Materials Used in Retaining Walls

Concrete

• Advantages

  • It is one of the strongest materials that can be used in retaining walls
  • Can be made into any shape that is required; straight, curved and more
  • It can last a long time, it is fire proof and it can handle natural disasters very well
  • Can be used to build walls that are higher than 4m, but it has to be design properly

• Disadvantages

  • It is more expensive then let’s say wood for example.
  • It is prone to cracks and it is difficult to patch the cracks up
  • The base of the wall can interfere with the drainage of the area around the wall

Wood

• Advantages

  • it is easy to install
  • It can last over two decades if it is installed the right way and with the right wood
  • It is relatively cheaper than other methods
  • It is lighter then concrete or stones which makes it easier to transport to the building site

• Disadvantages

  • Compared to concrete and stone it does not last as long
  • It can not generally be used for retaining walls that are required to be more then 4 m tall
  • The wood can rot if it is placed in areas where there is a lot of rain and water flow
  • It can not be used to make curved walls

Stones

• Advantages

  • Some stone walls are heavy enough to keep the soil in place and fight against the lateral pressures of the soil
  • Can be used to build a curved wall 
  • Some designs have extremely good natural drainage

• Disadvantages

  • It is difficult to assemble properly
  • The materials can be very heavy
  • Uncut stone walls can be very time consuming because each placement of the rock has to be thought out carefully where as cut stone walls can be expensive to get
  • It might not handle water flow or drainage flow depending on the design of the wall
  • It is not typically used for high walls
  • If the stones are small, the wall would not be able to hold back that much weight

Steel

• Advantages

  • It is light in weight making it easier to handle and lift

  • It can be recycled and reused

  • The length and design can be easily adapt

  • The material can last a long time whether it is placed underwater or above ground

• Disadvantages

  • If the soil is rocky it will be hard to install the steel

  • The sections are usually not used as a permanent structure, they are usually used temporary to hold the soil back for short term construction

  • Driving the sheets may cause disturbance the neighborhood

References

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