The mighty retaining wall

Most walls are built with a purpose in mind. The mother of all walls – The Great Wall Of China – was built to protect the nation from the invasion of Mongolian tribes (and not to keep the rabbits out as one popular TV ad suggests), while the other famous wall – that one in Berlin – was erected to stop East Germans from accessing West Germany during the Cold War. Pretty important stuff.

So what’s the purpose of a retaining wall? While obviously on a much smaller scale than the previous examples, a well-executed retaining wall can become your own backyard “wonder”. It’s time to think globally and act locally – your home will thank you for it.

As level building sites become harder and harder to find, retaining walls are needed to level out land for construction. “Cut and fill” – a technique whereby a slope is cut, all material is removed from the area and then used as fill – is a popular way of solving this problem.

However, if the soil is deemed unsuitable you will need to pay to have new “fill” imported and the old stuff removed, making a retaining wall seem like a cheaper and worthwhile alternative. A well-positioned and crafted wall effectively retains soil and helps prevent erosion.

Key components of a “mighty” retaining wall include:

• Structural stability
• Durability
• Provision of drainage

Drainage is an important aspect of a well built retaining wall. Although designed to take soil pressure, high water pressure is a different story. A build up of water behind the wall can cause sliding or rotation.

Concrete is the perfect material choice for your retaining wall. It is able to withstand constant exposure to soil and the elements – both wet and dry conditions – is resistant to termites and does not rot. Of course concrete is not the only suitable retaining wall material; sandstone, limestone and other stone blocks are also extremely popular choices.

Steps to achieving your retaining wall:

1. Check with your local council to find out if planning approval is required, this varies and depends on wall height and drainage provisions. Minor low-rise retaining walls of around 600mm shouldn’t need approval.
2. Familiarise yourself with the soil type and slope of the site, so concreting businesses are able to determine what method of retaining wall will work best for your site.
3. Decide on the desired height and length of your wall.
4. List your retaining wall job on ServiceSeeking.com.au.
5. Pick a quote.