Most Common Failures on Retaining Walls You Need To Know
Retaining walls offer safety, protection, and privacy for your home — but if they’re built incorrectly or poorly maintained, you could end up with significantly more costly problems than just buying a new retaining wall.
Retaining walls are an essential part of any landscaping project. They’re designed to hold back soil and prevent erosion, but they also play a role in your home’s appearance and value. A poorly constructed retaining wall can lead to severe structural problems such as cracks or crumbling concrete.
In this article, we’ll go over common problems with retaining walls so that you don’t have to face them yourself!
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Common Retaining Wall Failures
From our experience as retaining wall installers, these are the most common type people construct. Considering how many types of walls there are — from modular buildings to garage foundations — it stands to reason that retaining walls would be a popular choice.
Retaining walls are the perfect way to add privacy and security to your property, but they’re also prone to failure.
Here’s a list of some common retaining wall failures:
Wall collapses.
This happens when the soil becomes too soft for the wall to hold it up. This can happen in any climate if there needs to be more drainage around the wall or more water on top of the soil around it.
Water is pooling around the base of the wall.
Suppose water is pooling around the base of your retaining wall. In that case, it’s likely because one of two things is happening: either you have an opening in your retaining wall that allows water to pool, or your soil is too soft for the soil-to-concrete ratio.
Sagging or leaning walls.
Sagging or leaning walls are often caused by poor drainage or improper installation; if they occur at specific points along your retaining wall, this may indicate problems with your drainage system.
If you have loose soil, this happens when that soil slips away from under your wall and falls over into the next yard or onto your neighbour’s property. This is most likely to happen without drainage near your retaining wall.
Wall crumbles.
Suppose you have loose dirt or mud at one end of your retaining wall and more solid materials (like rocks) at another. In that case, this will happen—the more substantial material will crack and crumble first, allowing the weaker material (mud) underneath it to tumble down as well).
Cracks in the top of the wall
Various factors can cause cracks in the top of your retaining wall; if they’re not very deep and don’t show any signs of weakening, they’re most likely due to a lack of maintenance or improper installation.
Foundation Problems
If there are problems with the foundation of your retaining wall system, then it will fail sooner than expected and leave a mess behind when it does fail. This can include issues such as settling or cracking foundation walls due to moisture problems within them or poor soil conditions around them (such as too much clay at ground level).
Foundation Problems
If there are problems with the foundation of your retaining wall system, then it will fail sooner than expected and leave a mess behind when it does fail. This can include issues such as settling or cracking foundation walls due to moisture problems within them or poor soil conditions around them (such as too much clay at ground level).
Uneven Retaining Walls
When the retaining wall is built differently than the foundation, it can cause uneven walls. This can lead to significant gaps that could be more sustainable. An uneven wall will also make it difficult for a retaining wall to hold back water and other material.
How To Avoid Retaining Walls Failures
Retaining walls are crucial to keep soil in place and stop erosion. Retaining wall failure can cause property damage and potentially threaten neighbouring residents’ safety. Here are some recommendations for avoiding retaining wall failure:
Appropriate design
A retaining wall’s success depends on how it is designed. Hiring a trained engineer who can create a wall that satisfies the particular requirements of your project is crucial. The design must include the loads the wall would endure and the height, drainage, and soil conditions.
Sufficient drainage
A typical reason for retaining wall collapse is poor drainage. The water behind the wall may accumulate, creating pressure that may eventually cause the wall to collapse. To stop water from collecting behind the wall, ensure enough drainage.
Use high-quality materials
The wall should be constructed using high-quality materials appropriate for the site’s circumstances. The durability and lifespan of the wall will depend on the quality of the materials employed. For instance, you should pick materials that can resist these conditions if you are building a wall in an area with frequent freeze-thaw cycles.
Correct installation
Its success depends on how the wall is put up. Adhering to the manufacturer’s instructions and utilising the proper methods is crucial when constructing the wall. The wall’s foundation should be level, and the dirt behind it should be well compacted.
Proper maintenance
The wall must need regular maintenance to continue serving its purpose. Check the wall often for indications of wear and tear, such as bulges or cracks. Maintain the drainage system’s cleanliness and free of obstructions, and fix it as necessary.
Think about reinforcing
It can be essential in some circumstances to strengthen the retaining wall. Installing geogrid or other reinforcing materials can be used to achieve this. Distributing the loads can save the wall from crumbling.
How To Fix Early Signs of Failures on your Retaining Walls
It’s critical to respond swiftly if you spot early indications of retaining wall failure to limit further damage or potential safety risks. To address the early warning indications of retaining wall failure, take the following actions:
Determine the cause of the failure
Several factors may have contributed to the retaining wall’s failure, including poor design, faulty construction, inadequate drainage, high soil pressure, etc. Before you implement any remedial steps, you must comprehend the problem.
Evaluate the damage's extent
The next stage is to evaluate the damage’s severity. Examine the retaining wall for any bulges, cracks, or leaning. You can take care of the damage yourself if it is modest. You are employing a specialist to inspect the retaining wall if significant damage is advised.
If the retaining wall remains intact, you can relieve any pressure contributing to its failure. This can entail taking down massive constructions or things resting against the wall.
Retaining wall reinforcement
Depending on the severity of the damage, retaining wall reinforcement may be required. This can entail adding new layers of reinforcement to the existing wall or additional supports, such as buttresses or tiebacks.
Retaining wall reinforcement
Depending on the severity of the damage, retaining wall reinforcement may be required. This can entail adding new layers of reinforcement to the existing wall or additional supports, such as buttresses or tiebacks.
Install enough drainage
Poor drainage is one of the most frequent reasons for retaining wall collapse. The retaining wall can be protected from additional harm by installing suitable drainage. This can entail putting a French drain or a drainage system beneath the wall.
If the retaining wall has sustained significant damage, think about rebuilding it. This is especially true if the retaining wall presents a safety risk or is no longer structurally solid.
Contact a professional
It is preferable to hire a professional if you need clarification on handling early indicators of retaining wall collapse or if the damage is severe. You may assess the retaining wall with a structural engineer or a qualified contractor, who can suggest the best action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poor drainage is the main reason retaining walls fail. The hydrostatic pressure can push on the wall and cause it to bow out or disintegrate if too much water is absorbed into the soil behind it.
Retaining walls may look straightforward in design and construction. Still, they are load-bearing structures that frequently carry a substantial amount of weight, depending on their size and the nearby structures.
Retaining walls are generally seen as independent structures; therefore, under the right circumstances, damage to them may be covered by your home’s insurance. Coverage may be available when harm is brought on by a “covered loss” (also known as an insured event), such as lightning, wind, fire, or a car crashing into a wall.
Even if the retaining wall is compromised, it rarely occurs due to frequently disregarded factors, including wind. It is doubtful that many of the most frequent reasons why retaining walls fail in the first place will be guarded against.
Final Thoughts
So you’ve just built those retaining walls, and now you notice some are failing. While this is potentially a scary situation, it does allow you to make corrections before the problems become too serious.
If you’ve seen signs of early damage to your retaining wall, don’t panic! As you finish reading through this blog, we have one for you. You have an idea of how to deal with it.
If you need help with what you can do in the event of a failure, we recommend calling a professional. They’ll be able to help you determine whether or not it’s worth repairing your retaining wall and how much it will cost.
