Retaining Wall Concrete Footer

Step 1 check local government ordinances.

Retaining wall concrete footer.

We used 2x 8 for the concrete forms because we are using them in another project after the fence is built. It is important when you are building footings for a concrete retaining wall to make them sturdy. The retaining wall footing supports the weight of the wall and the soil behind it. It distributes that weight of the structure to the soil below.

Forces on retaining walls 6. Pier and pile foundations 11. You can use plywood instead. A solid block wall needs a solid footing.

However for even the most modest block structure to have enough rigidity to bear pressure and weight it needs proper footing. Concrete blocks are a common building material for a variety of outdoor projects such as retaining walls and out buildings like garages and tool sheds. If you plan to use brick cinder block or stone that will include the use of mortar then a concrete footing is recommended. Earthquake seismic design 7.

If you are new to this type of project here are a few tools and materials that you may need as well as some steps to help guide you through the process. Segmental walls are constructed using individual blocks designed for stability without mortar. Cantilevered tilt up walls 13. Gabion walls 16.

Without a footing the retaining wall may collapse. A footing is an underground concrete structure that a building wall or retaining wall rests upon. Designing the cantilever wall stem 9. The wall we built was a weekend long project and an exhausting one at that.

Building codes and retaining walls 5. Materials tools and site. Counterfort retaining walls 12. Do this by multiplying the width of the footer by the depth and multiply that total by the length.

Soil bearing and stability 8. Wood retaining walls 14. How to build a concrete wall prep work. The footing is usually made of poured concrete but in some situations homeowners may instead opt to simply use tamped earth or a gravel base.

The 2x8 s were used to keep the concrete in the forms. It took a day to rip out the old collapsing retaining wall to dig farther into the hill to provide room for the backfill gravel and to help unload materials. Calculate the amount of concrete per cubic yard needed to fill the footer to ground level. Because of this the footings will need to be built to create a sturdy base.

One key aspect of retaining wall construction is preparing a solid footing or foundation. A retaining wall is used to stop soil or dirt in one area typically elevated from moving down to a lower area.