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 neighbourhood

References

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