ideas for a retaining wall

[John]

I am getting ready to build a retaining wall in my backyard, as I have a significant drop off to a stream. I have about 100 linear feet to cover and plan to build a wall about 4 feet in height. The wall will not come in contact with the stream most of the time, however, during significant rainfall, the wall will be in the water. Does anyone have any suggestions for a retaining wall. It does not have to be decorative, as it is at the back of the property. I am considering sandbags filled with concrete/sand or basic 6X6’s. I am looking for a inexpensive, do it yourself way of building the wall. Any advise would be helpful? Thank you.

[tomh]

Walls subject to flowing water and potential for undermining are a difficult project. A common approach is to use gabions. These are basically heavy rock contained in a welded wire box, chain link or similar containment. They are relatively easy to build because the rock is dumped or placed behind the wire wall. No foundation is required. The random pattern and heavy weight can hold the wall in place through pretty severe flooding.

Gabions are commonly used on eroding streambanks and lakeshores. There are a couple of links below to give you an idea of these heavy duty walls. Note a conventional retaining wall will not generally withstand flowing water. An ideal material to construct these iswelded wire used as concrete rebar, available from home improvement and concrete supply stores. A gabion wall will hold up better than sandbags or wood structures in the long run, and should not be a great deal more expensive.

http://www.terraaqua.com/lake.htm

http://www.kiciman.com/gabion.htm

http://www.hilfiker.com/awg.htm

[TennJenn]

Just a random thought. The mention of Gabion Baskets above made me think that you ought to check with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding your retaining wall plans. You mention that it will be in the water sometimes, and this may require a USACOE permit. Also, they use Gabions all the time and might be able to assist you in your plans.

[Sponse]

I just built a 110ft x 10ft retaining wall using telephone poles. Buddy up with the local phone company. More than likely, the next storm that comes through your creek will take down some poles in the area as well. The line crew guys are the best people in the world (pat pat) and they will probably be glad to see you take them out of their way. It’s free and they work great. Only trouble with this is your creek. You may want to check your local codes on such things as telephone poles are pretty potent and this creek may not enjoy the preservatives!

If you would like pics of my wall, email me.

[Author]

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