First Post - Retaining wall

[shepherdess]

We are just purchasing our housing association home and would like to hold back the soil to a very sloping garden. A number of houses that have had new tennants have been done already by rather temporary means...ie using concrete posts and base boards.


I put in a little four brick wall when I moved here and made a raised bed but ideally we'd like to put in a taller one on one side to make a decked area and a double height one on the other side to make a couple of layered herb gardens or maybe herbs and a pond /waterfall...Havent decided?

It will be a big job as there is no access for diggers and the slope is pretty hefty. I am aware that I need to leave drainage gaps at the fronts and will get some nice bricks to do those with as they will be visable but, what of the sides that touch our neighbours slopes also not completed on our side, and mostly underground?

What would be the best bricks to use for the sides to keep the costs down( to prevent the soil washing round)?

And what would be the best for the fronts...We are planning to reuse the bricks already there as the mix used by the original council workers was too sandy and has resulted in the bricks dropping off the wall.

And I shall apologise for my terrible terminolgy, it has been worse...

 

[RHGrenedier]

I'd add side "wing" reducing walls to your retaining walls.
It'll also add strength to your retaining walls.

Strictly speaking, I think you should use engineering bicks as they'll always be in contact with the soil. Porous brickwork will be subject to a freeze/thaw cycle many times each winter.
You could use concrete blocks but they'll probably look a bit naff.

 

[shepherdess]

Yes, wing would be a better word....

I had thought id use the lightweight block for the wing, but then realised with the water absorbtion that they would probably just split when frozen.

The gradient is pretty steep. It drops about 2metres by a distance of two metres and continues on a shallower decline after that.

So, I was worried that the soil would wash round a small wing and that it would be better to take the lowest point brick, level all the way back to where the top of the slope is. And for that I would used concrete happliy as its underground and cant be seen. Do you think that would be overkill?

 

[shepherdess]

This would be what kinda thing Id be aiming at...

Also...how deep down into the lower level section would I take the upper level wall? All the way so that both brick walls were at the same level at the bottom?

 

[RHGrenedier]

Yes, I think that would be overkill.
If you were going to do the whole at the same time, a stepped foundation would suffice.
This link gives a good idea about stepped foundations:
http://www.condor-rebar.com/news-articles/2011-03-sloped-vs-stepped-footings.html
I don't think you'll need to bother with the rebar, but again it may depend on site conditions.
Overlap of step should be something like 1.5 times the depth, IIRC.
Try to make each run of foundation match the length of bricks/blocks that you will be using.
Depth of foundation etc is dependent on height of walls and other factors, such as site conditions.

I'm not sufficiently experienced or qualified to give advice on depth of foundation.

I would suggest that you estimate the height of the retaining walls, gain a reasonable idea of site conditions, post on here and perhaps one of the more experienced or qualified might advise.

 

[shepherdess]

Yes, the one I posted is much more epic than the one Im intending to build...
This is one side of what Im starting with...there is another on the other side of the steps.

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• shepherdess
• 6 Sep 2014
• 1

This is kinda what Im going for

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• shepherdess
• 6 Sep 2014
• 1

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• shepherdess
• 6 Sep 2014
• 1

Although, we had thoughts about having one side decked with barrier fencing and a slide from it.
We do need to consider steps and the ones that are there have to go, they are lethal! Too long and deep to walkdown and the children have been down head first a few times.
Any extra suggestions or ideas would be great

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• shepherdess
• 6 Sep 2014
• 1

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• shepherdess
• 6 Sep 2014
• 1