Getting off the Grid: How to know if your retaining wall needs more reinforcement

Written by: Nate VanBeek

How much geogrid do I need to build my retaining wall? Do I even need geogrid? How tall does my retaining wall need to be for geogrid to be required?

When designing a retaining wall, there are a number of questions that you must ask yourself prior to answering these questions. 

• How tall is your retaining wall? 
• What block will you be using to construct your retaining wall? 
• What type of soil is being retained by your wall? 
• Are there any additional loads on top of your wall such as a driveway or a slope?

 Once you have answered all of these questions, you may reference the table to the right.

This table as well as all of these design considerations can be found in our Commercial Installation Manual.

Now that you have determined whether or not geogrid is required, what’s next?

If a gravity wall will work for your application you don’t need any geogrid. However, if your wall is outside the parameters in the above table you will need geogrid reinforcement. But, how much? For a quick answer to this question refer to the table to the left.

 

Once you have determined an appropriate depth of grid and number of grid layers using the table to the left, multiply these numbers by your average wall height to determine how much geogrid is required for your wall.

Would you like a more accurate estimate of the geogrid required for you project? Consider using our AB Estimating Tools. These applications download in just moments and allow you to come up with a material estimate in just a few minutes.

For detailed instructions on building retaining walls using geogrid please refer to the Allan Block Best Practices document which comes from decades of industry experience.