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Thursday, October 20, 2016

Top Considerations When Building Retaining Walls

Building a home on a slope can be dangerous, but thanks to landscaping advances, the dangers can now be thwarted. By building retaining walls along slopes that are prone to slipping, you can ensure the safety of your home and family. In additional, professionally installed retaining walls can smarten up your yard.

A retaining wall, however, may not always be designed to stabilize land. Sometimes, it’s just for pure decoration. Regardless of the purpose, a retaining wall should be tough and visually appealing to enhance the look and function of your property. Here are some of the things you should consider when building a retaining wall.

Lateral Earth Pressure

Lateral earth pressure refers to the horizontal force that the retaining wall you are planning to build should be able to resist. Your retaining wall must be stable enough to push back the land, especially when the pressure is increased by sliding. This is influenced by several factors, including soil type, soil water conditions, and angle of internal friction.

Wall Height and Thickness

The height of the retaining wall depends on the function of the wall. If it is meant to hold back huge volumes of soil on a steep slope, then it has to be around four feet or taller. Building walls that are taller than four feet, however, requires the expertise of a licensed engineer, as the construction may have to conform with existing building codes.

If you’re planning to enhance your property’s landscaping, lining your slopes with retaining walls is a good idea. The walls, however, will look their best when build by professional retaining wall builders.

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