Residential Retaining Wall Failure

Often a failing retaining wall provides many signs of deterioration or warning signs long before a total failure or collapse.

Residential retaining wall failure.

In masonry retaining wall weep hole is made by removing mortar at the side joints and distance between weeps is. Flexural or shear cracking. The following are common problem spots along with tips to prevent retaining wall failure. Retaining wall failure due to weep holes that do not weep.

Wall is bowed outward. Retaining walls can be constructed using a variety of materials from poured concrete and large timbers to natural stones even bricks. A retaining wall holds soil in place and is built of. Understanding the causes of retaining wall failure can help you avoid costly repairs.

That s because most residential retaining walls have poor drainage and many aren t built to handle the hillside they re supposed to hold back. The wall was not designed to resist the passive loads to which it was subjected. Common causes of a retaining wall failure no one likes to fix a mess left by others but unfortunately sometimes you just have to. Bending failure of a 36 inch wide flange h beam retaining wall constructed at the base of a creeping slope in richmond california along a state route.

Even small retaining walls have to contain enormous loads. Director of residential hardscapes at. Segmental retaining walls srws or modular block retaining walls have gained popularity over the years as a soil retention technique because of their economy and speed of installation the flexibility of geometric configuration and the variety of blocks available in the market to suit a project s architectural and aesthetic requirements figure 1. Retaining walls can fail for many reasons and this doesn t always result in a sudden failure or collapse.

Under section 3 of the act a dividing fence only includes a retaining wall where the retaining wall is a foundation or support necessary to the support and maintenance of the fence. Do choose a material you can easily work with. A 4 foot high 15 foot long wall could be holding back as much as 20 tons of saturated soil. Some homeowners will call up a contractor to deal with a poorly done landscaping job by an unqualified person.

Due to lack of filters for instance line of gravel or crashed stone positioned along the base of the wall weeds turn into clogs and create problems for water draining. Be on the lookout for bulging on the wall or cracking sure signs of imminent failure.