Gardening terrace with sleeper retainers, will this suffice?

[andrewjames]

I'm currently in the process of terracing my garden into 3 raised terraced levels, the height of each level is between 600-900mm and the soil is a mix of clay, well wet clay this time of year

My plan is to use 100x200x2400 softwood sleepers as retaining walls for each level by arranging the sleepers in a brick bond fashion for strength and look.

Will i get away with stacking the sleepers upright, i.e 200mm so that 3x courses = 600mm, the would make the thickness of the wall only 100mm...
looking at other designs most opt to lay the sleepers flat, this would double the budget and i wonder if its overkill for a well supported wall

Onto support, the plan is to bore 100x100 posts between 600-900mm deep and stagger every 1-1.5m along the rear of the sleepers so that will not be seen from the front
Should i also retain with supports from the front?

Thanks Andrew

Untitled

• andrewjames
• 5 Nov 2014
• 1

 

[r896neo]

sounds fine. just concrete in your posts and make sure you put good drainage behind the wall.

 

[andrewjames]

sounds fine. just concrete in your posts and make sure you put good drainage behind the wall.

Thank you r896neo,

Drainage is a good shout, will a gravel soak away suffice?

also do you recommend i add posts on the face of the wall so that its retaining the wall from pushing forward or is this overkill?

thanks Andrew

 

[r896neo]

its better for longevity to have them in front as they aren't getting as damp permenantly. Its just less aesthically pleasing in my opinion.

If you sort the drainage out very well then this shouldn't be such and issue.

you want 4-6 inches of gravel between any wood and the soil. Also consider where water will escape.

 

[andrewjames]

its better for longevity to have them in front as they aren't getting as damp permenantly. Its just less aesthically pleasing in my opinion.

If you sort the drainage out very well then this shouldn't be such and issue.

you want 4-6 inches of gravel between any wood and the soil. Also consider where water will escape.

Thanks, i was thinking a 6-9" soak-away beneath and the soil would be against the sleepers with a damp membrane between

 

[r896neo]

You need the gravel to continue up the back of the sleepers to reduce the water pressure against the wall.

This is absolutely essential if you want to put a dpm on the back of the sleepers or you will have a nice 900mm high dam.

 

[andrewjames]

You need the gravel to continue up the back of the sleepers to reduce the water pressure against the wall.

This is absolutely essential if you want to put a dpm on the back of the sleepers or you will have a nice 900mm high dam.

Cheers, i guess the alternative is no DPM and rotting sleepers in years to come so i will go the route with the gravel, going to take a few tonnes more than expected

Andrew

 

[r896neo]

you can still use your dpm if you have a good 6'' of gravel all the way up behind the wall. its just you can't use a dpm and just a gravel channel at the base of the wall

 

[andrewjames]

you can still use your dpm if you have a good 6'' of gravel all the way up behind the wall. its just you can't use a dpm and just a gravel channel at the base of the wall

Thanks r896neo,

Sounds like a plan to ensure the life of the timber.

thanks

Andrew