A retaining wall is a sturdy wall that is used to retain or hold back soil or water usually on slopes. The main reason for constructing a retaining wall is to oppose the pressure that is created by water, soil, or rocks.
You can often spot retaining walls while travelling through the mountains or hills. These strong and durable walls are built on either side of the slope of the hills to contain soil erosion and to prevent landslides so as to ensure the safety of travelers on slopes.
Retaining walls can also be constructed with a combination of other materials to contain water. For maximum strength and firmness, these walls must at least be as thick as half the height of the wall.
If you are someone who is enthusiastic about building a retaining wall by yourself then you have stumbled upon the correct article. Here, we will learn how to build a retaining wall on a slope in great detail.
You will be provided with a step-by-step guide to help you construct the retaining wall. Some important tips and measures to be taken while building a retaining wall have also been stated in this article.
The base material for building retainer walls can be anything from gravels, boulders, bricks and timber to limestone, gabion, concrete blocks and poured in-situ concrete. Some other peripheral materials that one would require to build a durable Retaining Wall on a slope are:
Before telling you how to build a retaining wall on a slope, we have stated the materials required for constructing it.
The steps given below will tell you exactly how to install a retaining wall on a slope:
If you are using materials such as stone, bricks or concrete to build the wall, determine the width and height of the wall to avoid inconsistencies.
This will ensure the cloth/fabric remains firm in its place. You may use oshim stone for best results for levelling.
Make sure that water can flow out of your pipe, either at the end or through an outlet in the middle of the wall.
This is how to install a retaining wall on a slope practically all by yourself with minimal guidance!
As you have already understood ‘how to make a retaining wall on a slope,’ it’s time for you to know the numerous types of retaining walls that can be built on slopes and hilly regions or even in gardens for decorative purposes.
These walls can mainly be differentiated on the basis of the material used (apart from shape and size). Let us now have a look at the several types of building materials can be effectively used to construct a retaining wall on a slope.
Please make note the following tips while constructing a retaining wall.
Given below are few of the most common issues people face while constructing a retaining wall even if you know how to build a retaining wall on a slope.
If you are a beginner who is just learning how to build a retaining wall on a hill, then you must adhere to the advice given below to solve the common issues:
To avoid this, consult engineers or professionals before building a wall that is taller than 4 feet by yourself. Ensure that you learn how to build a tiered retaining wall on a slope before you try to do it yourself.
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A. The cheapest and most affordable retaining walls are usually made up of wood or lumber and poured concrete. Other cost effective ways of building a retaining wall is by using concrete blocks, stones or bricks.
A. All retaining walls must have a drainage system constructed with the help of perforated pipes, irrespective of the height of the wall.
Walls built with materials like poured concrete, cinder blocks and clay require special drainage system to ensure that water does not clog behind them. Effective drainage is necessary because water clogging behind retaining walls is one of the major reasons of them breaking.
A. The posts for retaining walls should be atleast 3 feet away from one another and in any case, the distance between 2 consecutive posts of a retaining wall should not exceed 7 feet.
It always a good idea to place the posts after doing proper calculations. Retaining walls that are higher than 4 or 5 feet need to be built by proper engineers who will calculate the distance between two posts of the wall accurately.
A. By rule, one must dig a base deep enough to hide atleast one-eighth of the height of the wall. If you are looking for a specific number then one inch of base or footing will be sufficient if you want to know correctly how to build a small retaining wall on a slope.
A. Building a wooden retaining wall on a sloped yard is no different from building any other kind of retaining wall. The wood needs to be sized and evened out before it can be used to construct a retaining wall.
Special care needs to be taken with wooden retaining walls since they are not as strong as concrete or brick walls. This is how to make a retaining wall on a slope that will be made of wood.
A. As we all know, blocks are placed together, made to stick together with the help of adhesive concrete and then interlocked together in order to construct a strong retaining wall.
The blocks that can be used to build a durable retaining wall are – bricks, stones, concrete blocks, and cinder blocks and so on. If you are familiar with how to build a tiered retaining wall on a slope, then you must also be familiar with the kind of material or blocks required to build a standard retaining wall.
A. Although the primary feature of all retaining walls is to be strong and durable, there is one particular kind of retaining wall which is the strongest of the lot. It is the poured concrete type of Retaining Wall.
This article tells us in depth about how to build a retaining wall on a hill/slope. All that you need you know and learn about Retaining walls including its types, methods of building it, common mistakes to avoid while building a retaining wall have also been provided in this article in a very comprehensive and concise manner.
We sincerely hope this article has made you aware about retaining walls and taught you how to make a retaining wall on a slope practically.