Building a
retaining wall can be easy. Just a few simple steps and some thoughtful
planning can make just about any wall design a reality. A common step in the planning process that is
often overlooked is managing the water on the site. The success of your wall project can depend
on how well this is done. So where does
the water go?
The idea is
to keep the water that flows on the site to travel away from or around the
retaining wall – not through or behind the wall. This causes extra pressure and weight on the
wall and could potentially cause the wall to fail. To avoid this type of scenario simply plan an
appropriate path for this water to travel.
When designing
your wall, take a look at the layout of your entire site. Where does the water
flow? Once the wall is in, where will
that water go? You may need to
incorporate swales or berms to deter the water from heading toward the
wall. The Allan Block Landscape Walls
Guide has some good information on this.
Click here to check it out.
Aside from
where the water goes after the wall is built, you may also want to take some
time to think about water while building and staging your materials. If you get a heavy down pour during
construction, you definitely want to make sure that water travels away from
your wall.
With the
water on your project managed properly you can rest easy knowing that your wall
will stand tall and stay dry for a long time to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment