Failed retaining walls and how to avoid them

Failed retaining walls can be exceptionally costly to repair or replace. Rather than fix a retaining wall that has gone bad, there are some key preventative measures you can take to ensure your retaining wall lasts forever!

3 options to ensure your retaining wall withstands the test of time (and nature)

• Engineering. Certain conditions call for a retaining wall to be professionally engineered before it can be installed.  Our engineers design the ideal retaining wall solution for you so it is able to resist soil pressures and remains a stable structure.
• Drainage. Good drainage is the easiest way to ensure your retaining wall doesn’t fail.  After water is absorbed into the soil behind your wall, it has no place to go and thus increases the pressure against the wall.  Eventually, it reaches a critical mass of pressure and causes the wall to bulge out and collapse.
• Compaction.  The soil needs to be compacted otherwise the retaining wall will shift causing large caps in the soil.  Compactors are cheap and should never be skimped out on.

An interesting article we came across from Domain raises a further interesting point.

Properties with visible wooden retaining walls in their gardens are on the list of warning signs for buyers. If the home you are considering has this feature, take a close look.

“If the house is on a hill and you have neighbours one side that are above you and the other side is below you then you need to thoroughly inspect all the walls, even if the retaining walls are not on your land,” Mr Hunter said.

“You still may be liable for half if you are deemed to be advantaged by the wall being there,” he said.

Ten ‘red flags’ that put home buyers off purchasing – Jennifer Duke

That’s why we build with one of natures strongest materials – rocks and boulders!

If you’re worried that your existing retaining wall is about to fail, then give us a call on 1300 886 303 to discuss the best way forward.