Retaining walls help us offset grade changes to create usable
land on our property. There are two ways
a wall will be constructed, and they are referenced as a “cut” or a “fill” site. A cut site is one in which you will cut into
the hillside to add flat land, and a fill site is one which you will add soil
to and raise the land to flatten out the area.
In order to properly size the wall, we will need to have a
detailed understanding of site elevations and grade changes to determine
wall heights. Starting at the lowest point
on your site, mark your grade changes in 1 ft. (0.3 m) increments on the plan.
Mark your elevations on a drawing like the one pictured.
You may find it easiest to use string lines and line levels
to create the elevations on your site. Determine the elevation (height) you
want to “fill to” or the elevation point you want to place your wall and “cut”
into. This point, or elevation, will be
your standard/benchmark. From the point you
just created, run a string line away from it towards the low spot on your
property and/or to the point that will be the low part of your wall. Keep the string level by using a “line level”
and pull the string all the way to the low spot on your site. Use a stake to hold the string in place and
ensure it is pulled tight. Now, mark the
elevations in 1 ft. (0.3 m) increments up to the standard/benchmark identified
at the beginning. Using this technique
will help you understand how tall of a retaining wall you will need to
build.
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