For commercial and residential properties, retaining walls are essential, especially in steep or hilly areas. These walls keep dirt, landscaping, or other outdoor property features in their place. They protect your property’s foundation from erosion, direct rainwater, melting snow, ice, and allow irrigation to flow away safely. If the wall fails to do these essential jobs correctly, it could cause costly damage to your property.
It is more complicated than laying bricks or stones to build retaining walls. You don’t have to be a handyman to build a retaining wall. There are many things you should consider before you try to do it yourself.
These retaining wall failures can be avoided by hiring a professional contractor like Kwik Concrete Contractor Tulsa OK Pros.
What causes a retaining wall to fail?
These are signs that your retaining walls are not performing well:
1. The Clogged Weep Holes
Place retaining walls where the soil slopes down. This is because water that seeps into the soil will seek lower ground. It can cause soil to become waterlogged if it doesn’t have a safe draining channel, particularly around walls.
Weep holes are made in the wall at precisely measured points to prevent this. The holes can get blocked if they aren’t properly placed, too small, or not designed with the proper filters to allow water in and block debris. This causes water to pool near the wall and can cause damage.
2. Backfill that is poorly designed
Backfill is the material placed behind the wall after it has been installed. It is loose material that allows water to flow through the weep holes. Backfill, when properly placed, helps ensure drainage takes place as it should. It also keeps water pressure against walls to a minimum as drainage takes place.
The installer must consider the dimensions of the wall and the slope of your land before deciding on the best backfill material for your property. You will end up with a weak wall if this step is not done correctly.
3. Too much pressure on the wall
A retaining wall can be more than just a collection of stones or bricks that are decorated. It must withstand the weight of the soil that it holds in place. Pressure is created by the dirt, which creates pressure against the wall. If that soil is moistened, it will increase the pressure.
You could have a retaining wall that isn’t able to do its job correctly if it doesn’t have the right design, dimensions, and materials. It will collapse if it is subject to additional pressure. It is important to work with a reputable company like ours. That knows how to design a wall that is strong enough to serve the purpose you want it to serve.
4. Inferior Installations and Materials
Retaining walls need to be carefully planned for in order to achieve the best possible size, placement, backfill, and weep holes. It might be a smart idea to replace soil that is too waterlogged on your property with another soil option.There are other issues that can also arise. An inexperienced builder or installer might mistakenly put vertical joints on a wall instead of horizontal. They might not place reinforcements at the correct places to ensure that your concrete wall is secure. This could cause your wall to crack and eventually fall.
5. Weaknesses in Property’s Overall Drainage Systems
Water runoff is required all over your property. Not just near the retaining walls. Your overall drainage system may not be set up correctly with enough gutters, runoff areas and French drains. This could lead to more moisture being collected by your retaining walls than it can handle.
This can increase the chances of wall erosion, excessive water pressure, clogged holes and erosion. It can also cause other problems, such as water pooling near the foundation of your building, concrete walkways that are worn down, unsafe navigation, and structural damage.
Simply put, proper drainage is essential for commercial properties. Not only do you need to maintain the shape of your retaining walls, but also to preserve your property’s overall value. Retaining walls and drainage repair can protect your commercial or residential property.
