in nature, but rather are constructed by man. They are used to stop the ground from moving down and out from a specific area. They for a stabilizing structure for terraces and slopes to make more are useful as well as looking nice. And that's not all. There are several different ways to build them as well as their varied usage.

They can be made of many different materials. Depending on the location they are made and the ultimate function of the fortification. Commonly stone, concrete, vinyl and steel have been used. While in the past people have used wood and quarried stones in their construction. There is no real correct method, or material in their design. Function plays a larger part than form in their design, and there are many different kinds to choose from.

Gravity walls rely on their weight to make the soil motionless. They may be made out of heavy material like river stones or concrete. They're popular to put into landscaping design edges and generally the dry stacked strategy is frequently employed to build them. Due to their somewhat greater flexibility they do not need a rigid footing.

A sheet pile wall is usually utilized in soft soils while doing work in tight spaces. They have walls produced from vinyl, steel, plastic, fiberglass and wood planks placed in the earth. They are most often a third over the ground and their remaining 2/3s buried in the ground. Often they require some sort of tie back-bracing though in order to work. When working with this type of wall, provisions have to be made for drainage for them to work.

Walls made using a thin concrete masonry stem that is reinforced is called a cantilevered wall. They transfer the load behind them to the ground under them. To do this they make use of the very large footing they are tied into. However for them to work correctly the footing has to be both very large and below the frost line of the soil they are in.

An anchored type wall uses a form of anchoring device placed into your soil behind it to constantly hold them in place. For instance a line is drilled into the wall's face, and cables positioned inside them. The end is expanded so slipping out is avoided. As it's now immobile, it can be attached onto a thinner wall for greater stability. Due to their design, this is often the method used when thin walls are required.

Soil nailing can be a tactic used for greater growing and irrigating area when working with gentle slopes. Thin items are placed in the ground in pre-drilled holes. While in place they are grouted or they may be grouted and set simultaneously. Being set with a downward tilt, they are usually used to help prevent erosion in terrace farming.

Soil strengthening or gabion meshes are employed for aesthetic reasons. They use either the soil or a preformed mesh box with soil inside it to for wall building. While these have not the strength of most true retaining walls they may be manufactured in just about any shape and size. Despite their name they will be guaranteed to survive for many years.




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