StoneMakers Retaining Walls Overview & Technique

What are retaining walls?

A retaining wall is a structure that holds back soil or rock from a building, structure or area. Retaining walls prevent down slope movement or erosion and provide support for vertical or near-vertical grade changes. Cofferdams and bulkheads, structures that hold back water, are sometimes also considered retaining walls. Retaining walls are generally made of masonry, stone, brick, concrete, vinyl, steel, or timber. Once popular as an inexpensive retaining material, railroad ties have fallen out of favor due to environmental concerns. Retaining walls are often used as a barrier on a beach that stops the earth behind the sand eroding and collapsing.

The most important consideration in proper design and installation of retaining walls is that the retained material is attempting to move forward and down slope due to gravity. This creates a lateral earth pressue behind the wall which depends on the angle of internal friction (phi) and the cohesive strength (c) of the retained material, as well as the direction and magnitude of movement and retaining structure undergoes. Lateral earth pressures are typically smallest at the top of the wall and increase toward the bottom. Earth pressures will push the wall forward or overturn it is not properly addressed. Also, any groundwater behind the wall that is not dissipated by a drainage system causes an additional horizontal hydrostatic pressure on the walls.

The StoneMakers Process

StoneMakers technique for building retaining walls has been carefully developed over years experience with concrete. The finished product is durable, affordabe, and customizable to any yard. It is unlike any other method available and we are ready to share our knowledge with you. A StoneMakers Dealer will gain tremendous profit opportunity with our process. Almost every project can be completed in under a day and at a fraction of the cost as normal block construction.

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