Reinforcing collapsing wall

[Kevgw83]

Hi, first post. I've scoured the internet and found this so hope you guys can help

I'm not very "DIY minded" ...more paperwork than hands on so bear with me

My garden is on two levels (stepped) and the wall is collapsing. Top level is grass and soil, the bottom level is concrete. Now, what the previous owner has done is put a wall up infront of the collapsing wall made out of the insulation blocks which isn't safe.

I'm looking for ideas of how I can make this safe as I have a little one who'll be walking about soon

My idea is to take down the wall made of insulation blocks (As I believe the soil and stuff behind it won't immediately move and then put concrete posts and lintels in to hold it all back. Would this work? I believe this would be the cheapest way too

Another idea would be to build a new wall out of proper blocks but I think this would be expensive

Any suggestions are welcome. I'll try and upload a picture when I get home

Thanks in advance

 

[Andyc84]

First things first, a picture paints a thousand words, so uploading a pic really helps, and it makes this thread more interesting.

Secondly, how high a wall are you describing? if its a foot then its not a big deal really, if its a lot more, you may have to get professional advice.

You may want to consider installing drainage to help prevent future collapse.

 

[Kevgw83]

Untitled

• Kevgw83
• 29 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• Kevgw83
• 29 Jan 2015
• 1

It's four foot tall. Any suggestions are welcome

 

[TheVictorian]

There is a hell of a lot of soil behind that, I would seek advice from a pro on this.

The thought of all of that falling onto a child after a long period of rain for example would drive me to have it done properly.

 

[Kevgw83]

It's been like this for years. It just looked horrible when I took the top off the front wall

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

With a wall like this its most important to get rid of water that falls on the garden bit. A it adds weight and B it turn the soil into a slippery mass that wants to slide downhill. It should have a vertical layer of gravel behind the wall and bleed holes drilled through it, so any water that falls on the garden will eventually dribble out of the bleed holes.
Any given soil type will have a "natural" angle which you can see as you don't get cliffs made of soil, so cutting away the bottom of the natural slope means that you have lump of earth the depth of the cut with the natural angle at its bottom and what ever the garden level is as its top. This will be many tons of soil that would like to slide forward. The supporting wall for this lot must be very strong and have very good foundations else the wall (as a sheet) will simple rotate and fall over. The other technique is to use land anchors. This is where you can get to a bit of the garden, beyond the bit that wants to slide. You dig a hole and bury a beam which then has a strap taken from its centre right through the garden, right through the wall where it is used to pull back a piece of metal against the wall. The theory is that for the wall to move it must pull the stable lump of soil with it.
What I would do? first of all dig the soil away from the back of the wall and go lower then the wall base to check on the size/shape of it's foundations (just at one place). Depending on this I would just rebuild the old wall. I think you need foundations 2' lower then the patio, in addition I would put in buttresses on the garden side (under the earth! BUT they need to have a bit of stainless steel rod taken from their base to the wall, else the earth would push the wall away from the buttresses.
Frank

Frank